We are pleased to share our Anexo III Proyectos AYC (Annex III AYC Project). Ausenco and the Catholic University of Salta, and its Faculty of Arts and Sciences are working with the Guarani communities of the San Francisco Valley, in the province of Jujuy, Argentina to document and preserve ancestral knowledge about plants and plant uses.
For centuries, Guarani communities have maintained a close relationship with nature, developing a profound understanding of the medicinal properties of the plants that surround them. Members of the Guarani community have asked us to collaborate in conserving their ancestral knowledge to safeguard this valuable heritage for themselves and the world. Information gathered will be verified with the Guarani and will be handled in ways that are respectful to Guarani knowledge bases and customs.
The goal of the project is to compile a comprehensive collection of the herbal knowledge and practices of the Guarani communities in the mountain jungle of Jujuy. Our team will conduct interviews and conversations with Elders and knowledge holders in these communities to gather detailed information about the most commonly used plants, their food, medicinal and ceremonial uses, preparation and administration methods, and the stories associated with them.
We will organize and catalogue the information and knowledge shared with our team to create a structured and accessible database. Additionally, we will organize workshops and outreach activities in Guarani communities and educational spaces. To promote the value of ancestral knowledge of herbalism, fostering the conservation of biodiversity and continuation of traditional knowledge within the communities and for the youth in these communities.
An interdisciplinary approach and collaboration with external stakeholders are crucial to the comprehensive and holistic preservation of this important ancestral knowledge. The combination of perspectives and knowledge from different disciplines, including traditional knowledge, cultural anthropology and vegetation sciences, will support the Guarani in retaining this knowledge for future generations and to generate sustainable solutions and strategies for the preservation of culturally important plant communities.
For more information contact our Reconciliation Action Plan–Argentina and Project Team members, Maria Ana Rubinstein, Juan Martin Delareta, or Cheryl Forner at reconciliation@ausenco.com.