About Living Bridges Foundation

Living Bridges Foundation was founded in 1995 primarily as a means of connecting the Indigenous Peoples of the Southern Americas with resources for the development of projects (from clean water to schools to sustainable-living marketing of local products) which essentially enable them to ensure the continuity of life in their traditional homelands, support the assimilation of traditional knowledge and values within their communities and thus reinforce their lifeways as they navigate the encroachment of and inevitable choices regarding the assimilation of modern technologies.

Mothers and Daughters
Q'ero, Peru

Minay T'ika School
Teacher Maria Luisa
Q'ero, Peru

Shamans Confederation
Manu Region, Peru

Living Bridges Projects

Living Bridges is collaborating with other Non-Profit organizations in Peru in the ongoing development and support of two projects for and within indigenous communities in Peru.

In the Andean District, the Q'eros Community Project in three years installed clean water systems for each family in eight communities. Also in this community is the first Cultural Heritage School, serving many children in giving them a future through literacy in the written and oral traditions of their culture.

The second project in the Amazonian Manu Park Perimeter Zone, is a multi-organizational collaboration in the formation of a Shamans Confederation, for the sharing of Plant Teaching and Healings and the organizing of Youth Shamanic Trainings in the Amazonian Basin of Peru, again assuring the transmission of ancient knowledge for future generations.

Finally, our Web-based project, ShamansOnLine.org, features information and "Messages from the Natural World" spoken by the shamans of Manu Perimeter Zone, Peru and greater Amazonia.

Educational Seminars and Trainings

Living Bridges Foundation supports the transmission of indigenous knowledge and wisdom by sponsoring Educational Seminars and Trainings which are offered by indigenous people worldwide or by those who are native to or expert in or support an indigenous Wisdom Tradition of locality.

Our seminars and sponsorships have included offerings by John Seed, Austrailian Rainforest Activist, Don Alejandro Jahuranchi of the Huachipaeri tribe of Peru. We offer education to the public in slide shows and school programs.

A portion of all proceeds from these offerings are donated to projects which benefit the indigenous peoples.

Project Selection

The Prerequisites of Project selection are:

• The project is desired, initiated and organized by the Community leaders and families
• The project outcome will be a strengthening of the community health, environmental and economic situation (thereby strengthening morale and individual and community spirit)
• The community members agree in advance of funding to a collaborative and participative methodology for the project. Specifically, they will agree to utilize family “division of Labor” structures to assume responsibility for all manual labor required in the projects.
• The community works in co-operation with project staff and engineers coming from outside the community who also agree to respect all traditions and customs of the community they are guests within.

Directors

Living Bridges Foundation is managed by our volunteer Founding Directors:

Donna Runnalls President & Executive Director	Connie Tritt Treasurer	Jane Ostrander Secretary & Webmaster