As a UN Faculty Fellow, Professor Devin Finn Vega is studying how indigenous peoples and local communities in the Andes-Amazon region of Peru practice care of ecosystems and mobilize to defend nature in the context of climate change and threats to local livelihoods. As international negotiators at United Nations fora increasingly recognize and finance indigenous groups as central protagonists of climate resilience and adaptation, we must understand how communities practice stewardship of forests, rivers, and ecosystems – and how power and political mobilization shape the diffusion of this knowledge. Professor Finn is observing meetings and interviewing civil society leaders at ECOSOC Meetings like the UN Forum on Forests and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Through this work and her teaching, Professor Finn will work to support Lehigh students as they participate in UN meetings and internships.