The establishment of the Loss and Damage fund at COP27 was a significant accomplishment, but the actualization of these funds remains uncertain based on past experiences. In 2009, developed nations promised to generate $100 billion annually by 2020 to support developing countries in transitioning to renewable energy and preparing for future climate-related hazards. But funds have consistently fallen short.
Cultural Survival attended COP28 in Dubai, from 30 November to 12 December 2023, and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
The Bonn Climate Change Conference took place from June 5th to June 15th, 2023. The conference builds on the mandates that have emerged from COP 27 in Egypt in 2022. Cultural Survival's Edson Krenak attended the conference and spoke to Sele Tagivuni (iTaukei) from Fiji.
Produced by Edson Krenak (Krenak)
Edited by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Sele Tagivuni (iTaukei)
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
Indigenous Peoples have known how to live on and take care of the land since times immemorial. We know that wherever you find cultural diversity, you will be sure to find biological diversity, in fact, globally there are overlaps of areas rich in biodiversity with areas of cultural and linguistic diversity. These are the areas managed by Indigenous Peoples.
Cultural Survival attended COP15 in Montreal, Canada, and spoke to some of the delegates
Produced by Bryan Bicxul (Maya Tz'utujil)
Edited by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Kera Sherwood - O'Regan, who tells us about the highlights of COP27.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Kera Sherwood - O'Regan (Kāi Tahu)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Hindou Omarou Ibrahim, who tells us about the highlights of COP27.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Hindou Omarou Ibrahim (Mbororo)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Salote Nasalo from Fiji who says that the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities must be recognized.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Salote Nasalo from Fiji
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Lorraine Netro who reminds us that our Elders taught us how to respect our environment.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Lorraine Netro (Vuntut Gwitchin)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Yolene Patricia Koteureu. Yolene is from New Caledonia, and she tells us about the solutions that Indigenous Peoples have for climate change.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Yolene Patricia Koteureu (Kanak)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Shaq Koyok from the Temuan Tribe in Selangor, Malaysia who is an artist who uses his paintings to raise awareness about climate change.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Shaq Koyok
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival spoke to Tarcila Riviera Zea from FIMI, who told us how Indigenous Women are getting involved in the fight against climate change.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Tarcila Riviera Zea (Quechua)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Mrinalini Rai. Mrinalini Rai tells us how policies and climate processes should take Indigenous Peoples' rights into account.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Mrinalina Rai (Rai)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Eileen Mairena Cunningham. The discussion is about the highlights of COP27 for Indigenous Peoples.
Interviewee: Eileen Mairena Cunningham (Miskito)
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Graeme Reed.
Graeme gives us an update on the development at COP27, pertaining to Indigenous Peoples.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee Graeme Reed (Anishinabe)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Ketakandriana Rafitoson. Ketakandriana Rafitoson is an advocate for the rights of the Malagasy people from Madagascar, who are the traditional custodians of the land.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Ketakandriana Rafitoson (Malagasy)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Lars Anders Baer. The discussion is about the price that Indigenous Peoples have to pay for the Green Economy.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Lars Anders Baer (Sami)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Yon Fernández DeLarrinoas, Head of Indigenous Peoples Unit at UNFAO, who explains how Indigenous Peoples' food and knowledge systems are affected by climate change.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Yon Fernández DeLarrinoas
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Sara Elvira Kuhmunen from Sapmi. Sara says the youth needs to join hands in fighting climate change, or else we will have no culture and no future.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Sara Elvira Kuhmunen (Sami)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Peter Irniq. Peter says that Inuit Peoples still hunt, but it is not as safe to do so as it used to be, because of changing weather patterns.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Peter Irniq (Inuit)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Raymond Minniecon from Australia who tells us that more action is needed to resolve the climate crisis.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Raymond Minniecon (Goreng Goreng)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Rodion Sulyandziga from Siberia. The discussion is about the evaluation of the COP processes from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Rodion Sulyandziga (Udege)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Kenneth Deer. He talks about the importance of Traditional Knowledge.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Kenneth Deer (Mohawk)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Joan Carling (Kankaney) from the Philippines, and she details how Indigenous Peoples are not getting the recognition they deserve for being stewards of nature.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Joan Carling (Kankanaey)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
Cultural Survival attended COP 27 In Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in November 2022.
In this radio program, we interviewed Ian Fry, the Special Rapporteur On Climate Change.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Ian Fry
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Edna Kaptoyo from Kenya. Edna talks about how important it is to call for action now.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Edna Kaptoyo (Pokot)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, former Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples James Anaya discusses the importance of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties, as a process to combat climate change.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: James Anaya (Apache and Purépecha)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Johnson Cerda discusses the Glasgow Climate Pact and how some elements of the pact such as adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage are really important to Indigenous Peoples.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris(Khoisan)
Interviewee: Johnson Cerda (Kichwa)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival speaks to Aeshoutou Manu from Cameroon, and she details how Climate Change affects the Mbororo Indigenous Peoples.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Aeshoutou Manu (Mbororo)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio interview, Cultural Survival talks to the former co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change. They discuss the history of COP.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Pasang Dolma-Sherpa (Sherpa)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival's Dev Kumar Sunuwar interviews Sele Tagivuni from Fiji and they discuss how Indigenous Peoples must be heard on matters pertaining to climate change.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar
Interviewee: Sele Tagivuni
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, Cultural Survival's Dev Kumar Sunuwar interviews Jennifer Lasimbang and she tells us about the importance of Indigenous Knowledge and how it can contribute to the battle against climate change.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee:Jennifer Lasimbang (Kadazan)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
Human beings have rights, but what about the rights of nature? Great Grand Mother Mary talks to us about the rights of nature. Cultural Survival attended COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee:Great GrandMother Mary (Anishinaabe)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio interview, we spoke to Angel Levac Brant who explains that there are few voices from Indigenous youth when it comes to fighting climate change.
Producer: Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Angel Levac Brant (Tyendinaga Mohawk)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this radio program, International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change co-chair Graeme Reed talks to us about the achievements of Indigenous Peoples at previous COP meetings, and what he expects from COP27.
Producer: Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Graeme Reed (Anishinaabe)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
In this interview, Cultural Survival's Dev Kumar Sunuwar speaks to Grace Balawang and she explains how direct access to funding for Indigenous Peoples will assist in resolving the problems that come about as a result of loss and damage created by climate change.
Producer: Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Grace Balawang (Kankaney Igorot)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
At the United Nations climate change conference in Paris, COP 21, governments agreed that mobilizing stronger and more ambitious climate action is urgently required to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Action must come from governments, cities, regions, businesses and investors. Everyone has a role to play in effectively implementing the Paris Agreement.
The Paris Agreement formally acknowledges the urgent need to scale up our global response to climate change, which supports even greater ambition from governments.
The International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change, the official caucus for Indigenous Peoples participating in the UNFCCC processes, which held its preparatory meeting on 5th and 6th November prior to UNFCCC COP27 and had a discussion on a range of issues relating to climate change to come into agreement specifically on what Indigenous Peoples will be negotiating for, in specific UNFCCC processes.
A Just Transition for Indigenous Peoples is one that centers a human rights approach and the protection of biodiversity and advances Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination in all endeavors relating to the building of green economies. Doing this will require that all stakeholders observe and fully implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the right to self-determination and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent in all decision-making.
Indigenous Peoples are not just stakeholders; Indigenous Peoples are rights holders. Cultural Survival reiterates the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ access to direct participation at the same negotiation tables as nation states at the UNFCCC COP27, with the right to have a voice and vote, and the inclusion of references to human and Indigenous Peoples’ rights in all documents.
Cultural Survival also attended COP 27, and we spoke to Indigenous delegates at the Conference.
In this interview, we spoke to Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk.
Indigenous Peoples are not just stakeholders; Indigenous Peoples are rights holders. Cultural Survival reiterates the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ access to direct participation at the same negotiation tables as nation states at the UNFCCC COP27, with the right to have a voice and vote, and the inclusion of references to human and Indigenous Peoples’ rights in all documents.
Cultural Survival spoke to Andrea Carmen of the International Indian Treaty Council about Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change.
Producer: Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
In the transition to the so-called green economy, Indigenous Peoples are facing a new wave of extractivism for transition minerals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, and lithium, which are key in battery development. These projects are promoted as “green” because they aim to supply minerals used in renewable energy and electric vehicles. However, these mining projects risk replicating the same harms of the fossil fuel economy: threatening Indigenous Peoples’ rights and territories and destroying biodiverse ecosystems.