Internet in the Amazon allows Indigenous communities to act promptly on COVID-19

Written on 30 June 2021.

In 2020, Indigenous Amazonian communities implemented a self-imposed lockdown as protection against the rapid spread of COVID-19. During the lockdown, recently-installed satellite Internet proved to be a lifesaver. Through this Internet connectivity, the Indigenous representative organisation, Coharyima, was instantly able to reach and coordinate with its base communities on how to self-isolate, restrict entry of travellers and follow health guidelines. Had it not been for the Internet installations, it would have taken days or weeks for such messages to be communicated.

Continue Reading

Civil Society Condemns Human Rights Violations against Indigenous Peoples in West Papua

Written on 17 June 2021.

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. 

Continue Reading

Submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Written on 22 June 2021.

Drafting of the General Recommendation on the Rights of Indigenous Women and Girls

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 general recommendation on the rights of Indigenous women and girls.

The methodology used to collect the data contained in this written submission has been centered on indigenous women’s voices, and is extracted from interviews with Indigenous Women leaders from partner organizations, the data available through the Indigenous Navigator, NGO reports that gathered Indigenous Women and Girls’ testimony, and international organizations reports. It should be noted, however, that the short deadline provided to file these submissions hampered the ability of NGOs such as IWGIA to fully guarantee the inclusive participation of Indigenous Women and Girls in this process.

Continue Reading

4th Anniversary of the ACHPR ruling in favour of the Ogiek Peoples

Written on 27 May 2021.

4 years ago, the Ogiek people of Kenya won a ground-breaking court case at the African Court for Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR). The Ogiek People is an indigenous hunter/gatherer people who have for many years suffered from human rights violations and evictions from their ancestral land in the Mau Forest in western Kenya.

Continue Reading