The first Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention, Michel Forst, visited Denmark from 8-10 May as part of his European information tour explaining the new mandate. He met with various Danish government officials and civil society organisations, including
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The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) and Asia Indigenous Peoples’ Pact (AIPP) are deeply concerned about the violent response to peaceful protests by the Indigenous Peoples Movement in Nepal causing at least 45 people injured and 1 life claimed in the clashes.
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The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) is deeply concerned about the ongoing unrest in Bandarban and demands that civilians are protected. According to media reports1, on 8 May 2023, 3 Bawm men were allegedly killed at Paingkhong Para of Rwangchari Upazila by the
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22.05.2023, A high-profile delegation of Maasai representatives starts a tour in several European countries this May, seeking international support to halt the ongoing forced evictions and human rights abuses against the Maasai people in Tanzania.
Press Statement
12 April 2023
The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission is shocked at the death of eight indigenous Bawm men and expresses deep concern at continued human rights violations in the CHT
Commission on the Status of Women
Sixty-seventh session
Priority theme; Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and
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Tourism projects are often designed and implemented without respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the right to self-determination; lands, territories and resources; free prior and informed consent; as well as economic, social and cultural rights. Furthermore, the travel
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“I’m one of the kids that was stolen from Greenland to Denmark back in the 1970s. I grew up in a Danish family, with Danish traditions, and we never spoke about Greenland. Not a word. I lost my language, my mother tongue. In my school we never learned about Greenland, our history, culture or
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The end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 finds Indigenous Peoples in Latin America shaken by an escalation of political and social conflicts that threatens the effective implementation of their rights. We examine some of the main events that have taken place over the last days and weeks in
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On 2 December 1997, the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord was signed, giving hope for lasting peace and development for the Indigenous Peoples of the CHT. However, today, as we mark the 25th anniversary of the peace accord, Indigenous Peoples in the CHT in Bangladesh have
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Last Friday 18 November concluded in Geneva the 41st session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group, the mechanism that examines the human rights record of UN Member States.
IWGIA's reaction on the outcome of COP27
19 November 2022
Indigenous Peoples positioned themselves in multilateral climate negotiations through their advocacy. Although the international community gradually recognises Indigenous Peoples’ contributions to climate governance, a rights-based approach in national climate action is still largely
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IWGIA prepared the following statement and submitted it to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights at its 73rd session in October 2022.
Indigenous Peoples in Africa are increasingly losing their ancestral lands through land grabbing and forced evictions, which threaten their
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BY DMITRII HARAKKA-ZAITSEV FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS
A century ago, the Izhora people of Russia numbered about 30,000 individuals, but the repression experienced under
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BY CARLOS SALAMANCA VILLAMIZAR FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS
The Truth Trial for the Napalpí Massacre that took place in 1924 recognised the State’s responsibility in
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BY DIANA MENDOZA FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS
Although the demographic and sociocultural vulnerability of Colombia's Indigenous population is often attributed to
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After 20 years of being a member of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities in Africa[1]of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), IWGIA senior advisor Marianne Wiben Jensen, reflects on how it all began, what
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In the past two decades, the United Nations has increasingly focused attention on the human rights of Indigenous Peoples. A growing set of UN treaty bodies (TB’s) and mechanisms continually recommend Member States to improve the rights of Indigenous Women.
BY KYAW LIN FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS
In recent decades, the country has become a major producer of yaba, a synthetic drug distributed in pills easily
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BY ANA MARÍA VIDAL CARRASCO FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS
The crisis we are experiencing is not new. It would seem that we had already hit rock bottom and that we
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BY INDIANARA RAMIRES MACHADO FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS
As never before, leaders from all over the country came together for a show of force
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BY ANA ESTHER CECEÑA AND DAVID BARRIOS FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS
Despite its biodiversity, cultural richness and strategic geographic location, the "war on drugs" has
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BY MARCELA VELASCO FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS
Drug trafficking penetrates Indigenous communities, persecuting their leaders, and co-opting the youngest members.
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This report details human rights abuses that took place in Mindat Township, Chin State from the period of April to December 2021. In May 2021, Martial Law was imposed on Mindat Town, pre-empting a large-scale assault by air and on the ground in order to engage with the Chin Defense Force –
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The Maasai indigenous pastoralists of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) and Ngorongoro District in Northern Tanzania are currently under severe threat of forced eviction. According to reliable information received by IWGIA, the situation is very serious and there is panic among the people
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The Maasai indigenous pastoralists of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) and Ngorongoro District in Northern Tanzania are currently under severe threat of forced eviction. According to reliable information received by IWGIA, the situation is very serious and there is panic among the people
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Author: Berardino, Sharon Marie
With over 104 million people, India has the second largest population of indigenous peoples in the world, who are officially recognized as Scheduled Tribes. With 40.6% of the Scheduled Tribe population living below poverty line, compared to 20.5% of the non-tribal population, as per the 2011
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On 26 August 2021, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), established by the Government of India to replace the erstwhile Planning Commission, released the first edition of the “North Eastern Region (NER) District SDG Index Report and Dashboard 2021–22” prepared with the
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The CSOs in India have traditionally played a critical role in every field including rights, democratic governance and addressing natural disasters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, their role came into sharp focus. On 26 April 2021, the Empowered Group-3 chaired by the National Institution for
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One year ago today, just hours before the newly elected parliament of Myanmar/Burma was preparing for its first session, the Myanmar military — called the Tatmadaw — staged a coup d’état, toppling the civilian government over what they claimed were irregularities in the electoral process. The
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Indigenous Peoples all over the world face systemic discrimination rooted in persistent racism as well as past and present colonialism. Many Indigenous communities have been forcefully relocated, lands have been taken away, forests have been destroyed, mountains have been mined and valleys have
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According to reliable information received by Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) and the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania is currently planning the eviction of the Maasai Indigenous people from a 1,500
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According to reliable information received by Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) and the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania is currently planning the eviction of the Maasai Indigenous people from a 1,500
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It is with deep sadness that IWGIA received the news that Mr. Zéphyrin Kalimba passed away on the 2nd of January in a hospital in Kigali, Rwanda at the age of 62.
This English version is an executive summary.
A total of 14 civilians and one Indian Army jawan were killed since the botched up ambush of the Indian Army’s 21st Para Special Forces on the alleged insurgents, who turned out to be innocent coal miners, on 4 December 2021 at Oting village in Mon district of Nagaland.
There are numerous challenges for Indigenous Women in relation to climate change. Indigenous Women are more severely affected by the challenges to produce or collect sufficient food, or challenges of water scarcity because of climate change (flooding, drought, unpredictable weather,
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Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), unequivocally condemn the blatant disregard for the human rights of Indigenous Peoples in Nagaland in the recent extrajudicial killings of
“The basic rule is bail, not jail” is a doctrine laid down by the Supreme Court of India in the landmark judgment of State of Rajasthan vs. Balchand alias Baliya. India’s anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 (UAPA), however has made “jail, not bail” the rule.
India admits that “there is no national law on refugees”. The Ministry of Home Affairs had circulated a “Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) w.e.f. 29-12-2011 for dealing with foreign nationals who claim to be refugees” for grant of the Long Term Visa (LTV)” where “prima facie the claim (of
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IWGIA’s reaction to the outcome of COP26
COP26 was attended by more lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry than representatives of Indigenous
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IWGIA press statement on the outcome of COP26
13 November 2021
In a historic judgment by the Kenyan Environment and Land Court in Meru the title deeds of the land on which the Lake Turkana Wind Project (LTWP) sit have been declared “irregular and unlawful”. The case which began in October 2014 and finally ended on 19 October 2021 found that the title deeds
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BY ANNA KAMANZI FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS.
The devastating genocide against the Tutsi claimed the lives of more than 800,000 Tutsi, moderate Hutu, and Twa
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COP26 – the two-week UN Climate Change Conference – begins next week in Glasgow.
As in previous years, IWGIA will be there in partnership and alongside Indigenous Peoples to support their engagement, messages and mission to influence the outcomes of this key climate conference,
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Shifting to electric vehicles (EV) is seen as an important step towards a greener future. However, the process ofextracting nickel, a crucial component of EV batteries, very often is not environmental-friendly. The world’s largest producer of nickel, Nornickel, has been destroying
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BY DEVASISH ROY FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS.
With almost 24 years passed since the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord, its
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Over 150 civil society organisations and academics sign open letter calling on world leaders to integrate human rights into global and national environmental policy and practice
In the lead-up to historic agreements on climate and nature being made in the next month, more than
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Indigenous Peoples' knowledge on climate solutions can play a critical part in climate action. A new guide shows ways to integrate and strengthen Indigenous tech in national Technology Needs Assessments.
Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge of adapting to climatic change and their
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BY JOANNA BARNEY FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS.
Despite this Caribbean region’s natural wealth, Wayuu children in La Guajira are dying of hunger and
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50 years since the Barbados Declaration
This year, 2021, marks the 50th anniversary of the historic meeting held on the Caribbean island of Barbados, where a group of 15 anthropologists (14 men and 1 woman) from Amazonian, Central American and European countries met to reflect on the
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BY ELENA AZAOLA FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS.
Unable to understand Spanish language, not provided with an opportunity to defend themselves in
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By Gladson Dungdung
Thousands of Adivasis involved in the “Pathalgari Movement” were criminalized for fighting for their collective rights to self-determination and protection of their lands, territories, and natural resources in Jharkhand State of
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A publication, reviewed and endorsed by IWGIA, offers a new hands-on method to assess the constitutions of nation-states and their inclusion of Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
On 26 July 2021, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee passed a decision inscribing the Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex (KKFC) in Thailand on the World Heritage List, ignoring repeated pleas of Indigenous peoples, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand and the UN human rights system to
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H.E. Mr. Tian Xuejun, Vice Minister of Education and Chairperson of the National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO Chairperson of the extended 44th session of World Heritage Committee Email: This email address is being
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An ongoing armed conflict in West Papua between the Indonesian military and the separatist movement finds ordinary Indigenous Peoples caught in the middle, resulting in deaths and violations of their rights.
With this written submission, the International Work Group on Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) seeks to bring forward the voices, perspectives and experiences of indigenous women and girls, particularly from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Arctic, and to include them in the development of CEDAW’s
...New website documents historical and contemporary cases of human rights violations against indigenous peoples in Africa
Indigenous peoples in Africa continue to suffer from widespread and gross human rights violations, as also documented by IWGIA in its 2021 edition of
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By Shua Wilmot
The Benet people in Uganda continue to suffer from gross human rights violations at the hands of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. IWGIA is deeply concerned about the situation, and has continued to monitor it. These on-going violations are also documented in IWGIA’s
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Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), Network of Indigenous Women in Asia (NIWA) and Asia Indigenous Youth Platform (AIYP) strongly condemn the gruesome killing of an Indigenous girl, Sumila Ronghangpi, in Assam, Northeast India.
This compilation is the unique result of a collaborative effort between Indigenous and non-indigenous activists and scholars who voluntarily document and report on the situation of Indigenous Peoples’ rights. We thank them and celebrate the bonds and sense of community that result from the
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The world knows little of the political situation in India. With a conservative regime that considers social protest to be seditious, the Indian state is persecuting Indigenous Peoples and human rights defenders. Tribal communities are the silent victims of growth in the Indian economy. The
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On 1 February 2021, the Burmese Military – known as the Tatmadaw – staged a coup d’etat, arrested the elected government, including the State Counsellor, Aung San Su Kyi, and imposed a yearlong national state of emergency, all through powers allegedly granted under the 2008
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As in many other areas of the world, Philippine Indigenous Peoples are being forced to defend their territories from extractivism; however, the main problem they are facing here is the State’s attempt to criminalise them through accusations of terrorism. Massacres, persecution of leaders,
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International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) and Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) strongly condemn the violence used by security forces in Myanmar against peaceful protestors.
GENEVA (28 January 2021) – UN human rights experts today called on Philippine authorities to drop a reportedly unwarranted murder charge against an indigenous rights defender who submitted himself to police after a “shoot to kill” order had been issued if he resisted arrest, and to ensure his
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Photo: © ILO
Since March 2020, IWGIA has worked to monitor the impacts of the pandemic on Indigenous Peoples around the globe and supported partners in their efforts to protect themselves from the health ramifications of the virus as well as the emergency law procedures enacted in
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Human rights violations have escalated in Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Indigenous Peoples are disproportionately affected, putting the structural inequalities and discrimination that Indigenous Peoples face into sharper focus as they are met by multiple threats simultaneously.
The protests in Chile left in evidence that its political-economic system, which for years was considered the successful model to follow, but excludes most of the population, mainly Indigenous People. Photo: Leandro Crovetto.
The political caste and economic power have focused
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The protests in Chile left in evidence that its political-economic system, which for years was considered the successful model to follow, but excludes most of the population, mainly indigenous people. Photo:Leandro Crovetto.
The political caste and economic power have focused their
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Since the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights were promulgated, there have been growing concerns over human rights in business. Indigenous Peoples form the highest proportion of victims of such business activities.
It is difficult to explain what happened in our country to outsiders. Even in the country, we are not able to grasp the dimension of the events. The facts are clear, they are vicious and they hurt: two young men murdered, Bryan Pintado and Inti Sotelo; dozens of protesters
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The protests spread to all the neighborhoods of Lima and cities of the country. Photo: Vidal Carrasco
It is difficult to explain what happened in our country to outsiders. Even in the country, we are not able to grasp the dimension of the
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Urrejola with women from the Qhara Qhara Nation. Photo: IACHR.
The vice-president of the Inter-american Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Antonia Urrejola, points out that conflicts have always arisen between the Commission and the States concerning recommendations, but that
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The protests succeeded in establishing a constituent process and now special Indigenous seats are being demanded.
The results of the plebiscite held on October 25, 2020 were unequivocal. Four out of five citizens pronounced themselves in favor of a new political constitution. The same
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The protests succeeded in establishing a constituent process and now special Indigenous seats are being demanded.
The results of the plebiscite held on October 25, 2020 were unequivocal. Four out of five citizens pronounced themselves in favor of a new political constitution. The same
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Indígena Xakriabá de São João das Missões (Minas Gerais). Foto: Edgar Kanaykõ
Indigenous and
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Indígena Xakriabá de São João das Missões (Minas Gerais). Foto: Edgar Kanaykõ
Indigenous and
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Prior consultation for lot 192 in 2015. Photo: PUINAMUDT.
In Peru, the Bagua Massacre prompted the adoption of the ILO Convention 169 in response to local demands and international pressure. However, far from respecting the
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Prior consultation for lot 192 in 2015. Photo: PUINAMUDT.
In Peru, the Bagua Massacre prompted the adoption of the ILO Convention 169 in response to local demands and international pressure. However, far from respecting the
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The world of the Q'eqchí. Photo: AEPDI - Q'eqchi Ombudsman Office
Injustice regarding the validity of ancestral knowledge has been one of the many racist practices established by the colony. For five centuries, a systematic attack has persisted, in a bid to bring an end to the creation,
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The world of the Q'eqchí. Photo: AEPDI - Q'eqchi Ombudsman Office
Injustice regarding the validity of ancestral knowledge has been one of the many racist practices established by colonisation. For five centuries, a systematic attack has persisted,
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Indigenous peoples walk towards the rally in front of the Chinameca farm, 100 years after the murder of Emiliano Zapata. Photo: Daliri Oropeza
While we now have a government that
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Indigenous peoples walk towards the rally in front of the Chinameca farm, 100 years after the murder of Emiliano Zapata. Photo: Daliri Oropeza
While we now have a government that
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Arbildo Meléndez Grandes was killed while out hunting and fishing to provide for his family. Photo: Aidesep.
Despite its function being to fight drug trafficking, the National Commission for Development and Life without Drugs (DEVIDA) has been
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Arbildo Meléndez Grandes was killed while out hunting and fishing to provide for his family. Photo: Aidesep.
Despite its function being to fight drug trafficking, the National Commission for Development and Life without Drugs (DEVIDA) has been
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Photo: Edgar Kanaykõ
Upon the weakening of the consultation of Indigenous Peoples set forth in ILO Convention 169 and as a result of a long process of land and political vindication, Indigenous protocols are instruments of governance that coexist
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Indigenous Peoples are at the heart of the struggle for equality, rights, participation and self-determination for a more sustainable and just world. At IWGIA we are proud to stand by and behind Indigenous Peoples. We thank all those who support us to do so. This annual report presents
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Spending time with the Baka, as we have both done over several years, is a humbling experience. This group of over 40,000 spread between the forests of Cameroon, the Republic of Congo and Gabon, practice hunting and foraging as a traditional livelihood. Through their long history in the Congo
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BY ÓSCAR GONZÁLEZ GÓMEZ FOR DEBATES INDÍGENAS
The global LGBTTTIQA+ movement’s historical struggle against the criminalization, pathologizing and discrimination of their identities has had a significant impact on different nation states, to the degree of civil rights
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IWGIA has just learned that the harassment and threats to members of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) and their families in the Philippines have escalated since they have criticised the government's interventions on COVID-19 in mid-April.
IWGIA has just learned that the harassment and threats to members of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) and their families in the Philippines have escalated since they have criticised the government's interventions on COVID-19 in mid-April.
Photo by Signe Leth // IWGIA
As large parts of the world’s population are sitting at home in self- and authority-imposed isolation watching the development of the major public health crisis,
Photo by Signe Leth // IWGIA
As large parts of the world’s population are sitting at home in self- and authority-imposed isolation watching the development of the major public health crisis,
The compilation is the unique result of a collaborative effort between Indigenous and non-indigenous activists and scholars who voluntarily document and report on the situation of Indigenous Peoples’ rights. We thank them and celebrate the bonds and sense of community that result from the close
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This book is a compilation of the articles on Nepal that have been published in IWGIA's The Indigenous World from 2006 to 2020.
IWGIA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs - is a global human rights organisation dedicated to promoting, protecting and defending Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Read more.
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IWGIA's global report, the Indigenous World, provides an update of the current situation for Indigenous Peoples worldwide. Read The Indigenous World.
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