The Indigenous World 2019

Written on 21 March 2019. Posted in About IWGIA

The Indigenous World 2019

Rising tensions between states and indigenous peoples are reaching a tipping point, and with an ever-shrinking civic space worldwide, the topics of criminalisation of Indigenous Rights Defenders’ activities and their organisations; land rights issues; and access to justice are more important than ever.

The Indigenous World 2019 adds to the documented records, highlighting the increase in attacks and killings of indigenous peoples while defending their lands and other natural resources. The 62 country reports and 13 reports on international processes in this edition underscore this global trend, and includes a special focus on Indigenous Rights Defenders at risk.

The book is the result of a collaborative effort between indigenous and non-indigenous activists and scholars who voluntarily share their valuable insights and analysis. In this edition, 97 authors from Latin America, Africa, Asia, Arctic, Middle East and the Pacific line-up the main events impacting the lives of indigenous communities in 2018, making the book a go-to reference for everyone who wishes to be updated on the rights of indigenous peoples.

The Indigenous World is a one-of-a-kind documentation tool, that offers a comprehensive yearly overview of the developments indigenous peoples experience around the world. The book also serves as inspiration to raise global awareness of the rights of indigenous peoples, their struggles, their worldviews and their resilience.

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Photos on the cover of The Indigenous World 2019 are part of The World in Faces, a photo project by Alexander Khimushin.

Dr. Fleur Te Aho, Lecturer at Auckland Law School in New Zealand

-- When I teach my ‘Indigenous Peoples in International Law’ course I recommend The Indigenous World to my students as a way to get a sense of contemporary Indigenous rights challenges, and successes, from around the world. It is crucial that our stories are shared and the book is an important global platform for this.

International Indigenous Women's Foundation (IIWF)

-- The Indigenous World is a key reference documentation for us to underpin our positions in the defense of the rights of indigenous peoples. Having a global approach, the inclusion of our voice is critical for making our perspectives, worldviews, contributions and ways of acting known.

Qapaj Conde, Aymara attorney and Co-Chair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus

-- The Indigenous World performs a far-reaching service by combining a unique global panorama with specialized national articles on the situation of indigenous peoples. Its comprehensive reporting allows the indigenous movement to articulate among themselves, as well as, to develop – from the local to the global level– a broad awareness about human rights.

Antonella Cordone, Senior Technical Specialist Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Issues Policy at IFAD

-- The Indigenous World is an invaluable book used as an entry point and easily accessible information by anyone working on the topic. I do not let anybody touch the book in my office.

Ib Petersen, Former Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations in New York

-- Fact-based tools like The Indigenous World are and will be the key to ensure that the Development Agenda 2030 leaves no one behind. IWGIA is able to produce such a tool every year in a short period of time, a task that no other organisation has managed to cope with.

Bestang Sarah Dekdeken, Kankanaey Igorot from the Cordillera region in northern Philippines and the current Secretary General of CPA.

-- The Indigenous World is a valuable publication that enables us to have a better understanding of the global situation of indigenous peoples, the common issues that we face and common actions we undertake. The book helps strengthen our solidarity relations among indigenous peoples and advocates.

Jason Pan Adawai, PingPu and Director of TARA-PingPu

-- The Indigenous World has been invaluable for us, indigenous peoples in Taiwan, giving access to the global situation of indigenous peoples and their development. It has linked us in Taiwan to other indigenous peoples, beyond the barriers and restrictions for our engagement at UN and international indigenous peoples' forums.

Hawe Hamman, National Vice President of MBOSCUDA and Member of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities (ACHPR), Cameroon

-- I draw valuable information from The Indigenous World to prepare my interventions at national, regional as well as international level. The book both helps me master the topic and compare or elucidate in a case I wish to illustrate and give me relevant and general information of the global advancements to argue my interventions.

The Indigenous World

Since 1986, the purpose of The Indigenous World has been to give a comprehensive yearly overview of the developments indigenous peoples have experienced. It is our hope that indigenous peoples themselves, along with their organisations, will find it useful in their advocacy work aimed at improving indigenous peoples’ human rights situation. The book is the unique result of a collaborative effort between indigenous and non-indigenous activists and scholars who voluntarily share their valuable insights and analysis. We thank them and celebrate the bonds, strengths and sense of community that emerge from making this one-of-a kind documentation tool available.