Respect for life
Every living being deserves respect and protection. We work with the conviction that all life has intrinsic value, beyond its utility to humans.
Our foundation
About Fundación Luan
A story of reconnection between territories and their communities
Our history
We were born to protect what we love
Fundación Luan was born out of local challenges with global reach. The first of these was the conservation and sustainable development of territories, but we then encountered a diversity of actors and actions pursuing the same path, yet with limited results. What explains this? A lack of actors, will, or resources? The answers we found were as diverse as the actors and territories themselves that face these challenges. But there was a central element, common to all territories, actors, projects, and themes: Governance. It was then that we understood that in an ecosystem of actors and territories as complex and diverse as the current one, the most important need and opportunity for the Fundación Luan team and its experience lay not only in executing projects, but in understanding the dynamics that explain the results and scope of various interventions and projects. These dynamics are not just limited variables, but also encompass culture, social relations, prior experiences and narratives, and even the ontologies from which a community or audience reads and understands the reality they seek to address.
The Luan Foundation then takes on the challenge and the opportunity to contribute from a space that is sometimes less visible but tremendously important, which is to reconnect territories through Collaborative Governance models.
Mission
To understand the mission of the Luan Foundation, it is imperative to analyze the diagnosis that motivates its existence. We are witnessing social and economic fragmentation, where local actors have moved from a phase of passive reception to a stance of critical scrutiny and demands for tangible results. This reality requires that projects not only demonstrate technical viability but also cultural relevance that guarantees their long-term social acceptance. The foundation proposes replacing the logic of intervention with that of regeneration, understanding the latter as the act of healing the fractures in natural capital and the social fabric simultaneously. While traditional intervention seeks to solve isolated problems through standardized technical solutions, Luan's regenerative approach seeks to restore the functionality of ecosystems and the dignity of the cultures that depend on them.
Vision
The Luan Foundation's vision projects a future where culture is formally recognized as the primary driver of sustainability and territorial regeneration. The organization aspires to position itself as a guardian of the relationship between nature and culture, offering the world an ethical, professional, and coherent response to the challenges of 21st-century territories. This vision is characterized by a horizon where cultural ecosystem services are valued as global assets and where new generations assume environmental leadership rooted in their own identity. A distinguishing component of Luan's vision is the elevation of intangible heritage to the status of an investment asset for long-term sustainability. The vision does not view culture as a decorative element of environmental projects, but rather as the guarantee of their social legitimacy. This is manifested in the ambition to lead international certification processes, such as those for cultural ecosystem services, enabling narratives, ceremonial sites, and ancestral knowledge to be recognized within formal economic systems. By certifying these values, Luan's vision seeks to create a robust bridge between the industrial economy and cultural conservation, ensuring that the territory's heritage is not only respected, but also given economic and social value.
What guides us
Our values
Scientific rigor
Our decisions are based on solid scientific evidence. We believe in research as a fundamental tool for effective and lasting conservation.
Community rootedness
True conservation is only possible with the commitment of local communities. We work from within, alongside the people who share territory with the wildlife we protect.
Transparency
We are accountable to our supporters and to society. We publish detailed information on the use of every donated peso and the impact of our work.
Interculturality
We recognize and value the ancestral knowledge of the Mapuche people about nature. Our conservation integrates the newen (vital force) that beats in the Mapuche worldview.
Perseverance
Conservation is long-term work. We stand firm in the face of challenges, knowing that every step contributes to a legacy that will endure for future generations.