Co-Development of FPIC Protocols: From the Ecuadorian Amazon to the Forests of Kenya
Knowledge exchange and collaboration is one of the most effective and innovative ways we can support Indigenous peoples and their rights to self-determination. At Land is Life, we seek to empower our partners by providing inclusive methodologies that involve all members of a community. On that note, we are excited to share a recently launched partnership with Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program in Kenya as part of our program for developing Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) protocols with Indigenous communities. FPIC is a necessary legal and political tool that promotes self-determination and enables Indigenous peoples to protect rights to their lands, territories, identity, cultural patrimony, and overall cosmovision. It is based on each community’s own norms, vision of development, and systems of communal decision-making and justice—all fundamental rights protected by ILO Convention 169 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. FPIC protocols promote political participation and ensure that Indigenous peoples themselves are the first to decide on projects or other initiatives that may affect their territories and rights. From Latin America to Africa After a successful co-development process of FPIC protocols with the Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Land is Life has begun working with Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program (OPDP), an Indigenous grassroots partner based in Kenya, with the goal of jointly elaborating a protocol specific to the Ogiek Peoples. The core of Land is Life’s unique and innovative approach on FPIC is based on the fact that the protocols are developed for and by the Indigenous communities themselves in an all-inclusive manner. “For us, consent is an expression of self-determination,” explains David Suarez, Land is Life’s FPIC Program Coordinator. “It is not simply a process of consultation to say yes or no to a project, but a way of balancing the dialogue between Indigenous societies and states. It is the recognition of the right of Indigenous peoples to make their own decisions and generate through dialogues the exercise of consent. This in itself is a process of historical reparation of their condition of subjects as Indigenous peoples.” The first phase of the initiative, led by the Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku, took place over the course of eight months. The process involved the participation of all Sarayaku community members and included a series of in-depth interviews with authorities, political and spiritual leaders, as well as roundtable discussions with women and youth groups of the Sarayaku community. Process in Kenya The Ogiek Peoples are one of the last groups of hunter-gatherers in Kenya and have a leading role as guardians of their local ecosystem, conserving and protecting land and natural resources in the Mau Forest. The expansion of agricultural cultivation, logging, and charcoal production, among others, have disrupted the community’s peaceful existence in their ancestral land. Massive exploitation of their forest resources is often carried out without any prior consultation or participation of the directly affected population. OPDP works to promote and advocate for the participation, self-determination, and human rights of the members of the Ogiek community for sustainable development. By increasing the Ogiek Peoples’ knowledge of FPIC, they will have the means to better defend their territories and rights from invasive practices and industries. In August, the collaborative partnership kicked off for developing FPIC protocols for the Ogiek Peoples. This initiative is jointly designed and implemented by the teams of OPDP and Land is Life, which is providing technical expertise based on the mentioned successful experience among Indigenous peoples in Latin America. Suarez has led two virtual workshops for OPDP as a first step to exchange experiences and understand the Ogiek Peoples’ current consultation and consent processes. During the second virtual session, Daniel Santi, member of the Governing Council of the Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku, shared two of the main challenges faced during their process: “We had trouble trying to decipher a way of obtaining consent from the protective beings that live in our territory. Many times, the State doesn’t understand the relationship we have with the Kawsak Sacha or Living Jungle,” Santi said. “Another great challenge was mobilization due to our geographic zone.” On his behalf, Daniel Kobei, Executive Director of OPDP, acknowledged that “FPIC protocols will be an advocacy tool for the Ogiek Peoples’ negotiations, especially for their benefit when sharing their natural resources with others. Ours will be a very inclusive process where opinion leaders, women, and youths will be involved. We are pleased with the support of Land is Life and the guidance of the Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku.”
Land is Life stands in solidarity with Indigenous peoples peaceful demonstrations in Colombia
Land is Life stands in solidarity with the Colombian Indigenous organizations that are peacefully protesting in defense of their rights within the ongoing National Strike mobilizations called by multiple civil society organizations, particularly the Indigenous Minga called by the Indigenous Regional Council of the Cauca (CRIC), the Organization of the Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC) and the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC). Likewise, Land is Life expresses its grave concern over the complaints about large-scale violations of the Human Rights of Indigenous peoples and civil society during the mobilizations, condemning the violent repression exercised by the Colombian State security agencies and paramilitary groups. After 14 days of mobilization, Colombian human rights organizations denounce the death of more than 47 people, 39 as a result of injuries caused by the security forces, 900 arbitrary detentions, and more than 500 people disappeared. Since April 27, Indigenous, peasant, student, and civil society organizations began a mobilization in protest against various policies implemented by the government and their implications, such as a new tax reform, health and pension reform, the increase in inequality, the assasination of social leaders and activist by paramilitary groups, the return of health-threatening glyphosate aerial fumigations to eradicate coca crops, and demanding for respect for the right to prior, free, and informed consultation for Indigenous peoples. In response to these demonstrations, the Colombian government ignored calls for dialogue made by local and international actors, deploying police and army forces trained to confront the internal civil war and drug trafficking. These forces are being used to contain protests, increasing exponentially violence against civil society. Multiple international organizations such as the UN, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the European Union have expressed their grave concern and condemnation of violence, demanding respect for the human rights of all the population. Since June 2020, Land is Life has implemented an emergency fund for the protection and security of communities, authorities, leaders, representatives, defenders, and activists managed directly by Indigenous organizations of the Colombian Amazon, focused on providing legal assistance, medical and psychological assistance, relocation, social assistance, security training, and community protection initiatives, managing to serve more than 50 communities in the region. Land is Life’s team is closely monitoring the situation and receiving distressing information directly from partner Indigenous organizations. We urgently call the Colombian government to stop violent repression against peaceful demonstrators, particularly Indigenous men, women, and children. We remind Colombian authorities that human rights violations are unacceptable and that it is their responsibility to adopt measures to effectively protect the fundamental rights for life, liberty, integrity, freedom of expression, and personal security of Indigenous peoples as well as of all the people who inhabit their territory.
Justice for Celempilo: Indigenous Fisherman Shot Dead by Rangers in South Africa
On September 16, a young man was shot dead as he and his two friends were fishing on Lake St Lucia, adjacent to the ancestral territory and lands of the Nibela community in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Celempilo Mdluli, reportedly 30 years old, was fishing with his friends Senzo and Duduzi when they were suddenly attacked by a group of wildlife rangers. Celempilo fell to the ground. The other two Indigenous fishermen say it was very dark, but they heard him begging for his life. Yet, three further shots were fired. After the incident, Celempilo’s body was taken to the local morgue. The conservation agency responsible for the rangers has yet to condemn the killing or indicate how justice will be served. Nearly a month after the shooting, the police have yet to visit the crime scene or interview witnesses. The Nibela Indigenous traditional fishing community, whose ancestral lands lie on Nibela peninsula adjacent to the lake (the largest estuarine lake in Africa), are worried that justice will not be done for this young man and his family, and they fear for their own lives as they need to fish to feed their families. Members of the Nibela community have come to depend on the lake for fish as their basic food security as there are few other livelihood opportunities for them in this rural part of the province. Rangers alleged in a local newspaper that the fishermen might have been rhino poachers. The conflict arises after the top-down imposition of a marine protected area and nature reserve around the area, which was subsequently declared a World Heritage Site in 1999. In 2008 it was renamed the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Despite the Nibela’s ownership of their communal lands adjacent to the lake, the conservation and fisheries authorities have failed to consult them. The waters around the community have been zoned as a restricted area for the benefit of the ecotourism industry, from which the Nibela derive no benefit. With support from Land is Life, the Nibela community has been able to secure the services of an independent pathologist to conduct an autopsy. The Legal Resources Centre, a human rights legal organization, is assisting in their struggle to find out why this happened and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable. Unfortunately, there is little interest in this case in South Africa—one of the most violent countries in the world, where deaths like this, caused by police or conservation officers, are not uncommon. The Nibela indigenous fisher community is desperate to shine a light on what has happened and is calling for international solidarity to condemn the killing of a young fisherman and for justice to be served. Land is Life will continue supporting the Nibela community as they struggle to defend their right to fish in their own waters safely and sustainably, and to live in their territories free of violence. Since 2019, Land is Life has coordinated an Indigenous-Led Security Fund in Sub-Saharan Africa to respond to threats to safety and security facing Indigenous communities and organizations across the region. This approach is also being piloted in the Amazon via our Regional Coordinator in Colombia. We are also exploring an additional pilot of this approach in Asia.
Press Release: Fires And Deforestation In Territories With Registries Of Indigenous Peoples In Isolation
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION Download the Press Release: Español, Português, English Download the Report: Español, Português, English As the new forest fire season moves forward, the situation of extreme vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation becomes critical, warns an international group of organizations.The Trinational Report: Fires and Deforestation in Territories with Records of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation, presented today, launches an international alert on the serious situation faced by indigenous peoples in isolation and provides recommendations for the implementation of protection measures for these peoples and their territories.Wednesday, August 26, 2020. More than twenty indigenous and civil society organizations, which are part of the International Working Group on Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact in the Amazon, Gran Chaco and Brazilian Cerrado (GTI PIACI), launched today an international alert on the threat posed by forest fires and deforestation to Indigenous Peoples living in Isolation in the regions of the Amazon, the Great American Chaco and Brazilian Cerrado, in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.During 2019, these regions suffered dramatic increases in the incidence of forest fires and deforestation, a scenario that begins to repeat itself in 2020 as fires once again spread throughout the Amazon and the Great American Chaco. This situation aggravates the condition of extreme vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples living in Isolation, since fires and deforestation destroy the territories where they live, where they develop their culture, and which provide their means of subsistence.The Trinational Report: Fires and Deforestation in Territories with Records of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation, presented today at a virtual press conference, draws attention to the serious situation faced by indigenous peoples in isolation, and presents recommendations for States, multilateral organizations, and civil society in these countries, with the aim of implementing urgent protection measures for these peoples and their territories. “The daily life of indigenous peoples in isolation is marked by numerous threats that place them, for the most part, in a situation of constant mobilization and despair. The voracious increase in forest fires and deforestation aggravates their situation and renders them increasingly vulnerable”, explained Antenor Vaz, lead author of the Report and consultant to Land is Life, the organization currently holding the secretariat of the GTI PIACI. For the preparation of this report, Vaz and his colleagues from Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay carried out an analysis of the serious events that occurred during 2019 in vast regions of the Amazon, the Great American Chaco and Brazilian Cerrado with the use of maps, georeferenced information and direct testimonies. Following a collaborative methodology, in which representatives of various indigenous peoples participated as protagonists, the researchers analyzed information from a total of 99 indigenous territories with records of indigenous peoples in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay, which allowed them to verify the vertiginous increase of hot spots in 2019 compared to 2018. In such a period, these hotspots grew 258% in Bolivia, 259% in Brazil, and 185% in Paraguay. Likewise, the hot spots detected in the 32 conservation units (protected areas) with presence of Indigenous Peoples Living in Isolation increased by 744.38% in Bolivia, 347.87% in Brazil, and 44.15% in Paraguay. The Trinational Report is based on local reports prepared, respectively, by the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) in Brazil, the Amotocodie Initiative (IA) in Paraguay, and the Central Indígena de Comunidades Tacana II del Río Madre de Dios (CITRMD) in Bolivia. “In addition to all the impacts caused by colonization, in 2019 the indigenous peoples in isolation in Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay were subjected to an unprecedented wave of fires and deforestation in their territories, which demands solutions that are impossible to address under the sole focus of local and international regulations established for indigenous peoples with a history of contact”, explained Vaz, the report’s lead author. The Report also highlights that the common denominator for the increase in forest fires is human action, driven by expansionary practices of agribusinesses and extractive industries. This, coupled with the lack of effective regulatory frameworks for the protection of Indigenous Peoples living in Isolation, makes the latters’ situation increasingly precarious. “The loss of territory caused by deforestation and fires leads the people to displacement in search of safer places, and this brings with it other dangers: involuntary proximity to neighbouring populations and possible contagion of disease. The situation is further complicated by the presence of Covid-19, whose exponential growth puts the lives of these peoples, as well as the living heritage of the Americas and of humanity, at serious risk”, the Report concludes. Bolivia’s Local Report presents findings on State actions promoting the expansion of the agricultural frontier without an accompanying conservation policy. In the words of Adamo Diego Cusi, researcher and activist, representative of the Takana people and author of the Report on Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Forest Fires in Bolivia, “there are laws in Bolivia that promote the expansion of agribusiness and the agricultural frontier, without considering the negative effects that this has on indigenous peoples and the environment. As a result, fires are increasingly aggressive and their consequences devastating.” According to this report, 6.4 million hectares were burned in Bolivia in 2019, of which 94% were lowlands, located for the most part in the departments of Santa Cruz (65%) and Beni (29%), in the Bolivian Amazon Basin. In addition, it was reported that the same year, 36 indigenous territories were affected by forest fires, with a total of 226,714 hectares burned. The same report states that the hot spots and forest fires in indigenous territories and protected areas have permeated the lives of Indigenous Peoples living in Isolation. In general, forest fires in 2019 exceeded historical records since 2010, and any effective response to the fires was overwhelmed. Moreover, in two Absolute Reserves for Indigenous Peoples living in Isolation (in process) and 16 indigenous and peasant territories with records of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation, there was presence of 36,034 hot spots. In the case of Brazil, the local report describes the criminal organization of various groups of farmers that clear
Land Is Life Welcomes Four New Members To Its Board Of Directors
Land is Life proudly announces the appointment of four new members with extensive knowledge and experience on the rights of Indigenous peoples to its Board of Directors. Joining the Board are Marcos Terena, Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine and Cecilia Baltazar Yucailla, Indigenous leaders from Brazil, Mali and Ecuador respectively, along with climate change and bio-cultural diversity scholar Gleb Raygorodetsky. “Our newest Board members embody the spirit of Indigenous rights causes throughout the world and bring their knowledge and experience to our Board. This is an important moment in our history and we are very fortunate to have them as we continue to strengthen Land is Life´s global grassroots work”, says Casey Box, Executive Director. Land is Life´s Board of Directors brings together Indigenous leaders and activists from various fields of expertise, who are deeply committed to the cause of defending and protecting Indigenous peoples’ rights and territories throughout the world. Mariano Marcos Terena, one of the founders of Land is Life, is a son of the Xane’ Pueblo. Born in Brazil in 1954, Marcos has devoted his life to working and organizing for the rights of Indigenous peoples and for the Earth itself. In 1977, Marcos co-founded the first Indigenous political movement in Brazil, the Union of Indigenous Nations, and played a critical role in achieving recognition of Indigenous peoples’ rights in the Brazilian Constitution. Marcos was the organizer of the historic World Conference of Indigenous Peoples on Territories, Environment and Development (1992), and the World Indigenous Games (2018). Marcos is also a founding member of the Inter-Tribal Committee, the International Alliance of Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests, and the Brazilian Indigenous Institute for Intellectual Property. About his new role as a member of the board, Marcos comments: “One of our biggest challenges is that national governments still need to recognize Indigenous peoples within their environmental and territorial universe, and their right for a secure habitat in relation to the future. In Brazil, we have over 300 existing Indigenous societies and we need to protect their rights to guarantee their cultural and traditional strengthening. When we understand the experiences of Indigenous peoples in their territories, we are building alternatives to improve the general quality of life for all in the modern world. Land is Life is one of the most important international organizations supporting human rights of Indigenous Peoples, and it’s an unique operational force comprised of Indigenous and non-indigenous volunteers and activists.” Dr. Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine is a Tuareg woman from Timbuktu. She is a medical doctor from the University of Tizi-Ouzou and holds a Master in Humanitarian Action from the University of Geneva, focusing on interventions in crisis situations. Mariam is a member of Tin Hinane, a nomadic women’s association working for the defense, promotion and development of Indigenous peoples in the Sahel-Sahara region in Africa. In 2016 she founded the Association Tin Hinan Canada, which focuses on education and building bridges among nations and communities. She has joined the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples for the last six years serving for two consecutive years as chair. Currently, Mariam focuses her advocacy on improving the living conditions of the Indigenous Tuareg peoples. She is also a guest speaker and independent consultant on Indigenous People’s issues. “One of the major challenges in working and organizing for IP´s rights in Africa is the lack of recognition of Indigenous Peoples. In my own subregion, the Sahel-Sahara, there is an ongoing eight-year conflict. The instability of the political situation has led to a chronic and complex insecurity problem, that is undermining any progress in the promotion and implementation of Indigenous Peoples rights. There is a need for better involvement of Indigenous Peoples in peacebuilding processes in a constructive way. In some other regions in the world like Asia, Indigenous Peoples face the same issue of non recognition, leading to a lack of inclusion in all levels of national and regional institutions. By joining Land is Life, I would like to bring my vision as a Tuareg woman and to promote my people’s and other Indigenous Peoples’ rights, in particular in the areas of traditional knowledge, well-being and health”, says Mariam about her expectations after becoming a member of the Board. Cecilia Baltazar Yucailla is a Kichwa Indigenous leader from the community of Chibuleo San Francisco in Ecuador. She holds a Master’s degree in Constitutional Law and has been a long-time advocate for the collective rights of Indigenous peoples and nationalities. As an expert in intercultural Indigenous justice and the rights of nature, Cecilia currently works as an advisor to the Constitutional Court of Ecuador. Asked about her new role on Land is Life´s board, Cecilia says: “The intensive exploitation of natural resources within territories of Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities, is one of our most serious problems now. Therefore, It’s essential to promote training processes of grassroots Indigenous leaders so that they can be the guarantors of collective rights, given constant violations by state institutions and companies. Each Indigenous nationality needs to strengthen their knowledge and experiences in the exercise of collective rights, and make efforts to influence state institutions to design and implement public policies that guarantee them. I am really happy to bring my experience in constitutional and Indigenous intercultural justice to Land is Life, and on supporting Indigenous authorities in the judicial proceedings undertaken against the State with the aim of protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples and nationalities.” Dr. Gleb Raygorodetsky is an award-winning author, adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta and a Research Affiliate with the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance, at the University of Victoria. Born and raised in a coastal village in Kamchatka, Russia, Gleb is a biocultural heritage expert, with over two decades of experience in the areas of Indigenous community-based conservation, climate change resilience, and philanthropy. He has written about Indigenous peoples around the world in a number of magazines, including Cultural Survival, Alternatives and National Geographic and is the author of “Archipelago of Hope”, and “Gwich’in Words About the
Land Is Life Calls On The Nepalese Government To Respect The Rights Of Newar People
Land is Life stands in solidarity with the Indigenous Newar peoples and communities in Khokana and Bungamati in Nepal, as they struggle against the threat of displacement from their territories, livelihoods, and cultural and historical sites in the Kathmandu Valley, south of the Nepalese capital. The Newar people of Khokana are one of those still maintaining their distinct identity, cultures and traditions in Nepal. Last April, affected communities and Indigenous rights groups had called on UNESCO, ILO and UN Nepal offices to take actions against the forced displacement of the Newar in Khokana and Bungamati due to Fast-Track highway and other projects. Communities in Khokana and adjoining Bungamati have been protesting against the construction of the Fast-Track highway by the Nepalese army, but also the extensive developments for the new so called ´smart city´ full of modern facilities like the Outer Ring Road and other planned infrastructure projects, as they fear half a dozen projects will displace entire communities from the the area and the government has confirmed that there will be no compensation for the land affected by the project. Community leaders have submitted countless complaints (including 23 demands to the government) and organized various demonstrations that have been responded to with police repression, as local and national authorities have failed to effectively address communities’ demands. On July 3rd, Indigenous Newar farmers in Khokana, supported by human rights activists from across Kathmandu valley, organized a paddy plantation in the lands acquired for the Fast-Track expressway as a form of peaceful resistance. When the police tried to disperse them, it eventually led to clashes whereby over a dozen protestors and four police personnel were injured. “We were over 1,000 people. We were carrying our musical instruments and were going to transplant paddy, but police interfered aggressively,” said Karma Maharjan, a resident, as local media reports. Leaders say they are not against development, but uprooting communities from their territories is unacceptable. Land is Life condemns the repression of peaceful Indigenous-led demonstrations and calls on the Nepalese government to unequivocally respect the inalienable rights of Newar and all Indigenous peoples and their territories, to protect their cultural and historical sites, and to reconsider development projects that are negatively impacting all communities in the Kathmandu Valley. Land is Life’s Regional Coordinator has visited the impacted territories and we have partnered via our Indigenous-Led Grants to support grassroots organizations confronting this challenge, we invite you to join us.
Recommendations for the urgent threat of COVID19 to Indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation
CALL TO STATE AUTHORITIES, MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND SOCIETY IN GENERAL Indigenous peoples in isolation or initial contact in South America. Epidemiological and Territorial Vulnerability in the Context of Covid-19. The International Working Group for the Protection of Indigenous Peoples in Situation of Isolation and Initial Contact – GTI PIACI coordinated a reunion to address the epidemiological and territorial vulnerabilities of indigenous peoples in situations of isolation and initial contact, in the context of Latin America. South. It took place in Brazil, – April 2020 within the scope of the “Camp Terra Livre – 2020.” The reunion above concluded that the PIACI, even before the COVID 19 pandemic, was already subject to a highly vulnerable situation, currently, this has increased to a situation of EXTREME VULNERABILITY. We warn of the urgent need for states to establish IMMEDIATE ACTIONS together with indigenous peoples and their representations (national and regional) to define and implement concrete measures to protect PIACI from this pandemic. In view of the internalization of Sars-CoV-2 in the indigenous territories in the countries of South America and the possibility that a tragedy will reach the PIACI. In light of the statement issued by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, José Francisco Cali said: “COVID-19 is devastating indigenous communities in the world in terms of health,” we present the following URGENT initiatives to be adopted by States with PIACI registries from Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and Suriname. This moment is urgent. The COVID-19 pandemic has already entered indigenous territories and the number of infected indigenous people increases exponentially every day. The time for reflections has passed. We now need concrete actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. PIACI protection involves the immediate removal of all invaders from their (and adjacent) territories to avoid Sars-CoV-2 transmission vectors. ACTION NOW! ACCIÓN AHORA! AÇÃO JÁ! Proposals: • Strengthen the participation of the movement and indigenous associations to promote actions of social isolation/distance and mitigation of the pandemic • Definition and immediate implementation of an Indigenous Emergency Plan against COVID-19 • Specific action plan for indigenous peoples in a situation of isolation and initial contact – PIACI • Establishment of “sanitary cords” around the Territorial and Indigenous Reserves • Prevent the passage and presence of external actors towards indigenous territories, particularly in areas inhabited by PIACI • Ensure that all health professionals undergo COVID-19 tests (with PCR) and have a clinical evaluation before entering indigenous lands • Establishment of quarantine for all EMSI professionals, considering the best possible relationship between quarantine time/length of service (for indigenous peoples), in health units • Establishment of field hospitals and /or intermediate reference units equipped with medicines and oxygen supply in strategic locations within and outside of indigenous lands • Health teams trained and prepared for emergency situations, in accordance with contingency protocols IN PARTNERSHIP WITH REGIONAL Grupo de Trabalho Internacional para a proteção dos PIACI – GTI PIACI (20 Indigenous Organization and 8 allies in South America) BOLIVIA Central de Comunidades Indígenas Tacana II – Rio Madre de Dios – CITRMD BRASIL Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira – COIAB COLOMBIA Amazon Conservation Team -ACT – Colômbia EQUADOR Fondo Ecuatoriano Populorum Progressio-FEPP. Land is Life – LIL PARAGUAI Iniciativa Amotocodie – IA Organización Payipie Ichadie Totobiogosode – OPIT PERU Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana – AIDESEP Federación Nativa del Rio Madre de Dios y Afluentes – FENAMAD Organización Regional de los Pueblos Indígenas del Oriente ORPIO SURINAME Organización de los Pueblos Indígenas de Suriname (OIS) VENEZUELA Grupo de Trabajo Socioambiental de la Amazonía – WATANIBA Organización Regional de Pueblos Indígenas de Amazonia – ORPIA
Cultural Survival and Land is Life Stand in Solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en in Canada
Cultural Survival and Land is Life stand in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs in demanding respect for their right to self-determination and to protocols of Free, Prior and Informed Consent as recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Unist’ot’en Camp leadership explain, “Our clan is occupying and using our traditional territory as it has for centuries. Our free, prior and informed consent protocol is in place at the entrance of our territory as an expression of our jurisdiction and our inherent right to both give and refuse consent.” Today, all Wet’suwet’en territory is unceded. This means the traditional Indigenous legal systems remain intact and still govern the people and the lands. The Unist’ot’en Camp was founded in 2010 by Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs to protect their lands. The Camp sits in the “energy corridor” for pipelines in Canada and is under perpetual threat from oil and gas spills resulting in devastating destruction of the environment and Indigenous lifeways. Most recently, they have been fighting the construction of a 416 mile (670 km) liquified natural gas pipeline, known as Coastal GasLink, which would cross through Wet’suwet’en territory without their consent. On December 14, 2018 the provincial court in BC granted an injunction to oil and gas company TC Energy (formerly TransCanada) – granting access to the land to construct their pipeline. The decision was further enforced by BC Supreme Court injunction on December 31, 2019, allowing construction of the pipeline and unlimited access to Wet’suwet’en lands. However, Wet’suwet’en territory in BC was never ceded by treaty and Hereditary Chiefs retain authority over their lands. Following the courts’ decisions, land protectors camped out for weeks in bitter winter conditions at barricaded checkpoints to prevent pipeline construction vehicles from entering the territory of the Wet’suwet’en. On January 13, 2019, the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs submitted a formal request to the United Nations to monitor the RCMP and Coastal GasLink actions on their territory. This request follows the recent directive from the UN Committee on Racial Discrimination requiring Canada to halt the CGL pipeline and withdraw RCMP from the territory in order to avoid further violations of Wet’suwet’en, constitutional, and international law. Instead, on January 19, 2019, heavily armed Royal Canadian Mounted Police raided the camp and arrested 14 Indigenous land defenders. Since then resistance to the pipeline has grown and conflict continued. There have been international calls to action and solidarity actions taken around the world. On January 7, 2020, the Hereditary Chiefs issued an eviction notice to the CGL pipeline company, effective immediately. Since 2017, Cultural Survival has partnered directly with Unist’ot’en Camp through its Keepers of the Earth Fund, and Land is Life continues to support several grassroots Indigenous organizations across Canada and the Arctic through its Indigenous-Led Grantmaking initiative. We join together to echo the calls of the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs to support their movement in defense of their territory and sovereignty. We call on the Canadian government, RCMP, and TC Energy to halt illegal construction and development, and cease unlawful and violent responses against Indigenous land protectors. Ways to Support: Wet’suwet’en Supporter Toolkit 2020 Support Us Solidarity Statements Photo by Jason Hargrove on Flickr. “We Stand With The Wet’suwet’en” – Wetsuweten Solidarity Event – Rail Yard near Pioneer Village Station Blockaded – Vaughan, Toronto, Ontario – February 15, 2020
Land Is Life Calls On The Government Of Indonesia To Halt Oppression Of Indigenous Peoples Of Papua
Reports coming out of Indonesia detail an escalation of violence and an unconfirmed number of casualties following protests that began two weeks ago in reaction to reports of harassment and racial discrimination towards Papuan students by police in Surayaba. This incident is just one example in a long history of discriminatory treatment and human rights abuses by the Indonesian government against the people of Papua and West Papua. Executive Director of Land is Life, Casey Box adds, “Based on my personal experience in Papua, ongoing conversations with our partners, and reports developing daily, we know the Indonesian government is ignoring the concerns and demands of Papuans. They are reacting brutally to Papuans’ protests, continuing to propagate and promote racist tropes and biases, limiting their basic human rights, and militarizing radical groups against Papuan demonstrators.” Land is Life strongly condemns the Indonesian government’s history and current practices of racial discrimination and persecution of Papuans in the country and calls on the Indonesian government to: Halt the escalation of violence against demonstrators exercising their right to protest and for the release of all those unjustly imprisoned as a result; Immediately open up an authentic dialogue with Papuans about their concerns at the root of the conflict and their aspirations, as well as allow international authorities (namely the UN) to enter the region and evaluate the severity of the human rights violations; Restore the internet and cellular channels in the province to allow for the exercise of free speech and stop the denial of these basic human rights for Papuans and all others affected. Land is Life echoes the concerns of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in her statement made yesterday. Michelle commented, “I have been disturbed by escalating violence in the past two weeks in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua, and especially the deaths of some protestors and security forces personnel…I encourage the authorities to engage in dialogue with the people of Papua and West Papua on their aspirations and concerns, as well as to restore internet services and refrain from any excessive use of force. Blanket internet shutdowns are likely to contravene freedom of expression and limiting communications may exacerbate tensions”. Land is Life has been partnering with grassroots indigenous partners in West Papua for years. We’re currently proud to support a partnership with YADUPA and stand strongly in support of their work towards fully exercising their self-determination.
Denouncing Recent Killings of Indigenous Inga Peoples of Yunguillo, Colombia
Land is Life and Protection International denounces the killing this week of three members of the Indigenous Inga community of Yunguillo in Colombia. We are increasingly concerned with the growing violence against Indigenous Peoples and activists in the Amazon (since the start of 2018, 32 Indigenous leaders were killed in Colombia alone) and take threats to our partners and staff with the utmost seriousness. We continue to work to improve the safety and security across our operations and the activities of our partners. Land is Life and Protection International strongly endorse the following statement (translated below) released by the Secretariat of Human Rights and Peace of the Zonal Indigenous Organization of Putumayo (OZIP) and urges the Colombian authorities to complete a transparent investigation into the killings: We reject all acts of violence against members of Indigenous communities and we stand in solidarity with the community and families of ARMANDO MUTUMBAJOY, JAIME ALIRIO BECERRA CHINDOY, ELKIN FARID SIGINDIOY CHINDOY. Taking into account the previous National Alerts issued by OZIP on July 7, 2018 regarding the (murders of the Embera Pueblo brothers in Orito Putumayo) and October 31, 2017 of the (Resistance Minga) we raised a call for attention to the National Government, reiterating the need to establish together with the competent institution mechanisms for the respect of the human rights of the members of the Indigenous Peoples of the Department of Putumayo, demanding that the following measures be adopted aimed at respecting the interior of the territories indigenous: Establish mechanisms to obtain protection for the members of the Indigenous communities of the Department of Putumayo. Prevent actions or omissions that entail that human rights be violated or threatened by agents of the state, members of illegal armed groups or persons engaged in any type of crime. Investigate the behaviors and judge and punish those responsible for them. To carry out actions in mass media aimed at overcoming the prejudices and stigmatization that currently affect the dignity of indigenous peoples for the defense of the principles of respect for culture, life, territory and nature as a source of life.
