DECOIN was founded in January 1995 as a grass-roots environmental organization to find ways to conserve the unique biodiversity in the Intag area of northwestern Ecuador. The area is part of two of the world's most important biotic regions, the Tropical Andes, and the Choc—-Darien Western-Ecuadorian Biological Hotpots. The area of influence of our work encompasses several life zones, including tropical rain forests, and cloud forests.

INTAG is a monthly community newspaper produced by and for the 15,000 residents of Intag, a 2,200 km2 region located on the northwestern flanks of the Ecuadorian Andes, was born at a workshop held in October 2000 in Apuela. Participants included members of Intag’s grassroots organizations, including Defensa y Conservación Ecológica de Intag (DECOIN), the first regional environmental organization; Asociación Agroartesanal de Caficultores Río Intag (AACRI), a coffee grower’s association; Mujer y Medio Ambiente, the first group of women artisans in Intag; Guardabosques Voluntarios Flor de Mayo, Intag’s first community-based conservation group whose members belong to a soccer club; and local elected officials and concerned residents.

Intag Solidarity Network-USA is an organization formed to act in solidarity with the people of Intag region Ecuador as they resist efforts by the Ecuadorian government, international financial institutions, and multinational corporations to build a large scale copper mine near the community of Junín. The organization was formed by several individuals from the United States who have spent time in Intag region, and are seeking better methods for all of us to organize in the United States to support of the struggle. Our solidarity consists of consulting with communities in Intag about how we can best support their struggle, and working with them to devise and implement appropriate programs. We seek to offer human, financial, and material resources to the struggle. Our method of solidarity is informed by a process of critical self-critique, one designed to maintain awareness about the power relationships inherent to solidarity work.