This Month : August 2009

International Day of the World's Indigenous People 9th of August 2009

“The world’s indigenous peoples – 370 million in 70 countries -- are the custodians of some of the most biologically diverse areas on earth. They speak a majority of the world’s languages, and their traditional knowledge, cultural diversity and sustainable ways of life make an invaluable contribution to the world’s common heritage.”
- Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General

The United Nations General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World's Indigenous People shall be observed on 9 August every year. The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

FIND MORE...

Watching:

EquadorGreen.jpg
How to balance development and conservation.
7.08 mins
Junelnejb'ahil
The women that speak in this documentary live in “Nueva Unión Maya”, Guatemala.
10.21 mins
History -Sides
History’s B-Sides explores past events whose effects continue to resonate in the present.
24.34 mins
Justice Now
About ChevronTexaco's toxic legacy in the Northern Ecuadorian region of the Amazon rainforest.
31.34 mins

Reading:

United Nations Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples. (PDF)

MDG Reports and Indigenous Peoples: A desk review, No. 3, Feb 2008 (PDF)

And visiting:

International Day of the World’s Indigenous People website

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Indigenous Peoples and the Environment - UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

The Health and Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples - World Health Organization (WHO)