Videos produced with IWGIA's support

In the early hours of the 1st of February 2021, as Myanmar (Burma) was preparing for the first session of the newly elected parliament, its armed forces staged a coup and took control of the country. Civilian leadership, including the country's President, Mr. Win Myint and State Counsellor Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, were arrested.

IWGIA and Radio Encuentros commemorate the 13th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations General Assembly and States with an animated video made together with the VCD collective (Videos Created with Drawings). This short animated video was produced by IWGIA, Radio Encuentros and VCD, gives an account of the importance of the declaration and the commitments of the States that are still pending since its adoption. Credits: Script: Kathia Carrillo (Radio Encuentros), Lola García-Alix (IWGIA) and Alejandro Parellada (IWGIA) Drawings: Jesed Mateo (VCD) Animation: Cinthya Condori (VCD) Sound: Candy López Voiceover: David Berger

For centuries, the Chimanes, Mojeños, Movimas and Yuracarés peoples have been searching for the “Loma Santa”: a sacred place in the midst of the forest where there is no oppression from outsiders and where they will find happiness. On 15 August 2019, the indigenous peoples of the Bolivian southern Amazon recovered their territory from former logging concessions: 183,000 hectares essential for their survival. Under pressure from a highway, hydrocarbon exploration and the expansion of the agricultural frontier, they are today fighting to defend their territory and achieve recognition of its autonomy.

Indigenous women all over the world have a special role in indigenous communities and especially in relation to the land and the knowledge of their traditions and culture that they transmit to the next generations. This film focusses on the experiences of indigenous women from the Madre de Dios region in Peru, and it is produced by IWGIA and ONAMIAP in 2019.

Threats against indigenous peoples living in Madre de Dios Road expansion into the Madre de Dios region in Peru and the following invasion of illegal loggers, miners and plantations is a significant threat for indigenous peoples living in the area as the deforestation and pollution is destroying their traditional way of living. This film was produced in 2019 with the support of NICFI and it’s the first of three short films focusing on the indigenous peoples in the Madre de Dios region.

Indigenous Arhuaco's communities in Colombia are threatened as they are struggling to keep their ancestral territory. The Arhuaco peoples have organised themselves and are making a last stand to prevent more mining concessions in their territory and create sustainable development. This film was produced in 2018.

Indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon have united and created the Wampis Nation – an autonomous territorial government – in order to defend their livelihood from the increasing pressure from extractive industries.

During Alberto Fujimori's government (Peru, 1996-2000) around 300,000 men and women were sterilized as part of a reproductive health programme. Most of these were indigenous peoples and were not given a choice.