LAND IS LIFE is an international network of indigenous communities and organizations that was founded in May of 1992 at the historic World Conference of Indigenous Peoples on Territories, Environment and Development. Since it’s founding, Land is Life has played an important role in the international struggle for indigenous peoples’ rights. We have strengthened indigenous participation in international policy-making processes, promoted dialogue between indigenous leaders and international development institutions, worked effectively within the United Nations system to promote and protect indigenous peoples’ rights and assisted communities to secure rights at the local and national levels. We collaborate on projects and campaigns to advance the strategic goals of over twenty indigenous peoples in sixteen countries. We believe that keeping land in the hands of indigenous peoples is the best way to confront climate change, protect biological diversity and guarantee sustainable development.
Land is Life monitors countries’ compliance with international human rights agreements, and campaigns to hold accountable those who are responsible when peoples’ rights are violated. We advocate for free prior and informed consent on all issues where indigenous peoples’ lives and rights are at stake. We provide training and funding for indigenous activists to participate in the annual UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and other international meetings.
Communities and organizations around the world - from the heart of the Amazon, to the plains and forests of Africa, to the islands of the Pacific – depend on the strategic, financial and moral support that we provide:
We help preserve threatened ecosystems. We work with indigenous communities that inhabit some of the world’s most pristine—and most threatened—ecosystems. Indigenous peoples have managed these lands and preserved their biodiversity for centuries using traditional knowledge and respect for the earth. We support efforts to prevent degradation and exploitation of these lands.
We improve access to international policy-making. We promote and arrange for dialogue between indigenous peoples and governments, corporations and NGOs. We provide training, strategic advice and travel funds to indigenous leaders to ensure their effective participation in international policy-making processes where decisions are made that affect their lives, lands and cultures.
We help coordinate local campaigns. We collaborate on strategic campaigns to address threats to indigenous territories at the local and national level on four continents. We support and help organize marches, legal action, regional conferences, dialogues with officials, and challenges to unacceptable development plans. We collaborate with allies and obtain media coverage for local campaigns.
We build capacity of indigenous organizations. We offer training and strategic support for indigenous leaders to help build effective, representative indigenous organizations. We offer a Small Grants Program, providing $150,000 over the last three years to indigenous organizations implementing locally-controlled strategies and programs in Asia, the Pacific, Africa, and Central and South America.
We support sustainable development. We find funding and provide guidance in support of local projects designed by indigenous communities to develop sustainable livelihoods. For example, we have helped establish women’s cooperatives with the El-Molo in Kenya, the Guarani in Bolivia and the Zapara in Ecuador.
We protect the human rights of indigenous peoples. We monitor and critically analyze the policies and practices of international bodies to be certain they respect the human, cultural, religious, economic, political and territorial rights of indigenous peoples. We use peaceful means to fight the widespread marginalization, discrimination and systematic human rights abuses of indigenous peoples.
