Simon Kooper, a prominent Nama leader and freedom fighter, played a pivotal role in the resistance against colonial oppression in Namibia during the early 20th century. As a staunch advocate for the rights and dignity of the Nama people, Kooper's leadership was instrumental in mobilizing resistance against German colonial rule, which sought to exploit and subjugate his community. His commitment to justice and sovereignty was evident in his efforts to unify disparate groups under a common cause, aiming to restore autonomy and protect traditional lands.
Cultural Survival focuses on Indigenous Peoples in their totality. We understand that colonization has twisted our collective worldview, and as a result, we live today in a world where gender relationships are out of balance. As part of our commemoration of Pride Month, we hear from Cultural Survival Staff member, Pablo Xol.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoi/San)
Interviewee: Pablo Xol (Maya Qʼeqchiʼ)
Music
"Andina" by Yarina, used with permission
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
Cultural Survival’s gender policy aims to recognize the various ways that diverse societies relate to each other and to the environment, constantly seeking balance.
As part of our commemoration of pride month, we hear from Cultural Survival Staff member, Bryan Bixcul.
Interviewee: Bryan Bixcul ((Maya Tz'utujil)
Music
"Andina" by Yarina, used with permission
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
The world's largest Indigenous gathering, the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, kicked off its 23rd session at UN Headquarters in New York. Indigenous delegates will champion self-determination and sovereignty for their communities, with a special focus on amplifying the voices of Indigenous youth. Cultural Survival is also attending the gatherings interviewing indigenous delegates about their self-determined priorities and their readiness to engage in high-level UN discussions.
Cultural Survival attended the UNPFII and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
The UNPFII raises awareness and promotes the integration and coordination of activities related to Indigenous issues within the UN system.
Cultural Survival attended the UNPFII and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan) and Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee Sonner Geriya (Khwe)
Music
Libres y Vivas by Mare Advertencia, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
The Permanent Forum is one of three UN bodies that is mandated to deal specifically with Indigenous Peoples’ issues. The others are the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Cultural Survival attended the UNPFII and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan) and Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee (Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn (Maori)
Music
Libres y Vivas by Mare Advertencia, used with permission.
For this year's International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women commemoration, we remember the suffering of Indigenous Herero and Nama Peoples who suffered greatly at the hands of German colonists.
We spoke to Sima Luipert, from Namibia, about how violence from the past can lead to intergenerational Trauma.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Sima Luipert (Nama)
Music: 'Anania2' by The Baba Project, used with permission
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
Cultural Survival covers Indigenous Issues worldwide. As part of this work, our team joined the international negotiations of the 12th session of the Intersessional Working Group on Article 8(j) relating traditional knowledge, innovation and practices of Indigenous Peoples under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on November 12-16, 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland. We spoke to many Indigenous leaders to communicate their priorities to our wider Indigenous audience.
In Tanzania, the Indigenous Maasai people have been facing displacement for a long time.
The most recent incident of land loss involves large numbers of Maasai peoples being forced to leave their ancestral homes to make way for a game reserve. The adverse effects of losing land will be felt for a long time. In this radio program, we uncover some reasons why Indigenous Peoples worldwide face extreme poverty.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Edson Krenak (Krenak)
Music: 'Whispers' by Ziibiwan, used with permission
Globally, Indigenous Peoples are at the forefront of environmental and land defense. In 2021 alone, about 40 percent of murdered environmental defenders were from Indigenous communities, making up a disproportionately high percentage of environmental injustices. Cultural Survival interviewed Michel Forst, the first person to hold the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders, the first international mechanism in the world dedicated to protecting environmental defenders.
On July 14, 1923, the Hereditary Chief of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Deskaheh Levi General (Cayuga), traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to speak before the League of Nations. He sought to obtain international recognition of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (historically known as the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, composed of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora Nations) as a sovereign Indigenous Nation governed by a hereditary council of chiefs.
International Day for People of African Descent commemorates the extraordinary culture and diversity of people from the motherland and also pays homage to the sacrifices made by Africans with regard to the development of our societies through history. In this radio program,we honor freedom fighters and slave rebellion leaders Louis van Mauritius and Abraham van der Kaap.
Indigenous peoples in Itogon, Benguet province, in the Cordillera region of the Philippines, have been struggling against large-scale corporate mining that endangers their ancestral lands, resources, and ways of life for more than a century. Even today, they continue to wait for social justice. The Benguet Corporation, earlier known as Benguet Consolidated Inc— one of the oldest top-producing gold mining companies founded in 1903 initiated the first underground gold mining operations in Antamok in 1907. The corporation expanded its operation to Acupan and Balatok in 1927.
Press freedom is of major concern to Indigenous journalists. They are seeking this freedom so that they can report freely in their communities and their local and national governments. When Indigenous Peoples are facing injustices, it is Indigenous media and journalists who are at the frontlines to tell their stories, but many Indigenous journalists are facing obstacles with regard to free press in their communities. On this World Press Freedom Day, Francine Compton, Associate Director of the Native American Journalists Association speaks to Cultural Survival.
Democracy and justice cannot exist without freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Today, by and large, the mainstream media is owned and controlled by socially and economically powerful people, resulting in a lack of access, voice, and participation of Indigenous Peoples. On the auspicious day of World's Press Freedom Day, Indigenous broadcasters call attention to the right of Indigenous Media, Article 16 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is a high- level advisory body to the Economic and Social Council. The Forum was established on 28 July 2000 by resolution 2000/22, with the mandate to deal with indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.
Cultural Survival attended the permanent forum in April 2023, and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Margaret Lokawa (Karimjong)
Image: Cultural Survival
The first meeting of the Permanent Forum was held in May 2002, with yearly sessions thereafter. The Forum usually meets for 10 days each year, at the UN Headquarters in New York. According to the ECOSOC resolution E/2000/22, the Forum may also meet at the UN Office in Geneva or at such other place that it decides.
Cultural Survival attended the permanent forum in April 2023, and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Daniel Kobei(Ogiek)
Image: Cultural Survival
The theme of the twenty-second session of the UNPFII will be “Indigenous Peoples, human health, planetary and territorial health and climate change: a rights-based approach”.
Cultural Survival attended the conference, and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Nathan Phillip(Omaha)
Image: Cultural Survival
Music "Remember Your Children", by Salidummay, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission
In line with the International Decade on Indigenous Languages, the Indigenous Media Zone, a special platform set up for Indigenous Journalists, will aim to encourage the participation of Indigenous media practitioners in a wide variety of Indigenous languages from different regions.
Cultural Survival spoke to Holly Helton.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Holly Helton(Anishinaabe)
Image: Cultural Survival
Music "Remember Your Children", by Salidummay, used with permission.
The first meeting of the Permanent Forum was held in May 2002, with yearly sessions thereafter. The Forum usually meets for 10 days each year, at the UN Headquarters in New York. According to the ECOSOC resolution E/2000/22, the Forum may also meet at the UN Office in Geneva or at such other place that it decides.
Cultural Survival attended the permanent forum in April 2023, and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Naw Ei Ei Min
Image: Cultural Survival
The first meeting of the Permanent Forum was held in May 2002, with yearly sessions thereafter. The Forum usually meets for 10 days each year, at the UN Headquarters in New York. According to the ECOSOC resolution E/2000/22, the Forum may also meet at the UN Office in Geneva or at such other place that it decides.
Cultural Survival attended the permanent forum in April 2023 and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Binalakshmi Nepram (Meitei)
Image: Cultural Survival
In line with the International Decade on Indigenous Languages, the Indigenous Media Zone, a special platform set up for Indigenous Journalists, will aim to encourage the participation of Indigenous media practitioners in a wide variety of Indigenous languages from different regions.
Cultural Survival spoke to Naw Ei Ei Min, an Indigenous Woman from Myanmar. She is the founder and director of Promotion of Indigenous and Nature Together (POINT).
Produced by Avexnim Cojti (Maya K'iche) and Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Naw Ei Ei Min (Karen)
Image: Twitter
In line with the International Decade on Indigenous Languages, the Indigenous Media Zone, a special platform set up for Indigenous Journalists, will aim to encourage the participation of Indigenous media practitioners in a wide variety of Indigenous languages from different regions.
Cultural Survival spoke to Naw Ei Ei Min, an Indigenous Woman from Myanmar. She is the founder and director of Promotion of Indigenous and Nature Together (POINT).
Produced by Avexnim Cojti (Maya K'iche) and Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Naw Ei Ei Min (Karen)
Image: Twitter
The experience of being Indigenous and transgender brings about a variety of unique intersectional challenges. Growing up in Tana (Deanu), Sápmi land, Levi Sørum (Sámi) lived most of his life rooted in Sámi culture and language. He says he feels fortunate to have attended Sámi kindergarten and one year of Sámi elementary school, in light of Norway’s history of attempting to erase Sámi culture. Besides being Sámi, Sørum is a transgender man – although he considers the term transgender more of a physical description than an identity.
Produced by Camilla Lindschouw
The Sustainable Development Agenda is centered on people and the planet, underpinned by human rights, and supported by a global partnership determined to lift people out of poverty, hunger, and disease. It will, thus, be built on a foundation of global cooperation and solidarity.
Solidarity is required from States to fulfill what they agreed to in 2007, the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Voice: Morisca Christians
"Lights in the forest by Ziibiwan, Used with Permission
In this radio program we review the latest developments around Indigenous Peoples Day. We also hear what Christopher Columbus wrote about Indigenous Peoples of America in his diary.
Producer: Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Music: "Lights in the Forest",by Yarina, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, by observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.
But achieving true peace entails much more than laying down arms. It requires the building of societies where all members feel that they can flourish. It involves creating a world in which people are treated equally, regardless of their race.
Cultural Survival's Edson Krenak gives us more on the situation in Brazil.
The Lakota LockUp Project advocates for American Indians affected by the justice system, to support innovative approaches for cultural and historical trauma survival, rebuilding lives, economic justice, traditional family services, substance and alcohol abuse treatment, and equal access to education, thus strengthening communities.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris(Khoisan)
Voices Robert Angelo and Theresa Tracke(Lakota)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
This audio narrates the experience of the primitive Asur Adivasi community living on the hills of Netarhat, Jharkhand (India) during the COVID pandemic and how they survived without proper government information and health support.
Produced by Asur Adivasi Radio.
This audio in English language talks about the small business that had a bad impact during Covid-19 and asks the audience to support local businesses.
Produced by Adivasi Lives Matter.
This audio is in the English language, bursting the myth that Covid-19 can't transmit in hot and humid weather, telling the truth about it and asking the listeners to wash their hands and maintain social distance.
Produced by Adivasi Lives Matter.
A theatrical drama group and youth from Sandrift in the Richtersveld area of the Northern Cape staged a theatrical demonstration outside Alexander Bay on June 25th, 2022.
The demonstration was intended to show how indigenous communities oppose a proposed Special Economic Zone for the Boegoebaai Green Hydrogen Project.
The Global news bulletin for this month contains news from around the world on the topic of Indigenous Rights. In this edition, we have news from Indonesia, Taiwan, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and more countries.
Many Indigenous children were once cared for by their families and communities according to their cultural practices, laws, and traditions. It was the parents' responsibility to raise the children since children were seen as gifts from the creator. Families were closely involved in raising the child. Colonization, forced boarding schools, and State welfare systems have disrupted these important relationships. In this podcast, we hear from 20-year-old Dysin Spence (Peguis First Nation), who has spent a significant portion of his life in the welfare system in Canada.
World Refugee Day is celebrated each year on June 20th. This year, the commemoration emphasizes the right to seek safety.
Regardless of who they are, where they come from, and whenever they feel forced to flee, every person on this planet has the right to seek safety.
In this podcast, we look at the situation unfolding in Tanzania, where an estimated 80 000 Maasai people are threatened to leave their ancestral land.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris(Khoisan)
Guest voice Diana Morat of Eldos FM, Johannesburg, South Africa
A proposed lithium mine at Peehee Mu’huh (Thacker Pass), Nevada, has attracted much attention. But those with the deepest ties to the land - descendants of those murdered at the Thacker Pass Massacre - have not been heard. In this podcast, we hear from Gary McKinney (Western Shoshone/ Northern Paiute) about the stuggles to protect sacred lands in the age of a lithium boom due to the transition to the "green" economy.
We're witnessing the acceleration of the transition to a green, low carbon, and clean economy and the increase in demand for transition minerals such as nickel, lithium, cobalt, and copper. This skyrocketing demand is driving a wave of investment into new, expanded mining projects. These projects are promoted as "green" because they aim to supply minerals used for renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles.
In this radio program, Ricardo Herdien talks about how Indigenous South Africans still struggle for land and basic services.
This interview was produced by Bush Radio 89.5 FM.
Leya Hale lives in St. Paul. She was born and raised in the Los Angeles area. She is Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and Navajo. She is a storyteller, a documentary filmmaker, and a producer with Twin Cities PBS (TPT), where she’s been working for the past eight years. Her film, "Bring Her Home," addresses the epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women in the United States.
In this radio program, Bush Radio 89.5 FM in Cape Town talks to Chris Nissen, The Human Rights Commissioner of South Africa on the importance of revitalizing Indigenous Languages.
Joan Carling (Kankanaey), Co-convenor of the Indigenous Peoples’ Major Group for Sustainable Development (IPMG), is an Indigenous activist from the Cordillera in the Philippines with more than 20 years of experience in working on Indigenous issues from the grassroots to the international level. Her expertise includes areas like human rights, sustainable development, the environment, climate change, and also the implementation of Free, Prior and Informed Consent.
Joan Carling attended the 26th convening of the Conference of the Parties or COP 26 in Glasgow in November 2021.
Cultural Survival’s Lead on Brazil, Edson Krenak of the Krenak Peoples was at COP26, joining Indigenous delegations in making sure Indigenous voices are heard and listened to in the fight to combat climate change.
Produced by Avexnim Cojti (Maya Ki'che) and Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Soundclip: Edson Krenak at COP26
Image: Edson Krenak
Music: "Anania2" by The Baba Project, used with permission
Diana Morat from Eldos FM interviews Tauriq Jenkins on the saga of Amazon.com who wants to set up shop in Cape Town, South Africa. The piece of land that has been identified by Amazon has become a bone of contention. First Nations have a strong claim to this land because in 1510 it was the site of the first battle between the Khoi and European colonizers - in this instance the Portuguese Viceroy of India, Francisco d'Almeida. This is sacred land. The issues are of human rights, of heritage, of water and flora and fauna, of recreation and refreshment, of air and stars.
The International Day for People of African Descent will be celebrated for the first time on August 31, 2021. Through this observance, the United Nations aims to promote the extraordinary contributions of the African diaspora around the world and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against people of African descent. Cultural activist Letitia Timas Petersen tells us the story of Franz Taaibosch, an Indigenous Korana South African who was taken abroad to be paraded as a circus act.
Every year on August 9, International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples marks the ‘first formal meeting’ of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations, held back in 1982. It is celebrated to bring attention to the 476 million Indigenous Peoples living in 90 countries across the globe. This year’s theme is `Leaving no one Behind: Indigenous Peoples and the call for a social contract.” The term social contract in relation to Indigenous Peoples may be confusing as this has not yet been discussed much.
There are over 476 million Indigenous Peoples living in 90 countries across the world, accounting for 6.2 percent of the global population. Indigenous Peoples are the holders of a vast diversity of unique cultures, traditions, languages, and knowledge systems. They have a special relationship with their lands and hold diverse concepts of development based on their own worldviews and priorities.
In this radio program, we hear from Nailejileji Tipap, who works as the Gender and Public Relations Coordinator at Pastoralists Indigenous NGOs Forum in Tanzania.
Human trafficking is one of the most difficult issues to address in Nepal, affecting and exploiting thousands of women, adolescent girls, and children. Indigenous women and girls are disproportionately affected by human trafficking and represent almost 70 percent of the cases. Indigenous women and girls make up the majority of the people trafficked and exploited. Following the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, economic opportunities have been severely impacted and the numbers of missing women and girls including children have risen sharply.
The state of Germany has agreed to compensate the state of Namibia, by means of a development fund of 1.4 billion Euros, over 30 years. How will this agreement benefit the descendents of the victims of the thousands of people who were tortured and murdered by the colonial rulers of the South Western African country of Namibia, in the early 1900's.
Diana Morat from Eldos FM, a community radio station in Johannesburg, South Africa interviews Martinus Fredericks, a direct descendent of Cornelius Fredericks, who was a Nama leader who fought along Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi.
Taté Walker is a Lakota citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. They are a Two Spirit feminist, Indigenous rights activist, and a published and award-winning storyteller. In this interview, Julie Post(Intern at Cultural Survival), catches up with Taté Walker to hear about the issues faced by the LGBTQIA+ community at present.
Produced by Julie Post
Edited by Shaldon Ferris (Khoi/San)
Interviewee: Taté Walker
Image: Taté Walker
Music: "Whispers" by Ziibiwan, used with permission.
"Peace, justice and strong institutions: the role of indigenous peoples in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 16". That is the theme for the 20th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues. The Forum was established on 28 July 2000 by resolution 2000/22, with the mandate to deal with Indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, and human rights. Cultural Survival spoke to Kenneth Deer (Mohawk) about the history and work of the Permanent Forum.
Image: Kenneth Deer
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is a high-level advisory body to the Economic and Social Council. The Forum was established on 28 July 2000 by with the mandate to deal with indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, and human rights.
Andrea Carmen (Yaqui) from the International Indian Treaty Council was there in the beginning, and in this radio program, she tells us all about the history of the forum, the present state of the forum, and the forum of tomorrow.
February 1, 2021, the day on which the newly elected parliament had scheduled its first official parliamentary session in Myanmar after the election held in November 2020. Just hours before the scheduled sessions, the military conducted a house-raid and arrested several elected leaders and politicians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, politician, diplomat, author, and a 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and president Win Myint and other senior government figures. The Myanmar military then declared a state of emergency and imposed curfews putting restrictions on public gatherings.
December 18th is International Migrants Day – in this radio program, we look at factors that cause the migration of Indigenous Peoples, and we also explore some of the impacts of migration.
We spoke to Job Morris, from the San Youth Network, who tell us about the impacts of urbanization on San communities in Botswana that have resulted because of migration.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan, South Africa)
Interviewee Job Morris (Ncao Khwe (San), Botswana)
Image: Shaldon Ferris (left) and Job Morris(right) at Synet and Naro Language Project office in Botswana
In October 2020, a group of people representing different Khoi and San Tribes gathered at the foot of Table Mountain in South Africa. There they have created a cultural space where they will stay for an indefinite period of time in an effort to reclaim the mountain. With the temporary huts providing a little shelter, and fire providing a little warmth, they are making it known that the mountain and the area surrounding it had once belonged to their ancestors. Bradley van Sitters is among the folks camped out at the foot of the mountain.
On September 13 we commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations.
The Declaration is an instrument to enshrine the rights that constitutes the minimum standards of survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous peoples around the world.
The COVID-19 pandemic has already posed a grave health threat to the world's Indigenous Peoples as they already experience poor access to essential healthcare services. Indigenous Peoples globally are seeking their own solutions to this pandemic. Indigenous Rights Radio program producer Dev Kumar Sunuwar caught up with Francisco Cali Tzay, the newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples who discussed COVID-19’s impacts on Indigenous communities.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses a great danger to humanity, including the indigenous peoples of Africa.
If the spread of the virus is not urgently arrested and is allowed to infect African indigenous communities, the virus may decimate our member communities.
Africa’s Indigenous Peoples are extremely vulnerable to the dreaded virus, owing to a lack of essential resources such as clean water, food, housing, medical supplies and even basic information.
A Global News Bulletin on the topic of Indigenous rights. In this edition:
Indigenous South Africans defy lockdown rules
Covid-19 in India
Covid-19 in the Himalayas
Forest fires in Thailand
Food crisis in Bangladesh
Indigenous Peoples of Mexico and the right to water
When Victoria Tauli-Corpuz was appointed as UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in May 2014, she was ready to take on the challenge of investigating the plight of the world’s Indigenous Peoples and then making her findings public. After a six year stint as special rapporteur, according to her, the mandate was “an uphill battle.” In this program we hear more from Victoria on her tenure as Special Rapporteur.
Governments or states make use of geographical boundaries to demarcate territories. Political entities come to agreements on which area belongs to whom. In some cases, borders are agreed upon by two countries, and in other cases it may have been suggested by a third party like an international conference. In many cases, borders are imposed on places, without taking into consideration the people who live in that area. In this program, we speak to Aslak Holmberg from the Saami Council in Finland, who tells us how borders have affected his life, as well as his environment.
Leaders and activists from all over the planet converged in Madrid, Spain to attend COP25, The United Nations Climate Change Conference.
At the forefront of half a million protesters who marched through the Spanish Capital City, were indigenous voices who led the charge in what has become a monumental demonstration to highlight the global challenges that we’re all facing as a result of climate change.
Ta’kaiya Blaney (Tla A'min Nation) from Indigenous Climate Action was there, and we got a chance to speak to her.
In South Africa, in November 2019, a small but significant victory has been achieved when a benefit sharing agreement was reached with the Indigenous People of South Africa. The Khoi and San people will now benefit from the multi-million rand Rooibos tea and Honeybush industries.
Only 2% of the farmers who grow the tea are from Indigenous communities.
National KhoiSan Council chairman Cecil LeFleur talks to Indigenous Rights Radio.
Producer: Shaldon Ferris
Image: Tea
Music: Yarina, Lights in the Forrest, used with permission.
The Ainu people, who are approximately 20 000 in number are the only officially recognized indigenous peoples in Japan. After lengthy battles by the Ainu people, the Japanese government finally recognized them as Indigenous Peoples of Japan, which is a real victory for the Ainu community, but Ainu indigenous peoples’ representatives say that the struggles of Ainu are not over yet. They continue to face discrimination, they are not yet free to celebrate their culture, to speak the Ainu language or to express their distinct identity.
World Toilet Day is a day that is commemorated annually on November 19th, to tackle the global sanitation crisis.
The aim of this particular commemoration is to deliver on Sustainable Goal 6, which promises clean water adequate sanitation for all, by the year 2030.
Indigenous peoples are among the most marginalized people in the world. In this program we will speak to indigenous folks, to find out about their water and sanitation situation.
Luiz Henrique Eloy Amado is an Indigenous attorney from the Terena Peoples’ village of Ipegue, Brazil. Eloy Terena, as he is commonly known, has first-hand knowledge on the situation of Indigenous Peoples in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest and an extensive experience on defending criminalized Indigenous grass-root leaders and representing Indigenous communities in land rights cases before Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court.
Cultural Survival's Avexnim Cojti (Maya Ki'che) spoke to Janene Yazzie about the participation of Indigenous Peoples at the UN's Climate Action Summit.
Janene Yazzie (Navajo) is Development Program Coordinator for International Indian Treaty Council and the council’s representative as co-convenor of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group of the U.N. High-level Political Forum on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Production: Shaldon Ferris (San, South Africa)
Image: Janine Yazzie
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDG’s for short, consist of 17 interdependent goals that were put in place by the United Nations.
Each goal has a separate list of targets to achieve.
The objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure that the planet is protected, and that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
PRODUCTION
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Indigenous Rights Radio Intro track features "Burn your Village to the Ground" by @a-tribe-called-red. Used with permission.
Music: Anania2 by The Baba Project. Used with permission.
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDG’s for short, consist of 17 interdependent goals that were put in place by the United Nations.
Each goal has a separate list of targets to achieve.
The objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure that the planet is protected, and that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
PRODUCTION
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Indigenous Rights Radio Intro track features "Burn your Village to the Ground" by @a-tribe-called-red. Used with permission.
Music: Anania2 by The Baba Project. Used with permission.
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDG’s for short, consist of 17 interdependent goals that were put in place by the United Nations.
Each goal has a separate list of targets to achieve.
The objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure that the planet is protected, and that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
PRODUCTION
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Indigenous Rights Radio Intro track features "Burn your Village to the Ground" by @a-tribe-called-red. Used with permission.
Music: Anania2 by The Baba Project. Used with permission.
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDG’s for short, consist of 17 interdependent goals that were put in place by the United Nations.
Each goal has a separate list of targets to achieve.
The objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure that the planet is protected, and that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
PRODUCTION
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDG’s for short, consist of 17 interdependent goals that were put in place by the United Nations.
Each goal has a separate list of targets to achieve.
The objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure that the planet is protected, and that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
PRODUCTION
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Indigenous Rights Radio Intro track features "Burn your Village to the Ground" by @a-tribe-called-red. Used with permission.
Music: Anania2 by The Baba Project. Used with permission.
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDG’s for short, consist of 17 interdependent goals that were put in place by the United Nations.
Each goal has a separate list of targets to achieve.
The objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure that the planet is protected, and that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
PRODUCTION
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Indigenous Rights Radio Intro track features "Burn your Village to the Ground" by @a-tribe-called-red. Used with permission.
Music: Anania2 by The Baba Project. Used with permission.
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDG’s for short, consist of 17 interdependent goals that were put in place by the United Nations.
Each goal has a separate list of targets to achieve.
The objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure that the planet is protected, and that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
PRODUCTION
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Indigenous Rights Radio Intro track features "Burn your Village to the Ground" by @a-tribe-called-red. Used with permission.
Music: Anania2 by The Baba Project. Used with permission.
The Sustainable Development goals or SDG’s for short, consist of 17 interdependent goals that were put in place by the United Nations.
Each goal has a separate list of targets to achieve.
The objective of the Sustainable development goals is to ensure that the planet is protected, and that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
PRODUCTION
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Indigenous Rights Radio Intro track features "Burn your Village to the Ground" by @a-tribe-called-red. Used with permission.
Music: Anania2 by The Baba Project. Used with permission.
Every year on June 26th, The International Day in Support of Victims against Torture is held, in an effort to speak out against the act of torture.
In this program we interview Martinus Fredericks and ask him about the long term consequences of torture. Mr Fredericks is from Namibia, his family members in the early 1900's were victims of torture.
In 2018 and 2019, there has been an increase in suicides amongst Indigenous Peoples, specifically in Australia. Why is this happening at such an alarming rate? What is the cause of these deaths, especially among the youth.
Producer : Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan, South Africa)
Interviewee: Pat Dudgeon, Australia
Picture: An Indigenous Australian Man chats on his cellphone, courtesy of Cultural Survival
Music: Lights in the Forest by Yarina, used with permission.
Indigenous women represent one of the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in the world. For centuries, Indigenous Women have been subjected to relentless discrimination and different types of violence based on gender, indigeneity, and class. They are deprived from even basic human rights such as access to health services, education and employment. This Indigenous Rights Radio program depicts Indigenous Women and access to quality health services.
Producer : Dev Kumar Sunuwar and Bia'ni Madsa' Juárez López
In March we commemorate two very important international days, Zero Discrimination Day on March 1st, as well International Women's day on March 8th.
How are Indigenous Peoples discriminated against, and furthermore, how are Indigenous Women discriminated against?
In this program we pay homage to Xoroxloo Duxee, an Indigenous Woman from Botswana who died from starvation and dehydration because access to a water well in the desert had been restricted.
Producer: Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan, South Africa)
Interviewee: //Uruseb, researcher on Indigenous Peoples.
It is world radio on February 13th, a day and according to the website diamundialradio.org, this is a day to celebrate radio as a medium, to improve international cooperation between broadcasters and to encourage major networks and community radio alike to promote access to information, freedom of expression and gender equality over the airwaves. We Interview the Programs Manager of X-K FM, a radio station set up specifically to broadcast in the !Xun and Khwe indigenous languages of Namibia/Angola/South Africa.
December 10, 2018, Human Rights Day, marks the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a milestone document that proclaimed the inalienable rights which everyone is inherently entitled to as a human being -- regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language or other status.
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange in South Africa was the scene of protest action put together by Khoi and San groups from South Africa. Echoes of the struggle song, “What have we done”, which is reminiscent of apartheid South Africa, could be heard in Maude Street Sandton, where the Stock Exchange is situated, the richest square mile in Africa.
Bartolina Sisa was killed in Bolivia in 1782. International Indigenous Women's Day is held each year on 5th September. Although women fight for their rights and the rights of their people, not enough recognition is given to the efforts of women.
Migrant families from Central America and elsewhere have had to endure being separated. Foster homes and shelters has become the temporary home to many of the kids, some of them being toddlers. Bureaucratic errors could leave the government officials unaware that a child’s parent is in the U.S. What happens when the parents cannot speak English or Spanish?
Resources
Indigenous Rights Radio Program on a case where the Newar indigenous community in Nepal obtained a victory in their legal battle against the government after about 7 years of continuous struggle.
Interviewees: Advocate Shankar Limbu
Music: Remember your children: by Solidummay.
Introductory Music: "Burn Your Village to the Ground" by A Tribe Called Red. Used with permission.
Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, conducted an official visit to Guatemala, a country where 61 to 65% of population identify as Indigenous. Shaldon Ferris interviewed her about her visit.
MUSIC
"Whispers" by Ziibiwan. Used with permission.
Indigenous Rights Radio Intro track features "Burn your Village to the Ground" by @a-tribe-called-red. Used with permission.
Indigenous Peoples from around the world represent a disproportionate number of refugees and internally displaced persons due to a number of reasons, including conflict. They are one of the main targets of violence, displacing them from their ancestral land and territories. Vulnerability to displacement as an intersectional issue is often overlooked, a situation that has further increased the vulnerability of these populations. This radio program recounts the experience of Nwe Oo, an Indigenous Rakhine refugee who is currently taking shelter in California, United States.
West Papua is the western half of the island of New Guinea, formerly known as Dutch New Guinea. A 13-year dispute with the Netherlands over whether the former Dutch colony would become an independent state or an Indonesian province culminated in 1962 in its annexation by force by the Indonesian military and the denial of the right of self-determination to its people, who today identify as over 50% Indigenous West Papuan. Our producers interviewed John Anari and Les Malazer for the latest information on the process of recognition of sovereignty for Indigenous West Papuan communities.
Between 1904 and 2004, the German state officially denied that genocide against the Indigenous Herero and Nama people in land that is now known as Namibia had ever occurred under German colonial rule, despite conclusive historical sources and internationally recognized investigations. Hear how communities are sorting through the painful legacy of this violence and indifference in the present in the following interview with Martinus Fredericks, Nama leader and activist.
This year's theme for conversations at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was "Indigenous Peoples Collective Rights to Lands and Resources". Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (Igorot Kankanaey, Philippines), UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Issues, says that the theme connects to many important conversations happening now in the world, including the threat that extractive industries pose to resources located on Indigenous-owned territories.
Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, visited several states in Mexico to report on progress made in areas of Indigenous rights since her predecessor's trip to the country in 2003. Though the Mexican government has not fulfilled the majority of recommendations made by the former UNSR, Tauli-Corpuz notes the empowerment of autonomous municipalities since 2003 as an improvement over previous years.
Rosie Sula introduces this report with a beautiful chant about the legends of Lake Sebu, an important feature within the traditional territory of the T'boli people of the Philippines.
Indigenous South Africans go on a yearly 400 mile pilgrimage to bring awareness to ongoing violations of basic human rights of South Africans, the withholding of remains and sacred items belonging to Indigenous communities by museums, as well as to reconnect to the earth and environment through the rigorous journey from coast to coast. We spoke to two South African Indigenous rights activists to hear their takes on how this tradition has shaped their activism.
December 20 is International Human Solidarity Day: a day celebrate unity in diversity, and is a day to remind governments to honor their agreements to international declarations. 10 years ago to day, governments around the world voted to adopot the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We speak with Saami Council member John Henriksen who was instrumental in the signing of this declaration, on his view on the challenges and successes in implementing these human rights for Indigenous Peoples on the ground today.
November 25th is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Indigenous women face disproportionate rates of violence and discrimination due to their intersecting identities (woman and Indigenous) which have both been historically marginalized in society. Nepali activists explain their work to end violence against women in their country, and lay out next steps for continuing the work of women's liberation around the world.
INTERVIEWEES
Yasso Kanti Bhattachan, Indigenous Women’s Federation of Nepal
Chanda Thapa Magar, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact
Though collaboration is crucial to finding solutions for climate change, Indigenous People must be able to maintain, protect, and control their cultural heritage, sciences, and technologies. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides a legal framework for intellectual ownership by Indigenous communities of their traditional knowledge. However, many additional cultural barriers to equal-footed climate change collaboration exist, such as the automatic devaluation of Indigenous science by Western science practitioners.
Indigenous Rights Radio Producer Dev Kumar Sunuwar interviews Joan Carling, former expert member at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and former general secretary of the Asian Indigenous Peoples Pact. They reflect on the first 10 years of the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Carling advocates for increased policy cohesion and the prioritization of Indigenous rights in global policy-making on all fronts.
Lakes and forests in the Mt. Talinis area of the Phillipines are under threat from recent expansions of the energy industry. Apolinario Carino is working with the organization PENAGMANNAK, a federation of 17 Indigenous Peoples’ community groups, to pioneer community management strategies of reforestation designed to empower the Indigenous groups to shape the future of their lands. Apolinario hopes to share the knowledge that they have gained from these experiences in order to better combat climate change on a global scale.
Indigenous Rights Radio Producer Avexnim Cojtí Ren investigates the movement to repatriate sacred objects, remains, and cultural patrimony taken without consent from Indigenous Peoples by governments, collectors, and individuals. Concepts of ownership, histories of oppression, methods of legal recourse, and recent examples of repatriation attempts all play an important role in the prospects for the return of heritage items to Indigenous Peoples.
In many Indigenous communities, dual justice systems operate in tandem: the European system, a colonial imposition characterized by hierarchical, punitive, written codicies, and the Indigenous system, which is often based in tradition and holistic in nature.
Human Rights Lawyer Michelle Cook (Dine') elaborates on the interactions between these two systems, and explains how communities can use the language of human rights to challenge the colonial legal system imposition in order to gain a seat at the table as independent nations with internationally recognized justice systems.
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is commemorated annually on 9 August. Ten years after the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Nepal-based Indigenous Rights Radio Producer Dev Kumar Sunuwar reflects with prominent Nepali Indigenous leaders on the country's progress in the implementation of international standards for Indigenous Rights.
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is commemorated annually on 9 August. Ten years after the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, progress has been made in terms of the formal recognition of Indigenous peoples in several countries, but Indigenous peoples overwhelmingly continue to face discrimination, marginalization and major challenges in enjoying their basic rights.
Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, says she has found an inadequate process of consultation with Indigenous communities on the part of the national government during her visit to Honduras, where she was recently invited for a working visit to comment on a draft of a law regulating Free, Prior and Informed Consent. Indigenous Hondurans do not feel that they were adequately consulted on the content of the law. Further, the law does not meet widely accepted international standards of F.P.I.C.
Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, discusses with IRR Producer Shaldon Ferris the high rate of imprisonment of Australian Aboriginal individuals that she observed in her official visit to Australia. Disproportionate criminalization of Aboriginal people is evidence of systemic, structural inequality in Australia.
MUSIC
Song: "YAWLICHALLAY" by Luis Cisneros. Used with permission.
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan) reflects with Dr. Wilton Littlechild, Grand Chief for Treaty Six First Nations, on the first 10 years of progress and setbacks in implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Avexnim Cojti (Maya K'iche') highlights the difference between consent and consultation with the help of Joan Carling, longtime advocate for Indigenous rights and former expert member to the UNPFII, in the context of decisions made by Indigenous communities regarding resource and land management. Joan explains that consent (or refusal of consent) is given at the conclusion of a process of consultation. Consultation, defined as an open, collective deliberation, is a crucial precursor to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent.
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 2017, 16th Session
Week 1
Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Kumar/Sunuwar) asks Joan Carling, longtime advocate for Indigenous rights and former expert member to the UNPFII, how she assesses the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Asia.
MUSIC
"Remember Your Children," by Salidummay
Music from a seashell, recorded at the opening ceremony of the 16th UNPFII
Article 25 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states: Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this regard.
PRODUCTION
Script by Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Voiceover by Morisca Christians
Article 24 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to their traditional medicines and to maintain their health practices, including the conservation of their vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals. Indigenous individuals also have the right to access, without any discrimination, to all social and health services.
Article 23 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states: Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programmes through their own institutions.
PRODUCTION
Script by Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Voiceover by Morisca Christians
Article 22 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states 1. Particular attention shall be paid to the rights and special needs of Indigenous elders, women, youth, children, and persons with disabilities in the implementation of this Declaration. 2. States shall take measures, in conjunction with Indigenous peoples, to ensure that Indigenous women and children enjoy the full protection and guarantees against all forms of violence and discrimination.
Article 21 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
1. Indigenous peoples have the right, without discrimination, to the improvement of their economic and social conditions, including, inter alia, in the areas of education, employment, vocational training and retraining, housing, sanitation, health and social security.
Article 20 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and develop their political, economic and social systems or institutions, to be secure in the enjoyment of their own means of subsistence and development, and to engage freely in all their traditional and other economic activities.
2. Indigenous peoples deprived of their means of subsistence and development are entitled to just and fair redress.
Article 19 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states: States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.
PRODUCTION
Script by Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Voiceover by Morisca Christians
Article 18 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states: Indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decision-making in matters which would affect their rights, through representatives chosen by themselves in accordance with their own procedures, as well as to maintain and develop their own indigenous decision-making institutions.
PRODUCTION
Script by Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Voiceover by Morisca Christians
Article 17 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
1. Indigenous individuals and peoples have the right to enjoy fully all rights established under applicable international and domestic labor laws.
Article 16 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to establish their own media in their own languages and to have access to all forms of non-indigenous media without discrimination.
2. States shall take effective measures to ensure that State-owned media duly reflect indigenous cultural diversity. States, without prejudice to ensuring full freedom of expression, should encourage privately owned media to adequately reflect indigenous cultural diversity.
Article 15 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to the dignity and diversity of their cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations which shall be appropriately reflected in education and public information.
and 2. States shall take effective measures, in consultation and cooperation with the indigenous peoples concerned, to combat prejudice, eliminate discrimination, and to promote tolerance, understanding and good relations among indigenous peoples and all other segments of society.
Article 14 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.
2. Indigenous individuals, particularly children, have the right to all levels and forms of education of the State without discrimination.
Article 13 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures, and to designate and retain their own names for communities, places and persons.
Article 12 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to manifest, practice, develop and teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs and ceremonies; the right to maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to their religious and cultural sites; the right to the use and control of their ceremonial objects; and the right to the repatriation of their human remains.
Article 11 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states that:
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to practice and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs. This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artifacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts and literature.
Article 10 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states: Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories. No relocation shall take place without the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous peoples concerned and after agreement on just and fair compensation and, where possible, with the option of return.
PRODUCTION
Script by Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Voiceover by Leigh-Anne Willemse
Article 9 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states: Indigenous peoples and individuals have the right to belong to an indigenous community or nation, in accordance with the traditions and customs of the community or nation concerned. No discrimination of any kind may arise from the exercise of such a right.
PRODUCTION
Script by Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Voiceover by Leigh-Anne Willemse
Article 8 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
1. Indigenous peoples and individuals have the right not to be subjected to forced assimilation or destruction of their culture.
Article 7 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states:
1. Indigenous individuals have the rights to life, physical and mental integrity, liberty and security of person.
and
2. Indigenous peoples have the collective right to live in freedom, peace and security as distinct peoples and shall not be subjected to any act of genocide or any other act of violence, including forcibly removing children of the group to another group.
PRODUCTION
Script by Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Voiceover by Leigh-Anne Willemse
Article 5 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states: Indigenous Peoples have the right to conserve and reinforce their own political, judicial, economic, social, and cultural institutions while at the same time maintaining their right to fully participate, if they wish to do so, in the political, economic, social, and cultural decisions of the State.
PRODUCTION
Script by Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Voiceover by Leigh-Anne Willemse
Article 4 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states: Indigenous peoples, in exercising their right to self-determination, have the right to autonomy or self-government in matters relating to their internal and local affairs, as well as ways and means for financing their autonomous functions
PRODUCTION
Script by Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Voiceover by Leigh-Anne Willemse
Article 3 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states: Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination. This guarantees the right to freely determine their political condition and the right to freely pursue their form of economic, social, and cultural development.
PRODUCTION
Script by Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Voiceover by Leigh-Anne Willemse
Article 1 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states: Indigenous peoples have the right to the full enjoyment, as a collective or as individuals, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms as recognized in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law.
PRODUCTION
Script by Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Voiceover by Leigh-Anne Willemse
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples declares in
Article 2:
"Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other
peoples and individuals and have the right to be free from any kind
of discrimination, in the exercise of their rights, in particular that
based on their indigenous origin or identity."
March 8th is International Women's Day-- a time to celebrate the many accomplishments of women, as well as to discuss strategies to further their empowerment and to achieve gender equality. Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan) interviews Avexnim Cojti (Maya K’iche’) about the role of women in her community, and what needs to change in order for Indigenous women to finally occupy an equal position in society.
Indigenous solidarity has coalesced into a powerful movement thanks to the activism and perseverance of Indigenous leaders from communities around the world. Indigenous leaders that are defending land, language, culture, and the environment face acute persecution, both from governments directly and from extrajudicial actors.
Radio continues to be a crucial tool for strengthening communities worldwide. Celebrate this uniquely powerful and uniting form of communication on World Radio Day, February 13th.
According to the UNDRIP, Indigenous People have the right to establish their own media in their own languages, and to have access to to all forms of non-indigenous media without discrimination (Article 16). Radio plays an especially crucial role in Indigenous communication, due to its potential to cross borders and terrain, as well as economic and social barriers.
November 25th is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Cultural Survival remembers Sarah Baartman, a Khoikhoi woman who, under Dutch colonization of her homeland, was taken captive and coerced to participate in public shows and medical examinations which relied on a falsified science of racial difference. We honor her life as a testament to the urgent necessity of having an international day when the world renews its commitment to end violence against women, especially Indigenous women and women of color.
IRR Producer Shaldon Ferris reports on the official statement by Vicky Tauli-Copruz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, concerning the threat of the Dakota Access Pipeline to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.
Indigenous Rights Radio Producer Shaldon Ferris interviews Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, about the Dakota Access Pipeline. Vicky describes the central tensions underlying the current conflict, and details the opportunities for recourse available to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe through both local and international governing bodies.
Credits:
Interview with Vicky Tauli-Corpuz
Production by Shaldon Ferris
Vicky Tauli-Corpuz (Igorot Kankanaey, Philippines), a long-time activist and UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, shares her experience with successes of small, local groups reaching out to the international community to collaborate in better defending their rights. She explains how her experience as a nurse led to community engagement, which quickly turned into a passion for advocating for the needs of community members as an activist.
This program is dedicated to Joan Carling, an activist from the Kankanaey people of the Philippines. She has served as an Expert Member on the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues during 2014 and 2016, and as the Secretary General of the Asia Indigenous Pact. In this interview, she explains the benefits of the participation of Indigenous Peoples in local and global decision-making, which would bring a diversity of perspective and solutions to pressing issues.
Avexnim Cotji brings us interviews from a preparatory meeting in Guatemala in April of 2016 for members of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. At the meeting, they discussed local media as a crucial element of cultural preservation and the protection of Indigenous community rights.
Kaimana Barcarse interviews Perty Maguru from Nepal about the unique dual identity that Indigenous Peoples with disabilities occupy. She hopes to help bring a voice to this community. Recorded at the 2015 UNPFII.
Kaimana Barcarse interviews Setareki Macanawai from Fiji. They discuss how the Disability Caucus hopes to extend its presence to regions and communities, in order to grow the network of Indigenous Peoples with disabilities. Recorded at the 2015 UNPFII.
Kaimana Barcarse interviews Doreen Demas of the Dakota Peoples in Canada about the focus, message, and goals of the Disability Caucus at the UNPFII. She discusses the growing impact and voice of the Indigenous with Disabilities activist community. Recorded at the 2015 UNPFII.
Kaimana Barcarse interviews Menase Ntutu from the Maasai nation about the concerns of Indigenous Peoples living with disabilities, and how communities can collaborate to support the work of the Disability Caucus. Recorded at the 2015 UNPFII.
This spot talks about the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ or EMRIP. This is a body made up of five experts on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights who study and report on important themes to Indigenous People worldwide.
This spot outlines the visits the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples can make to specific Indigenous communities to investigate their situation and what happens afterwards. The Special Rapporteur will write a report on the situation that will be published and call on governments to improve the situation.
This spot talks about the visits the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples can make to specific Indigenous communities to investigate their situation on the ground. On these trips she also meets with government officials and NGOs to investigate more deeply and examine alleged violations.
This spot outlines the ways in which Indigenous Peoples can use the three main UN mechanisms that are dedicated to Indigenous Peoples rights, the Special Rapporteur, the Expert Mechanism of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, to help their causes locally. Indigenous Peoples can use official recommendations and reports from these mechanisms for support at meetings with governments officials and also to spread the word about what is happening through the media.
This spot talks about the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, or EMRIP, which is a UN body dedicated to studying and reporting on issues affecting Indigenous Peoples around the world. The studies that the EMRIP produces go in depth on issues affecting Indigenous Peoples across the world, such as a recent study it carried out on access to justice.
This spot talks about Victoria Tauli Corpuz, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous whose role is to investigate the situation of Indigenous Peoples around the world and promote their rights. It highlights the importance of Indigenous People getting in touch with her to bring specific issues to her awareness.
This spot outlines the recommendations made by the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issue in 2013 on the importance of drawing attention to Indigenous issues in the media through journalism and other modes of communication. The UNPFII is a UN body responsible for bringing international attention to specific issues related to Indigenous Peoples’ health, human rights, economic and social development, environment, education and culture by making recommendations to UN member states and agencies.
This spot outlines the importance of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. It is a forum made up of sixteen members that meets yearly to write reports and recommendations to advise states and UN agencies on important issues facing Indigenous Peoples. The forum focuses on general issues that are common to Indigenous Peoples such as health, violence against women and food sovereignty.
This spot outlines the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, a UN committee made up of sixteen people that advises the UN on issues such as economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights. At these meetings important issues facing Indigenous People are discussed and, if pre-registered, people outside the committee can attend and even present on specific issues.
This spot outlines the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples from 2007 endorsed by member countries of the United Nations. The main purpose of the declaration is to defend the rights of Indigenous Peoples by pressuring the governments of UN member countries to stop Indigenous rights violations. Though not legally binding, it provides an ethical framework for human rights with standards that can become bylaws and policies at the national and international level.
UN Special Rapporteur Vicky Tauli Corpuz discusses the international trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership which is being negotiated by Canada,The United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. She confirms that Indigenous Peoples must be consulted before these deals are negotiated.
UN Special Rapporteur Vicky Tauli Corpuz discusses the international trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership which is being negotiated by Canada,The United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. She discusses why governments are pushing for it, and its implications for Indigenous Peoples.
Rena Avetisyan discusses the challenges facing the people of Western Armenia, which is dealing with territorial issues with Turkey, as they move forward in trying to secure their rights to promote their culture, establish more schools and other things they are guaranteed by the UNDRIP.
Ben Sherman, of the Lakota Nation, discusses his work with the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance and his hopes to reach and engage more people through his organization, as well as the challenges facing the organization as it spreads to other parts of the world.
Nina Cass, of New South Wales, Australia, discusses her work with Madala, a youth organization that helps Indigenous young people go to school as well as the issues facing the Indigenous Peoples in Australia such as the promotion of culture, relocation, discrimination, suicide, etc. and how she can help in her role.
Les Malezer, of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, discusses the origins and goals of the expert mechanism and it's importance to the rights of Indigenous Peoples around the world.
Albert Deterville, Expert Mechanism representative of Latin American and the Caribbean, discusses the Expert Mechanism, as created by the UN, on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the process in which they aid the monitoring of rights in regions around the world.
Listen to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples speak about an incident in July 2015 in Southern Belize affecting the rights of the Maya people.
Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn speaks about successes at the 2015 UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues, including the new participation on Indigenous Peoples of Japan and Taiwan in the conferences.
Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn speaks about successes at the 2015 UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Communities in the Pacific region have united over common issues, different groups have made efforts to align as Indigenous Peoples as a body in international conferences, and Indigenous Peoples were represented in a major climate change conference.
Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn speaks about her favorite interventions in the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. She believes the interventions regarding climate change have been very important in her community and across the world.
Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn speaks about deep sea bed mining and its impacts on the environment, especially in Oceania and Indigenous communities, including her native New Zealand.
Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn speaks about consumerism in the modern world and our responsibility to care for the earth, and gives advice about how we can enact chance for future generations.
Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn speaks about Indigenous Peoples' power in numbers to fight back against companies trying to defy their rights and occupy their lands.
Lemoine LaPointe, a Lakota of South Dakota and Minnesota, speaks about community conversations and their importance in providing support for Indigenous Peoples and their relationship with the surrounding region both in the present and in the future. We met up with Lemoine at the UNPFII 2015.
Josh Cooper speaks about the importance of the Universal Periodic Review in securing Indigenous rights. Governments can propose recommendations on behalf on Indigenous Peoples in the Universal Periodic Review process.
Kealii Gora of Hawaii gives advice on how to get involved in advocating for Indigenous rights. Gora believes it is important to get Indigenous voices on the record and present concerns and perspectives in international arenas to make a change.
Christopher Kuaiwa of Hawaii speaks about the destruction of a sacred mountain in his community and wants to spread his message of advocacy for Indigenous Rights throughout the world. He also participated in an intervention and proposed recommendations in the Permanent Forum regarding the 30-meter telescope that is proposed to be built on the sacred mountain calling to halt construction and divest.
Josh Cooper speaks about climate change and its impact on Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples are being impacted by climate change, specifically in Oceania, and Josh Cooper is working to create World Climate Justice Day to bring further awareness to the issue.
Cristina Coc, a Q'eqchi Maya woman of southern Belize, shares how Mayan groups in Belize have been fighting for their rights for over 30 years. After many meetings with the State, the Belize national court has acknowledged legal Indigenous rights to their land and affirmed that the government may not use, destruct, or occupy Indigenous land.
Chief Bellegarde speaks at UNFPII to bring to light the gap between Canada and its Indigenous Peoples in regard to the United Nations Human Development Index and the rights of indigenous peoples in Canada. Belgard works to close the gap between the wealth of Canada as a nation and Canada's indigenous peoples. He calls on Canada to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Nancy Bordeaux (Sicangu Lakota) from South Dakota shares her work in domestic violence and sexual assault and gives advice on how to make a change. She speaks about historical trauma and its effects on Native American peoples today. Nancy works with women who are victims of domestic violence and human trafficking and hopes to lessen the economic and mental health disparities in Indigenous women. We caught up with Nancy at the UNPFII 2015.
Statement from Special Rapporteur Vicky Tauli-Corpuz on the sustainable development goals proposed by the United Nations and how Indigenous Peoples' rights must be respected in order to solve climate issues such as deforestation.
Mililani Trask frankly states that there is not much work which can be done in the 2 days of discussions which make up the WCIP. She is not surprised by the lack of funding and the limitations on which issues can be discussed, but describes the resulting meeting as a betrayal because the WCIP was meant to bring people together to discuss many issues facing Indigenous Peoples and address how to move forward.
The declaration is not a legally binding document but rather a commitment in good faith from Member States of the UN. Les Malazer thinks this is the highest level of commitment Indigenous Peoples will be able to gain from States.
In terms of the next steps for Indigenous Peoples, Les Malazer highlights that the outcome document contains many actions which are easy to look at and discuss how they might be implemented.
Les Malazer describes how the outcome document from the WCIP sets out actions to be taken by the United Nations and Member States, always with the involvement and the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples. He encourages Indigenous groups to see how they can engage with States using this document.
“Nothing about us without us.” Les Malazer talks about how this meeting clearly demonstrated that Indigenous groups can work well with States. Although, he was disappointed with the fact that the drafting of the document continued into the States-only process.
Over 400 Indigenous Peoples came together in Alta, Norway to draft a document which was given to the United Nations. This document was heavily relied on in the negotiations and formed the basis of the outcome document from the WCIP.
Les Malazer, the Indigenous Co-advisor to the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in September 2015 discusses the preparation in the run up to the WCIP.
Mililani Trask talks about the importance of cross-cultural support between Indigenous groups and how Indigenous women have been key to bringing this about.
The Outcome document will be open to interpretation and its success will depend on how individual states interpret the document and whether this is in line with Indigenous Peoples and civil society groups.
Mililani Trask frankly states that there is not much work which can be done in the 2 days of discussions which make up the WCIP. She is not surprised by the lack of funding and the limitations on which issues can be discussed, but describes the resulting meeting as a betrayal because the WCIP was meant to bring people together to discuss many issues facing Indigenous Peoples and address how to move forward.
Alexey Tsykarev discusses the situation in Russia for Indigenous Peoples. Even though Russia abstained from voting for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, many of the articles in the Declaration exist in Russian legislation, however, the implementation at the federal, regional and local level is still a problem.
Alexey Tsykarev talks about the negotiations leading to the Outcome Document and how 3 months was not long enough and they should have been at least a year long.
Alexey Tsykarev is disappointed with the outcome document and expected that it would be on the same level at least, as the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
John Scott highlights the importance of using processes established by Indigenous communities when gaining free, prior and informed consent for activities which will take place on their lands. He also talks about the importance of including traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples at the UN Permanent Forum.
Dalee Sambo discusses the exchange between the Brazilian government's representative and representatives of Brazil’s Indigenous tribes at the UNPFII 2015. Violations of Land Rights continue in Brazil, including the criminalization of Indigenous Peoples who are trying to defend their rights to land.
Vicky Tauli-Corpuz talks about her visit to Paraguay in her capacity as UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. She discusses the process and the preparation of these visits, highlighting the need for autonomy and security for the people she talks with.
It is an opportunity to meet with Indigenous communities, civil society organisations, government ministers and the private sector and encourage dialogue across society.
Vicky Tauli-Corpuz talks about the importance of Indigenous Peoples using the range of international instruments and mechanisms in place, to pressure their governments to implement changes.
Bestang Dekdeken discusses the work of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance and their struggle in the Philippines Cordillera region to defend their land against the government and mining corporations.
Antonio Gonzales, director of the American Indian Movement AIM West, explains why the use of Indigneous Peoples as mascots is culturally offensive and can no longer be tolerated in the 21st century. We caught up with Antonio Gonzales at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples Issues, New York.
Antonio Gonzales explains how without proper enforcement governments, cooperations, and extractive industries willingly ignore frameworks like FPIC which are designed to protect the rights of indigneous peoples.
Antonio Gonzales has spent many years working with international forums for the rights of Indigenous Peoples. He has witnessed achievements but draws attention to the fact that indigenous communities across the world are struggling to bring their governments to the table for discussion. He is currently advocating for an International Convention.
Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and strategies should be taken into account in the development of national and international environmental policies.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourages action.
Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge is important for sustainable economic, social and environmental development.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Indigenous Peoples’ participation in many areas of society should be encouraged as they have a range of knowledge to offer, especially with regards to conservation and the importance of biodiversity.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Indigenous Peoples’ health practices and knowledge of traditional medicines have been acknowledged, as well as their justice institutions. The processes of these justice institutions are beneficial, in order to learn how they can contribute to effective dispute resolution in indigenous communities and wider society.
In conjunction with Indigenous Peoples, States should implement open and impartial processes to acknowledge and advance the rights of Indigenous Peoples pertaining to their land, territories and resources.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Indigenous Peoples should be consulted in good faith through their own representative institutions in order for States to gain Free, Prior and Informed Consent before any development projects take place in indigenous territories.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Indigenous Peoples need fair and transparent mechanisms available, to effectively gain access to and reparation of their ceremonial objects and human remains.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Indigenous Peoples have a range of knowledge to offer in several areas including hunting, gathering, fishing, pastoralism, and agriculture. This should be respected and utilised in ecosystem management and sustainable development projects.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Support for Indigenous Peoples’ occupations, traditional subsistence activities, economies, livelihoods, food securities, and nutrition should be reflected in policies, programs, and resources that are designed in coordination with Indigenous Peoples.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Legal and institutional frameworks need to be strengthened in order to prevent violence and discrimination against Indigenous Peoples and individuals.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
States should work with indigenous women and their communities to enable programmes around capacity building and strengthening of leadership. Indigenous women need to be included in decision making processes, at each level and in all areas.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Every indigenous child has the right to enjoy his or her own culture, practice his or her religion, and use his or her language.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Indigenous Peoples have the right to equal access to social programmes and resources in order to have the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
States should ensure that Indigenous Peoples have equal access to high quality education which recognises their cultural diversity, and to social and economic programmes around housing, water, and sanitation.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
States should work more closely with Indigenous Peoples to conduct surveys which use holistic indicators to measure and asses their needs, then make this data available to them.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
National legislation should protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples with disabilities and work to improve their social and economic conditions.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
In order to put the words of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into action, Indigenous Peoples should have their own representative institutions through which to develop national action plans and strategies alongside the State.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
The articles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples should be represented in national policies and legislation, and be well known in the legislature, judiciary and the civil service.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge of sustainable development, especially with regards to the environment, should be taken into account when national and international policies on climate change are being developed.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Indigenous Peoples have the right to access their religious and cultural sites, as well as receive reparation of their ceremonial objects and human remains.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
A true process of consultation and cooperation means that States should obtain Free, Prior and Informed Consent by going through Indigenous Peoples’ own representative institutions.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
The purpose of the WCIP Outcome Document is to consolidate the progress made thus far on implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, modify existing measures, and set out new commitments. It makes recommendations for how we can put the words of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into action.
The WCIP Outcome Document analyses the existing UN mechanisms for implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and details ways in which they can be improved.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
The WCIP was a meeting of the UN General Assembly where the concerns of Indigenous Peoples were discussed, along with best practices on how to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
This series of 24 PSAs is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. The PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourage action.
Indigenous leader and Chairperson of the Cordillera Peoples' Alliance of the Philippines gives his perspective on the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. "The bottom line in advancing the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights is fighting for these rights right in our own territories and communities."
Indigenous leader and Chairperson of the Cordillera Peoples' Alliance of the Philippines shares expectations of the Climate March and its importance to Indigenous Peoples. "In resolving climate change, Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous Peoples' participation is fundamental."
Alta Outcome Document, produced from the Global Indigenous Preparatory Conference at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in Alta, Norway on 10–12 June 2013
Alta Outcome Document, produced from the Global Indigenous Preparatory Conference at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in Alta, Norway on 10–12 June 2013
From the Saami community in Norway, Gudrun E E Lindi believes that by collaborating with women from other indigenous communities, she can make a global impact and create positive change.
Lisa Paloma Abregu Arroyo, a Quechua woman, came to the World Conference of Indigenous Women looking to connect with indigenous representatives from around the world who are working on cultural conservation and defending indigenous rights. For Arroyo and her community, these efforts are both important and encouraging.
States should work with indigenous communities to implement climate change initiatives which protect the lands and resources of Indigenous Peoples, through an ecosystem-based approach and enforceable safeguards.
Indigenous Peoples have the right to establish their own education and knowledge systems in order to accurately teach future generations about their histories, values, beliefs and languages.
Permanent Observer status for Indigenous Peoples would mean that Indigenous Peoples could have direct participation through their own governments and councils.
The right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent means that Indigenous Peoples are able to use their lands and resources however they choose, and that they are included in a consultation process if any development projects are proposed on their land.
The rights of Indigenous Peoples must be enacted fully and mechanisms which monitor and review the implementation of these rights are needed to ensure that States are complying with international law.
States should work with indigenous communities to ensure that national laws reflect the rights of Indigenous Peoples as laid out in the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Alta outcome document sets out key issues for Indigenous Peoples and solutions on topics including the rights to land, air, water, and livelihoods.
Join Cultural Survival at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York, May 2013 as we interview leaders on challenges they have faced while implementing the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent. As we learn about obstacles others have faced, we may better understand how to overcome our own.
Join Cultural Survival at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2013 as we talk to leaders about what the right to Free, Prior, Informed Consent means to them.
Join us at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2013 in New York, as we interview Maori leader Catherine Davis about the right to Free, Prior, Informed Consent within the context of New Zealand.
Join us at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2013 in New York, as we interview Maori leader Catherine Davis about the right to Free, Prior, Informed Consent in the context of New Zealand.
Join us at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2013 in New York, as we interview leaders about the right to Free, Prior, Informed Consent.
In order for this right to be applied fairly, it should respect the following: 1. From the start of a project, there should be a consultation with the Indigenous People of the area; 2. There should be sufficient time devoted to ensuring that the community receive all of the information about the projects and its impacts; 3. Information should be distributed in accordance with the traditional ways of each community; 4. Any form of trying to influence the opinions of the people should be avoided; 5. All the details of decisions taken should be recorded.
For the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent to be correctly applied, it is important to know that this right is applicable to all Indigenous Peoples. It must be adhered to with respect for indigenous communities’ own methods of communication and each person’s opinion must be heard. Furthermore, it means that there should be meetings with representatives of the government, companies, and Indigenous Peoples in order to arrive at an agreement that benefits the community.
In order to ensure that the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent is complied with, there should be community meetings which make people aware of what is happening and could happen in their area. In addition to this, projects must be supervised in order to ensure that decisions made in the community meetings, are implemented during the development project.
The right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent clearly states that the government should not force people to change their method of organisation, thinking, or decision making, nor spread inaccurate information to misinform Indigenous Peoples.
It is important to demand that this law is complied with because it protects the environment, guarantees clean water and air, and it is a mechanism of controlling development projects to ensure that truly benefit indigenous communities.
The right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent is stated in national and international laws, and can be applied in defence of lands and territories when there is a project that will cause irreparable damage.
It is important to have all the information about the potential impacts of development projects on the environment, the community and the people. The information should be available in a way in which everyone can understand, and in the native language of the people it will affect.
It is important that indigenous communities obtain sufficient information prior to the start of a project in order to have an accurate discussion about the potential changes.
The negotiation process between the government and Indigenous Peoples should be free of threats, bribes or any manipulation by the government of the decisions of Indigenous Peoples.
The UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples along with other international instruments, recognises the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent as a right of Indigenous Peoples.
States should obtain Free, Prior and Informed Consent before approving any development project that will affect the lands and resources of Indigenous Peoples.
States must obtain Free, Prior and Informed Consent from Indigenous Peoples before taking legislative or administrative measures which will affect them.
Article 10 of the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples states that no one can forcibly displace indigenous communities from their territories.
The right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent means that governments have to inform indigenous communities about any development projects they want to start in their territories, and listen to their opinions before beginning the project.