Intro
English
OLEN’s Mission
In response to the colonial legacy in the Americas, OLEN’s mission is to teach children, young adults, adults, and seniors, of all genders and religious backgrounds, to read, write, and do basic math in Ngäbere (our indigenous language) using its unique non-Latin Amerindian script. The goal is to establish a distinctly Ngäbe educational program, that guarantees the sustainable growth of the Ngäbe culture and prepares students for our interconnected world.
OLEN’s Board of Directors is fully integrated by Ngäbe community leaders from the three regions of Ngäbe territory to ensure that revitalization efforts do not turn into programs of assimilation and discreditation of the Ngäbe way of life. Ultimately, the mission of our NGO is to promote the production of Ngäbe literature to foster long-term development and empowerment of indigenous peoples in the region.
This development is built over four pillars:
1. A strengthened self-esteem of indigenous identity emboldens grassroots innovation: Towards overhauling systemic disenfranchisement of vulnerable communities.
2. Freedom from oppressive educational institutions is a key measure of creative literary production: Towards decolonial content in school curriculums across Panama.
3. Identifying and revising the nuances in written national (legal) history opens up a path to amend unjust relationships with constraining state administrations and actors: Towards accurate policy oversight.
4. Recognizing the intrinsic value of one’s mother tongue initiates the rooting for protecting the land from extractive practices: Towards environmental responsibility.
OLEN’s mission is to build on these pillars to create a healthier and more just environment for indigenous people and their relationships with the larger society
In response to the colonial legacy in the Americas, OLEN’s mission is to teach children, young adults, adults, and seniors, of all genders and religious backgrounds, to read, write, and do basic math in Ngäbere (our indigenous language) using its unique non-Latin Amerindian script. The goal is to establish a distinctly Ngäbe educational program, that guarantees the sustainable growth of the Ngäbe culture and prepares students for our interconnected world.
OLEN’s Board of Directors is fully integrated by Ngäbe community leaders from the three regions of Ngäbe territory to ensure that revitalization efforts do not turn into programs of assimilation and discreditation of the Ngäbe way of life. Ultimately, the mission of our NGO is to promote the production of Ngäbe literature to foster long-term development and empowerment of indigenous peoples in the region.
This development is built over four pillars:
1. A strengthened self-esteem of indigenous identity emboldens grassroots innovation: Towards overhauling systemic disenfranchisement of vulnerable communities.
2. Freedom from oppressive educational institutions is a key measure of creative literary production: Towards decolonial content in school curriculums across Panama.
3. Identifying and revising the nuances in written national (legal) history opens up a path to amend unjust relationships with constraining state administrations and actors: Towards accurate policy oversight.
4. Recognizing the intrinsic value of one’s mother tongue initiates the rooting for protecting the land from extractive practices: Towards environmental responsibility.
OLEN’s mission is to build on these pillars to create a healthier and more just environment for indigenous people and their relationships with the larger society
What are you building? Who is your audience? What are your goals?
We are building schools in Western Panama, printing textbooks, setting up solar panels, and with our website, we want to establish an interface for collaborators from around the world to participate in the sustainable growth of our educational organization. We teach indigenous children, adults, and elders to read and write. We want to set up an online store in order to fund our NGO by receiving targeted donations for our posted projects. We want to sell folktales (books) and indigenous art to empower our 300+ members to participate in the larger society with dignity in their creative work.
How did you get started? Who's on your team? If you've raised money, how much and from whom?
Our NGO was officially formed in Panama (July 20, 2015). We are Ngäbe indigenous people. Since 1973, we have slowly but steadily begun a cultural revitalization effort. We now have 11 schools and four textbooks, but our growth is hampered by our lack of funds. In the recent past, we have relied on the sporadic gifts of our friends from across the world who have been to our schools and seen first hand our teaching program. We are presently learning to build a business model to allow other patrons to help us build a steadier and more reliable flow of funds.