The Mesoamerican School of Leadership (EML by its Spanish initials) expands its coverage in the Mesoamerican region by initiating its work in the Talamanca area of Costa Rica. In coordination with RIBCA (Bribri and Cabécar Indigenous Network), the EML is in the process of implementing early actions, which consist of a needs assessment and the organization of community-strengthening activities.
The person in charge of facilitating this process is Dayana Reyes, from the Montesión community, and who has been providing technical support to RIBCA in 2014 and secretarial support to the Association for the Development of the Cabécar Talamanca Indigenous Territory (ADITICA) from November 2020 to May 2021.
To date, Reyes has been in charge of conducting communication and leadership workshops. She managed a workshop provided by Maria Teresa Dobles, psychologist, and Pablo Calderon, sociologist, in conjunction with the National University, Sarapiqui campus, and has also informed the leaders and young people who make up RIBCA about MLE and the work to be done.
At the beginning of September, a communication workshop took place with the women’s group and the youth group of RIBCA. During this activity, there was a dynamic of climate conversations where they reflected on the main concepts around the issue of climate change and how they could be perceived from the indigenous and community reality.
RIBCA women and youth participating in the dynamics of the Communication Workshop. 
The Bribri and Cabecar territorial agenda is closely related to environmental conservation, so we took advantage of the dynamics of climate talks to work on some important aspects of communication.
Through a communication work session, questions such as: How do we invite for the activities we carry out? How do we invite people to participate in the activities we carry out? Which media do we use? The reflection on communication issues allows us to think beyond what we do and situate our day-to-day actions in the global agenda.
About RIBCA
The Bribri and Cabécar Indigenous Network (RIBCA) was established in 2005 to bring together the indigenous communities of the Costa Rican Atlantic slope. To give them a better representation and function as a regional counterpart that will facilitate dialogue with government institutions and to work together to improve the quality of life of the people represented. RIBCA has a population of around 35,000 people, 35% of the country’s indigenous populations. The territories it groups are Talamanca Cabécar, Kekoldi, Tainy, Nairi Awari, Bajo Chirripó.
The Mesoamerican Leadership School encourages young people to participate more and more in the processes of their communities. Through the process carried out in Talamanca, we seek organizational strengthening and the union of the different actors that influence the community. In alliance with RIBCA, more young people will be active in community advocacy.
