Munekan Masha at The Vatican's Jubilee of Knowledge.

We're heartened to share a significant moment involving UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition members, the Kogi people and the Tairona Heritage Trust (THT).

Kogi Ambassador, José Manuel, and THT trustee, Vian Sharif, have been in Rome for the Vatican's Jubilee of Knowledge. Yesterday, José Manuel delivered a highly successful talk on the Munekan Masha project, which was reportedly met with great interest from attendees. Today, the delegation anticipates a special audience with Pope Leo XIV.

The Jubilee of Knowledge event, bringing together students, educators, and institutions from around the world, centres on "Braiding Scientific and Indigenous Knowledge in the Cherishing of Our Common Home." This focus directly aligns with the work of the Munekan Masha project and BRIDGES’ mission to integrate traditionally undervalued knowledge systems, like those of Indigenous Peoples, into solutions for global challenges. 

The Munekan Masha project is a pioneering, transdisciplinary ecological restoration initiative in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. The project is rooted in the Kogi sharing their ancestral land management techniques with academics and scientists, establishing a model for global ecological transformation based on the Kogi belief that their territory is a living, conscious entity.

This event at the Vatican highlights the growing recognition of Indigenous wisdom in global sustainability efforts. The forthcoming audience with Pope Leo XIV offers a platform to amplify the urgent Kogi message of environmental stewardship, a message rooted in their spiritual duty as guardians of the Earth, "The Heart of The World."

Information on the conference ‘Jubilee of Knowledge: Braiding Scientific and Indigenous Knowledge in the Cherishing of Our Common Home’ can be accessed here. 

Check out the “Summer Round-up” from the Tairona Heritage Trust, sharing inspiring developments, events and connections that have shaped a remarkable few months for the Tairona Heritage Trust and the Kogi in the UK; including the UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Bridging Futures General Assembly event.