In its early years the Gaia Foundation began its work with individuals and organisations in South America, becoming an Embassy in London for them, as one of the indigenous people said. Our mutual commitment was to prevent the destruction of the critical Amazon rainforest, and to raise the voices of the indigenous peoples. Our Associate José Lutzenberger introduced us to Ailton Krenak and Chico Mendes, well-known forest leaders in Brazil.

In 1988, Gaia published a report on 'The Life and Work of José Lutzenberger - Brazil's leading environmentalist', which was instrumental in 'Lutz' receiving the Right Livelihood Award and his appointment as Secretary for the Environment in Brazil. Gaia also supported Lutz to establish a sister organisation, Fundação Gaia. Lutz was a great inspiration and advisor for Gaia's early work within the Amazon and globally.

By the mid 1980s, awareness and concern was growing about the wanton destruction of the Amazon and other tropical forest areas. However there was little support for the indigenous peoples whose ancient homes were being ravaged, and there was a lack of understanding about the importance of traditional knowledge in the struggle to protect the world's rainforests.

Gaia began working with indigenous and rubber-tapper groups in Brazil, with Ailton Krenak, Chico Mendes and the Forest Peoples Alliance. This led to the development of an Amazon Network and various initiatives led by forest peoples to protect their rainforest home, as well as the Nucleo de Cultura Indígena, a programme for cultural strengthening in Brazil.

Our struggle will continue until all our areas are guaranteed, until indigenous people have their land guaranteed. The forest is our mother, our source of life and in order to save it, we will do everything we can until the end.... At first I thought I was fighting to save rubber trees, then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon rainforest. Now I realise I am fighting for our humanity.Chico Mendes, Brazilian Rubber Tapper Leader, assasinated in 1988.

Gaia established a Microprojects programme, which was especially successful in channelling funds and strategic support to forest-dweller groups in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Venezuela (also in Thailand and Malaysia), for legal training, productive projects, territorial demarcation and cultural recuperation.

In 1989, Gaia met Martín von Hildebrand who was Head of Indigenous Affairs in Colombia. Gaia began to collaborate with Martin to develop processes for the demarcation of indigenous territories. Gaia Amazonas was born out of this process, and later the COAMA (Consolidation of the Amazon) programme brought together a number of Colombian NGOs working in the Colombian Amazon with indigenous people, and Gaia as the international partner. In 1999 COAMA won the Right Livelihood Award for reviving indigenous traditions and governance systems. Thanks to these efforts, nearly two decades later a vast area of Amazon rainforest (more than 26 million hectares, an area larger than Great Britain) is now being protected by its rightful guardians, the indigenous people, and governed according to their cultural priorities and values. They negotiate directly with the government and have developed their own intercultural education and health programmes.

But we cannot let our guard down. Many of the gains that were made for indigenous territorial rights in the Amazon, for example, are under increasing threat from mining concessions, dams, logging and the expanding agricultural frontier.