1. The free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) process conducted as part of this initiative was crucial in establishing trust within the communities and highlighted the importance of acknowledging and including indigenous governance structures in decision-making processes. In the case of the Emberá-Wounaan Territory, their participation and the integration of indigenous knowledge in designing solutions to the migration crisis in Darién are essential.  2. It is key to understand the historical trajectory of these communities to address the current migration crisis. Active listening during the creation of the Canaán and Bajo Chiquito timeline demonstrated the role of memory in understanding the various dynamics of social cohesion and collective action that have influenced the lives of both communities. These are also starting points for more effective solutions that strengthen the social fabric and resilience at the local level, linking humanitarian aid, peace, and development.  3. A futures & foresight approach is needed to anticipate the differentiated effects that changes in migration flows have on host communities, with a gender-focused approach. Within the dynamics that emerged during the active listening process, cultural changes, including shifts in the relationship with livelihoods, reflected the varied impacts migration has had on women, youth, and older adults. 

This process was conducted for about 7 months, starting in december 2023 y and ending in june 2024. The documentation (blogs & policy note) are now being diffused and we are exploring the linkages between these learnings and other potential projects related to environmental governance in the Darien region.

A Pathway to Trust: https://www.undp.org/acceleratorlabs/blog/pathway-trust-indigenous-voices-and-community-consent-darien https://www.undp.org/acceleratorlabs/blog/bajo-chiquito-between-rivers-history-and-migration-paths https://www.undp.org/acceleratorlabs/blog/shores-darien-stories-solidarity-and-resilience-migration-passage

We used the most recent census data as baseline (2023), given that most of the data on these communities rely on estimates. However, even that data could be contested due to the complex nature of the communities of Bajo Chiquito and Canaán. In addition, we used the census data to include a multidimentional poverty analysis on the corregimiento of Lajas Blancas, where both communities are located.  The whole process was conducted under a Free, Prior and Informed Consent approach, which showed how it is not a 'procedure to be followed', but a vehicle to build trust with indigenous authorities and local communities, aligning in intentions and the objectives of the process to the community needs and what could be of best use for them.  Under the free, prior and informed consent along the process, we also conducted   active (deep) listening activies where we did in-depth interviews and focus groups with community members, as well as community mappings (social cartography) and the documentation of the oral history of the community, the objective was to explore alternative worldviews, narratives and solutions from the perspective of the communities of Bajo Chiquito and Canaán.

The main results of this process were based on ethnographic insights from the process and the generation of micronarratives with starting points on solutions to tackle the complex reality of the poli-crisis in the Darien region.

In this case, there was a lot of existing data on migration, we identified the need to better articulate the case of the 'development element' in the humanitarian, peace and development nexus. We did it by bringing in multidimensional poverty insights and data, but more than that, we brought in the perspectives of Canaán and Bajo Chiquito through the ethnographic process, which also explored and elevated alternative starting points to strengthen a development perspective on this complex issue.