Advisory Council Members
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Jairo
Project management / strategic planning
Jairo Lima, a dedicated pedagogue and a passionate advocate for Indigenous Rights for over three decades, has been a steadfast follower of the Indigenous peoples’ movement in Acre. He has shared his mission with Benki Piyãko Ashaninka for more than 30 years. As a founding member of the Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute, Jairo holds a prominent position on the Council, contributing his wisdom and dedication to their shared cause.
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Eliane
Executive secretary and strategic planning / Projects
Eliane Fernandes Ferreira, an accomplished anthropologist, has been a dedicated supporter of Benki Piyãko and the Ashaninka people of the Amônia River since 2004. Holding a PhD from the University of Bremen in Germany, she has contributed significantly to the discourse on the state of Indigenous communities in Brazil through her publications, including books and articles. From 2009 to 2020, Eliane served as a researcher at various universities, including Marburg, Bremen, and Hamburg. Presently, she channels her expertise into Indigenous Rights issues by collaborating with the German NGO, The Society for Threatened Peoples. She also plays a pivotal role at the Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute, furthering her commitment to Indigenous causes.
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Ben
Advisor
Ben Meeus holds a Master’s degree in International and European Law and a second master’s degree in Latin American Studies. He has contributed to the work of Amnesty International and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-OHCHR). Committed to the protection of tropical rainforests and indigenous rights, he also served the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) by coordinating the implementation of the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative (IRI) in Brazil, Colombia, DRC, Peru and Indonesia. He now serves as Director of Frontline Strategy at Grounded.org, a philanthropic organization dedicated to accelerating urgent climate solutions.
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Marcelo
Advisor
Marcelo Fiorini, educated in England and the United States, holds a BA in Music, an MA in Philosophy, and a PhD in Anthropology. He has taught for a decade in the USA and France, and held positions at renowned institutions like the Université de Paris III and the American University in Paris. Additionally, he served as the Director of Research at CNRS.
Marcelo’s work extends beyond academia, encompassing anthropological reports crucial for land demarcation and Indigenous Rights, as well as numerous public anthropological articles. He has also been actively involved in audiovisual media, conducting workshops and teaching cinematographic and photographic techniques to Indigenous filmmakers.
Currently, Marcelo collaborates with Benki Piyãko on a book to share his remarkable story and message with a global audience.
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Flore
Communication and PR
Flore Ferjani was born and raised in Tunisia and moved to New York City at the age of 8, where she spent seven years before relocating to France. She studied in international schools until the age of 18 and continued her higher education at a French business school, specializing in international business and marketing. Flore has held various roles in the aviation sector, including general marketing, partner communication and regional marketing. Currently, she is dedicated to nature conservation through her involvement with the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative and the Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute in Brazil. In IYT, she is part of the Advisory Council and the communication and marketing team.
Collaborators
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Fernanda
Indigenous Rights Protection
Fernanda, a lawyer and anthropologist, specializes in merging indigenous and scientific knowledge. She works to support indigenous communities in preserving biodiversity, upholding traditional medicines, and advancing their cosmologies. Exploring the influence of indigenous rituals and medicines on Western viewpoints, she delves into various perspectives on existence. Additionally, she investigates themes such as consciousness in non-human entities, co-evolution, trust, reciprocity, and shared intentionality. Collaborating with the Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute, Fernanda safeguards indigenous rights concerning traditional knowledge, medicines, and genetic resources.
Her initiative aims to protect indigenous rights by ensuring respect and benefit for traditional practices, medicines, and knowledge in modern health and environmental policies. It addresses issues like the use of indigenous medicines and emphasizes transparency on matters like traditional knowledge, benefit-sharing, and regulation. Through activities like Ayahuasca Indigenous Conferences and online platforms, it seeks to safeguard indigenous rights and ensure fair distribution of benefits from indigenous knowledge.
