Justino Piaguaje, president of the Secoya Indigenous Organization in Ecuador (OISE for its acronym in Spanish) obtained the bachelor's degree in Management for Sustainable Development from Universidad Politecnica Salesiana; the aim of this major is to educate professionals from an interdisciplinary perspective which is aimed at building a more inclusive and equitable society.

Justino Piaguaje is a young man from the Seikopai (meaning multicolors) nationality, this ancestral group can be found in the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon. In our country they are located in the province of Sucumbios, in the canton of Shushufindi. Justino is one of the leaders who has fought the most defending its territory and rights. He is also the coordinator of a group of people who were affected by the Texaco-Chevron companies.

He began studying in September 2007 and received his bachelor's degree in February of this year during the graduation ceremony that was held in "El Giron" campus and attended by the inspector of the salesians, Father Fransisco Sanchez and Jose Juncosa.

He became interested in studying this major because he felt the need to acquire scientific knowledge about social and management topics. "What I learnt has helped me differentiate rural and urban topics from different nationalities in order to work on, practice, suggest and lessen the social and cultural gap that has separated us", said Piaguaje. 

He also said that studying in distance mode which included on site classes and virtual tutoring with professors, allowed him to study and live in his own environment. He said his knowledge will help develop his community since innovative proposals should be applied locally with the participation of locals so that they can empower the processes. 

Pablo Ortiz T., director of the management for local sustainable development major, said he is proud to have students like Justino. "This gives us the opportunity to interact and learn more about our brothers and sisters from the Amazon. I am sure that thanks to his education, his role to defend the collective interests of the Siekopai will be strengthened."