Joint Oral Intervention on behalf of the participants in the “Project Access Global Capacity Training”

Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Eighth Session

New York, 18 – 29 May 2009

Item 6: Comprehensive Dialogue with six United Nations agencies and Funds Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development Programme, United Nations Development Funds.

Joint Oral Intervention on behalf of the participants in the “Project Access Global Capacity Training” meeting in New York from 13 to 15 May 2009, representing Indigenous organizations from the following regions:

· Tamaynut Organization, Morocco (represented by Sanaa Bouzit)

· Ogiek Cultural Initiatives Programmes, Kenya (represented by Simon Nadungwenkop)

· Parakuyo Women Development Fund, Pastoralists IIndigenous Community Developmeny Organization, Tanzania (represented by Rehema Mkalata)

· Foundation for Research and Support of Indigenous Peoples of Crimea, Ukraine (represented by Gulnara Abbasova)

· United Confederation of Taino People, Boriken/Puerto Rico (represented by Mildred Karaira Gandia)

· Association de Mujeres Waorani de la Amazonia Ecuatoriana, Ecuador (represented by Manuela Omari Ima Omene)

· Rapa Nui Parliament from Rapa Nui/easter Island (represented by Erity Teave)

· Federacion Unica de Trabajadores Pueblos Originarios de Chuquisaca (FUTPOCH), Bolivia (represented by Estaban Urquizu Cuellar)

· Tuvalu Climate Action Network, Tuvalu (represented by Tafua Lusama)

· Bangsa Adat Alifur, Maluku (represented by Pelpina Sahureka, Edwin Matahelumual, Dana Pessy,Ghazali Ohorella)

· Eagle Clan Arawaks, Barbados & Guyana (represented by Damon Gerard Corrie)

· International Indian Treaty Council

Presenter: Edwin Matahelumual- Bangsa Adat Alifuru from Maluku


Madam Chair

Indigenous Peoples from the regions of Central and South America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia, participating in the “Project Access Global Capacity Building for Indigenous Peoples 2009,” meeting in New York from May 13 – 15 2009, have shared our experiences and concerns over the dramatic challenges we are facing in relation to food security, which is the basis of our very survival.


Our Food Security and Right to Food has been greatly challenged and violated in every area. If nothing is done, we the Indigenous Peoples will be the most affected and poverty will prevail, along with increasing dependency.

Under the Impacts of Climate Change, rivers and lakes which are our fishing grounds are drying out, and corals in the ocean are bleaching and dying out thus diminishing our fish stocks. Desertification of the lands is becoming more serious. Bush and forest fires are becoming more frequent due to long droughts, making it very hard to grow and gather traditional food crops.

Globalization has influenced the lifestyle of our peoples and is seen as a modern form of colonialism, suppressing our cultural values, language, local subsistence economies and the importance of and access to our traditional diets.

Traditional Lands which are the source of our food supply have been forcibly taken by governments and Multi-national corporations.

Illegal Logging, deforestation, mining and other extractive industries are destroying and contaminating the natural environment, making it very difficult to hunt and gather for the sustenance of our daily lives. For example for the Ogiek People in Kenya, deforestation makes it impossible for communities to collect wild honey, medicinal plants and fish needed for their survival.

Damming of Indigenous Peoples’ water ways has flooded traditional home lands and blocked the flow of water to other areas, further undermining Indigenous Peoples Right to Food.

In these and other ways our very right to food continues to be violated by outside forces such as governments and multinational corporations. We find ourselves facing extreme crisis as a result. Therefore we urgently propose the following to the 8Th Session of the Permanent Forum and to the United Nations Agencies present in this dialogue:

1. We recognize the presence of FAO and all the United Nations agencies who are engaged in this dialogue and we strongly urge and encourage them to continue this critically important dialogue in future sessions.

2. We request the UNPFII to address Indigenous Peoples Food security and Right to Food and Food sovereign as a special theme and focus of discussion at one of its upcoming sessions, to ensure survival of Indigenous Peoples around the world.

In conclusion, Madame Chair, we request the Permanent Forum to inform United Nations bodies and agencies, including the Security Council, of the immediate critical threat to human rights and the lives of our Indigenous Peoples and all the peoples of the world.

Thank you Madame Chair.

Human Rights Council, 11th Session – Deadline for Submissions of NGO Statements: 22 May 2009

In preparation for the upcoming 11^th Session of the Human Rights Council (expected to take place from 2 to 18 June 2009), the deadline for submissions of written statements by NGOs is 22 May 2009.

The Human Rights Council elected on 12 May 2009 its members. New members are: Belgium, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Norway and the United States of America.

More information, including on the election and the members, is available here.

Expert Mechanism on the rights of Indigenous Peoples/Mécanisme d'experts sur les droits des peuples autochtones/Mecanismo de expertos sobre los derech

[ENG below] [ESP abajo]

Chères amies, Chers amis,

Veuillez noter que la deuxième session du Mécanisme d'experts sur les droits des peuples autochtones aura lieu du 10 au 14 août 2009 à Genève. Elle sera précédée par le Caucus des peuples autochtones, qui se déroulera les 8 et 9 août.

Vous trouverez plus d'informations sur le Mécanisme à la page suivante:

http://www2.ohchr.org/french/issues/indigenous/ExpertMechanism/index.htm

Meilleures salutations,

[ESP]

Estimadas amigas, Estimados amigos,

Por favor noten que la segunda sesión del Mecanismo de expertos sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas tendrá lugar desde el 10 hasta el 14 de agosto en Ginebra. La sesión será precedida por el Caucus indígena que se realizará los 8 y 9 de agosto.

Encontrarán más inforaciones sobre el Mecanismo en la pagína web siguiente :

http://www2.ohchr.org/spanish/issues/indigenous/

Atentamente,

[ENG]

Dear Friends,

Please note that the second session of the Expert Mechanism on the rights of Indigenous Peoples will take place from the 10th to the 14th of August in Geneva. The Indigenous Caucus will be held the days before (8th and 9th August).

You will find more information on the Expert Mechanism at the following page :

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/indigenous/


Best regards,

Danica Vanza
Assistant
doCip - Indigenous Peoples' Center
for Documentation, Research and Information
14, avenue de Trembley
CH 1209 - GENEVA (Switzerland)
Tel.: +4122 - 740 34 33
Fax: +4122 - 740 34 54
e-mail: danica@docip.org - docip@docip.org
www.docip.org

CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS! Climate Change - UNESCO

CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS!

With assistance from the Government of Denmark, UNESCOs Frontlines Forum is funding local projects on climate change impacts and adaptation.

What are we funding?
Community-level projects focusing on local experiences with climate change impacts and adaptation. These could involve field research, interviews with community members, workshops, photo projects, film projects, etc.

Who are we funding?
Proposals can be made by interested groups or individuals, for example, local and indigenous organisations, research centres, researchers, graduate students with interdisciplinary training, community members (youth groups, women, elders) etc.

What topics?
Projects could explore any topic relating to climate change and local communities. For example:

a) Local observations and understandings of climate change impacts (negative or positive) on communities, livelihoods and/or local environments;
b) Ways that your community is adapting to or dealing with climate change;
c) Strategies and practices developed by local communities to cope with changes in the environment;
d) Local impacts (positive or negative) of measures to fight climate change. For example, planting trees to reduce greenhouse gases (through carbon sequestration); or building hydroelectric dams or avoiding deforestation (e.g. REDD) to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

However, we invite all kinds of proposals related to climate change and local communities, so do not feel limited by these suggestions.

What output?
Your project should result in a detailed account either in the form of a written report, a video or other media production - in English, Spanish or French. It should contribute to a growing body of information about community-level concerns, observations and experiences relating to climate change impacts and adaptation. These submissions will also contribute to the development of postings and discussions on the Frontlines of Climate Change Forum.

Where are we funding?
We invite proposals from anywhere in the world, as long as they are for local-scale projects involving peoples and places vulnerable to climate change.

How much funding are we providing?
Between US$3000 and USD$5000 per project. Further funding may subsequently be provided for projects with interesting outcomes.

When are we funding?
Project grants will be distributed from mid-2009 onwards. Initial results would be expected before October 2010.

What is the deadline for submission?
Proposals should reach UNESCO on or before 15 July 2009..

How do I apply?
See detailed information and download a project proposal form from http://www.climatefrontlines.org/en-GB/node/191

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¡CONVOCATORIA PARA PROPUESTAS DE PROYECTOS!

Con el apoyo del gobierno de Dinamarca, el Foro En Primera Línea frente al Cambio Climático está financiando proyectos locales sobre cambio climático y adaptación.

¿Qué financiamos?

Proyectos a nivel comunitario que tengan como punto focal las experiencias locales en relación al cambio climático, sus impactos y adaptación. Estos proyectos pueden incluir trabajos de investigación en el campo con miembros de las comunidades, talleres informativos y de debate, proyectos de fotografía, proyectos documentales, etc.

¿A quiénes financiamos?

Las propuestas pueden ser hechas por grupos o individuos interesados, por ejemplo, organizaciones locales e indígenas, centros de investigación, estudiantes graduados con experiencia interdisciplinaria, miembros de las comunidades (grupos de jóvenes, mujeres, ancianos) etc.

¿Qué temas?

Los proyectos pueden explorar cualquier tema que ponga en relación al cambio climático con las comunidades locales. Por ejemplo:

a) Observaciones y entendimientos locales sobre el cambio climático y sus impactos (negativos o positivos) en las comunidades, medios de vida y/o medio ambientes locales;

b) Maneras en las que su comunidad se adapta o hace frente al cambio climático;

c) Estrategias y prácticas desarrolladas por las comunidades para hacer frente a los cambios del medio ambiente;

d) Impactos locales (positivos y negativos) de las medidas para combatir el cambio climático. Por ejemplo, plantar árboles para reducir los gases de efecto (secuestración de carbono) o evitar la deforestación (ex. REDD) o construir plantas hidroeléctricas para reducir la emisión de gases de efecto invernadero.

Sin embargo, invitamos a todo tipo de proposiciones relacionadas al cambio climático y comunidades locales, no se sienta limitado por estas sugerencias.

¿Qué resultados esperamos?

El proyecto debe resultar en un informe detallado ya sea bajo la forma de un reporte escrito, un video u otro tipo de producción multimedia, en inglés, español o francés. Debe colaborar al incremento de las informaciones existentes que relacionan cambio climático y adaptación a nivel comunitario: preocupaciones, observaciones y experiencias. Las propuestas también contribuirán al desarrollo de artículos y discusiones en el Foro en Primera Línea frente al Cambio Climático.

¿Dónde financiamos?

Invitamos las propuestas de todas partes del mundo, siempre y cuando se trate de proyectos a escala local, que involucren pueblos y regiones vulnerables al cambio climático.

¿Cuánto financiamiento estamos otorgando?

Entre 3000 y 5000 dólares americanos por proyecto. Un financiamiento adicional puede ser otorgado posteriormente a los proyectos que muestren resultados interesantes.

¿Cuándo estamos financiando?

Las subvenciones para los proyectos serán distribuidos a partir de mediados del 2009 en adelante. Los resultados iniciales son esperados para antes de octubre del 2010.

¿Cuál es el plazo de envío de las propuestas?

Las propuestas deben llegar a la UNESCO el 15 de julio del 2009 o antes.

¿Cómo postular?

Para mayor información y descargar el formulario de proposición de proyectos vaya a la página web http://www.climatefrontlines.org/es/node/192