The Goals and Methods

 

of

 

 

The Pajaro Jai Foundation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pajaro Jai Foundation - In Brief

 

 

The yacht Pajaro Jai with her crew of Embera natives from the village of Mogue in the Darien Rainforest left Panama for the first time on June 6, 2006 in order to open an international discourse about the effectiveness of aid to indigenous societies. 

 

Since then she has traveled 5,000 miles on the open Atlantic and Caribbean, grazed three hurricanes and two tornados, and hosted more than 40 events in more than 20 cities and towns.  The crew has met with groups of Native Americans from the United States and other countries in an attempt to discover paths which lead to healthy futures – futures that aren’t crippled by the dependencies so common in these societies.  The Embera have also met with agencies and organizations that manage projects affecting indigenous peoples offering them the feedback resulting from these discussions.  

 

The Press has responded with radio, television and more than 30 articles applauding the courage and vision of the Embera and the beauty of their mission.    

 

In January the Pajaro Jai returned to Panama to celebrate the success of this “odyssey” and to conduct routine maintenance. In July she’ll cruise both coasts of Panama sharing this jewel of the Darien with the Panamanian people and  supporting the six ongoing foundation projects in Panama.  In 2008 the odyssey continues across the Atlantic where the Pajaro Jai and her crew of Embera will develop markets for the goods and services offered by the natives of the Darien, and talk once again with indigenous peoples including the Laps of Scandinavia and the Eskimos of Siberia.

 

 

The Paradigm

 

The Pajaro Jai Foundation understands that it's difficult to help any individual or group without encouraging the belief that salvation comes from outside, and that this idea, if entrenched, means that many projects end by creating dependency, sapping native initiative, and Text Box: With dancers in the rigging, the Pajaro Jai arrives in Amador in the old Canal Zone ultimately diminishing the potential for greatness inherent in healthy societies.   The foundation also believes that no project aimed at a healthy future can succeed if the society doesn’t believe in itself - not even with millions of dollars in aid.

Therefore, the primary purpose of all foundation projects is to strengthen the subtle and invisible foundations of success: pride, self-confidence, courage and initiative, believing that societies with confidence in themselves are successful societies.   The key is to provide opportunities which alter their views and expectations of themselves in positive ways.

 

 

 

 

 

The surprising odyssey of the Pajaro Jai, is an opportunity which opens the eyes of the participants so that they can clearly see the results of their own courage, their own initiative, and their own abilities, a project which builds prestige and confidence which infect, first the participants, then their families, and finally their societies - and it opens the eyes not only of the participants in this great dream realized, but also the eyes of the observers, reinforcing new expectations with the positive opinions of others.

 

Only after developing this internal individual and societal confidence can we proceed to more obvious projects without falling into the trap of dependency.  Only in this manner can we leave projects in the hands of individuals of confidence and proven abilities, individuals that understand that the next step will always be their own.

 

To maintain community integrity the foundation has in addition two more essential principles: 

 

1.       Bring the solutions to the communities, not the communities to the solutions.     

2.       Evolve solutions that respect the natural environment surrounding these communities.

 


 

Present Status

 

The world received the odyssey of the Pajaro Jai with great respect:

"It's probably the most amazing boat we have ever had here" Connecticut Post Monday, July, 17 2006  

"There was something primitive and extraordinary about the meeting of the two tribes"  Bangor Daily News Friday, August 4, 2006

"A stunningly beautiful yacht"  Newport RI - East Bay Friday, July 28, 2006

"...to step onto a boat in a small village and ply stormy seas to venture to a world that is difficult for them to imagine...Their courage and focus is remarkable."  Westport News Friday, July 21, 2006

"a most unusual emissary" here to promote "a new approach to aid" The Day Thursday, July 27, 2006

"Los indigenas embera llegaron la semana pasada al puerto marino Captian's Cove de Bridgeport para traer su mensaje de buena voluntad e informacion."  Registro July 26, 2006

"Sailboat on a voyage to spread goodwill"  Connecticut Post Tuesday, July 18, 2006

"a real opportunity for the indigenous people"  The Washington Post Saturday, July 8, 2006

“Ledgendary explorers and thinkers like Magellan, Darwin, Hyerdahl, Admunson, and Scott had the same courage and vision that motivates our Embera countrymen to defy the oceans and elements to bring their dreams to life.”  Panorama Catolico - 8 de octubre, 2006

 

 

After only six months of struggle, the results in Mogue are surprising.  Among the villagers there is growing belief and pride in the mission and in their capacity to create effective plans for their future.    They have invited all the other villages in the Darien to participate in a party on March 2nd and 3rd celebrating the return of the Pajaro Jai and sharing ideas and successes.  The young people that only yesterday looked for their future in the slums of Panama City now talk with pride of their culture and work together to support other projects in the making.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Projects

 

Developing furniture factories- growing from the shop in La Palma that built the Pajaro Jai – improving equipment – creating shops in remote villages – creating alliances with furniture manufactures outside Panama – establishing the relationship between furniture-making and reforestation

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Developing native owned ecotourism – continue to develop the “Casa Cultural” concept in Mogue as a central focus of tourism – create alliances with tourist agencies abroad – create brochures and web pages – train participants.

 

 

 

 

 

Education – develop technical capacities appropriate to support future – build a high school in Mogue

with indigenous teachers – create internet connections with children of the outside world.

 

 

 

The Odyssey continues – in Panama, USA, Russia, Germany, England, France, Spain, Italy, etc.  Develop markets, look for wisdom.

 

 

 

Develop Industry based on the wood underlying Lake Gatun – Create a mystique, look for markets, make agreements with extraction companies.

  

 

 

 

 

Construct a World Center for Indigenous Initiatives in Panama – with the participation of indigenous groups worldwide – look for alliances – locate the site – design the building

 

 

 

 

 

Develop infrastructure for indigenous business – get satellite communications equipment – get Laptops – develop a source of electricity solar/battery - build an office in Mogue,  etc.