At MODETEAB, we are committed to defending the territories, ecosystems, and collective rights of Indigenous Ngäbe communities in northwestern Panama. This work includes building partnerships that amplify community voices and strengthen advocacy for the rights to health, land, and self-determination.
Earlier this year, we welcomed an interdisciplinary group of students and faculty from the Center for International Human Rights (CIHR) at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law as part of their Health & Human Rights course. Their visit marked an important step in our ongoing collaboration. Together, we engaged with Ngäbe community members to better understand how their health and well-being are affected by structural challenges such as food insecurity, environmental degradation, and displacement from ancestral lands.
Through community interviews and shared analysis, we examined how systemic discrimination continues to undermine Indigenous land tenure. These challenges persist in the face of large-scale development projects, the expansion of industrial agriculture, and even conservation initiatives that exclude Indigenous peoples from their own territories. By documenting these realities, we aim to make visible the deep connections between land rights and health outcomes.
Our partnership with CIHR represents a collaborative effort to transform community knowledge into evidence for advocacy. The findings from this work will support both MODETEAB and Northwestern in engaging with policymakers. We value this collaboration as an opportunity to exchange expertise, strengthen solidarity, and advance the fundamental right to health.
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