(SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – July 21, 2026) The Institute of Peoples, Territories, and Pedagogies for Peace (IPTP) in collaboration with the Department of Community Economic and Social Development (CESD) of the Faculty of Cross-Cultural Studies (FCCS) at Algoma University, recently welcomed a delegation of Indigenous and Afro-descendant educators, activists and community leaders from Colombia as part of an international initiative focused on grassroots diplomacy, economic sovereignty and trade.
The delegation participated as guest experts in a condensed CESD special topics course titled ‘Grassroots Peoples’ Diplomacy and Economic Justice’. Students engaged directly with community leaders, environmental knowledge holders, diplomats, entrepreneurs, and others, to examine community-led, cross-cultural approaches to foster deepened understanding of economic justice, as well as practices associated with Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples diplomatic protocols within the context of territorial sovereignty, environmental governance and trade, and advancing on environmental stewardship.
Throughout the experiential course, students attended both class lectures and participated in applied learning activities that examined the impacts of colonialism and global crises including climate disruption, conflict/increased militarization, and migration – understood effectively as a crisis of diplomacy – while highlighting the cultural, political and economic models for diplomacy rooted in Indigenous and Afrodescendant cosmovisions that centre life, peace-building, and a distinct relationship with land/water and within territories. The course also emphasized the role of women, cooperatives, and cross-cultural partnerships in building stronger communities and a future that contemplates how our actions today will impact seven generations to come, a teaching oriented to Anishnaabe lifeways.
“This visit represents much more than an academic exchange, but an encounter between peoples, territories, and ways of understanding the world which, though rooted in different geographies, share a common concern: How can we sustain life’s balance in the face of the challenges of our time?” said María Concepción Namen, IPTP Territorial Liaison for Sierra Nevada. “During this experience with Algoma University and the Anishinaabe people in Northern Ontario, we participated in training sessions on economic justice. We learned about experiences of Indigenous self-determination, toured infrastructure built to strengthen Indigenous education. Every conversation, every tour, and every lesson reaffirmed a deep conviction: autonomy is not isolation. On the contrary, autonomy flourishes when peoples can come together, engage in dialogue, and build reciprocal relationships grounded in mutual respect.”
As part of the initiative, the delegation and class also visited Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig (SKG) and Whitefish Island as sites of diplomacy and education emphasizing Indigenous trade, Anishnaabe territory and cosmovision. The program concluded with a Peoples and Products Market Place, a fair where participants showcased Afro-descendant and Indigenous products, cultural traditions and community-led economic initiatives.
Beyond the course, the delegation visit involved exchanges with Anishnaabe and Black-Afrodescendant peoples and community organizations. Lead by Dr. Sheila Gruner, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Cross-Cultural Studies and the CESD program, as part of the Global Decolonial Education initiative, the visit marked another milestone in Algoma U’s growing international partnerships. Building on a multi-year relationship-building process with Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities and organizations, universities and research institutes in Colombia, Northern Ontario, and beyond, the initiative strengthens opportunities for future research, education and community partnerships.
A highlight of the Colombian delegation’s visit to Northern Ontario involved a grassroots diplomatic initiative organized by the IPTP and the Robinson Huron Waawiindamaagewin (RHW), culminating in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that lays the foundation for deeper collaboration in sustainable development, community economic development and nation-to-nation diplomacy.
“These exchanges allow us to broaden our perspectives, question our own certainties, and recognize that there are many paths to exercising self-governance, strengthening community economies, and defending territories,” added Namen. “These experiences remind us that knowledge grows when it circulates and that cooperation among peoples can become a concrete form of diplomacy for life. Today more than ever, it is necessary to build bridges between territories, communities, universities, and knowledge systems. Not to homogenize, but to learn from one another and strengthen our collective capacities to address the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, economic inequalities, and peacebuilding. Because economies must serve life, because autonomy is strengthened through dialogue, and because the world’s balance also depends on our ability to come together, listen to one another, and walk together.”
Notes to Editor:
Guests included Ambassadors Elizabeth García (Arhuaca leader and former Colombian Ambassador to Bolivia), Carlos Arturo Morales (current Colombian Ambassador to Canada), Ogimaa Dean Sayers, Dr. Vivian Jimenz-Estrada, Anishnaabe Kweok Constance Manitowabi and Elizabeth Angeconeb, Kenyan-Canadian Jane Omollo from Algoma U’s EDI Office, Ghanaian-Canadian Veronica Ayete from Ije’s Place in Desbarants – one of the few African owned businesses in Northern Ontario, an example of an economic initiative in connection with peoples’ diplomacy and identity.
Delegates visiting from Colombia included Indigenous and Afro-Colombian social leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs including Clemencia Herrera (Huitoto Indigenous Nation from the Colombian Amazon, founder of MUTESA, and member of the National Indigenous Organization Of Colombia), Dr. Esther Ojulari (Afro-descendant activist, educator and Reparations expert, IPTP Coordinator), and María Concepción Namen (Arhuaco Indigenous Nation leader and territorial representative with the IPTP).
To view images of the visit, click here.
Share Article
