I remember the first time I made the four-day trek into the heart of Bolivia’s Carrasco National Park (CNP) 12 years ago like it was yesterday. I knew it would be a challenge to help communities agree on the boundaries of the protected area, given the high level of tension between indigenous communities, illegal migrant farmers, and park authorities over land rights, but I was unprepared for just how intense our first meeting would be.

After hiking four days from the nearest road through the jungle to the Quechua village of Arepucho, I and other members of my group (which included representatives from the government seeking to support the boundary creation process) suddenly found ourselves surrounded by a mob of protesters wielding machetes. One of the leaders of the protesters – mainly made up of illegal coca farmers who had migrated into the region and were now clashing with the legal farmers already living here – threatened to kill anyone involved in this process. I did my best to remain calm and not panic, but as fear pierced through me, I had a sudden vision of being detained here against my will for weeks – or worse.

But just then one of my companions spoke up. Dismissing the danger, a woman from the government told the armed protesters that if they were not willing to be part of the discussion, they would have to leave. Remarkably, this tactic worked; by giving them a role in the conversation, she changed the whole dynamic and defused the tension.

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