Courtesy of Mark Coulson

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 30 August — The ancient tones of the Didgeridoo marked the opening of the 63rd UN DPI/NGO Conference in Melbourne, Australia today. Attended by approximately 1,200 NGO representatives from around the world, the theme of this year’s conference is “Addressing Global Health— Achieve the MDG’s”. Numerous workshops have been slated as opportunities for the non-governmental organizations to interact in greater depth, in an informal setting, on the issues. The scope of topics is evident, and notable among them are: “The Unfinished Agenda of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights”; “A New Paradigm of a Healthy Lifestyle for Peace and Sustainability”; “Health Care Outreach to the Poor as an Experiential Context for Human Rights Education”; “Slipping Through the Cracks — Women and Infectious Diseases”; and “Code Red: The Aboriginal Health Crisis in Australia”.

“Advancing global health is essential to the Millennium Development Goals, and you are essential to advancing global health,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon via video message during the opening session.“We have the know-how to build strong health systems. We have the resources to ensure that women have access to the services they need, when and where they need them. And, we have the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, which brings together all stakeholders — Governments, NGOs, foundations and the private sector,” he said.

Participants were then ushered into the Conference Room at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and given a traditional welcome to the country with indigenous live musical performances, including the premier performance of an aria from the first indigenous opera. A locally-produced curtain raiser focusing on the importance of the Millennium Development Goals set the stage for the formal start of the opening ceremony.

An indigenous elder, wishing the Conference all success, invited participants to close their eyes and feel Australia and the urgent need to achieve the Millennium Development Goals for all the people of the world, through the indigenous dance and music they were about to see and hear.

After his opening remarks, Under-Secretary General for Public Relations and Communications, Mr. Kiyotaka Akasaka introduced Ms. Barbara Flick Nicol. Ms. Flick Nicol, an Australian indigenous health activist with a 40-year history of working in Government and with non-governmental organizations on a broad range of subjects, talked about the “footprints” of her people, who had lived in Australia for countless generations. She challenged the Government of Australia to give more effort to reaching the Millennium Development Goals and issued a challenge to her own people to avoid making choices that endangered their health and which no amount of money could change.

Ms. Flick Nicol went on to say that in indigenous communities, good health contributes to many of the main aspects of ones well-being in terms of relationships, education, and employment, and that the cultural side of health deserves as much recognition as the clinical side. The indigenous approach to health is holistic and is primarily based on family as a source of over all well-being, stating that “we need to have strong families if we want to be a healthy community. According to Ms. Flick Nicol, health services in aboriginal communities has come a long way since the early days of her career but there is still a long way to go.

Ms. Flick Nicol welcomed the NGO’s, in particular those working with indigenous health, and encouraged them to make a commitment to understanding and respecting indigenous culture as a way forward. Among other indigenous speakers at the Conference will be closing Keynote speaker, Mr. Mick Gooda, Australian Social Justice Commissioner, and Dea Delaney-Theile. Ms. Delaney Theile is the Executive Director of the National Association of Community Controlled Health Organizations, Australia (NACCHO) and will moderate a roundtable called Equity, Rights, and Progress towards the MDGs.

Click here to access the conference live webcast, articles from attending media, and press releases

NEW YORK CITY, 9 August–

The world’s indigenous peoples have preserved a vast amount of humanity’s cultural history. Indigenous peoples speak a majority of the world’s languages, and have inherited and passed on a wealth of knowledge, artistic forms and religious and cultural traditions. On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we reaffirm our commitment to their wellbeing.

The landmark United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the General Assembly in 2007, lays out a framework for governments to use in strengthening relationships with indigenous peoples and protecting their human rights. Since then, we have seen more governments working to redress social and economic injustices, through legislation and other means, and indigenous peoples’ issues have become more prominent on the international agenda than ever before.

But we must do even more. Indigenous peoples still experience racism, poor health and disproportionate poverty. In many societies, their languages, religions and cultural traditions are stigmatised and shunned. The first-ever UN report on the State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples in January 2010 set out some alarming statistics. In some countries, indigenous peoples are 600 times more likely to contract tuberculosis than the general population. In others, an indigenous child can expect to die twenty years before his or her non-indigenous compatriots.

The theme of this year’s Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is indigenous filmmakers, who give us windows into their communities, cultures and history. Their work connects us to belief systems and philosophies; it captures both the daily life and the spirit of indigenous communities.   As we celebrate these contributions, I call on Governments and civil society to fulfil their commitment to advancing the status of indigenous peoples everywhere.

This afternoon, we convened with KURU, a network of indigenous trusts representing the San people of Botswana. This was our first contact with the indigenous peoples of Botswana, a meeting coordinated through IPACC. Our initial reception was quite positive. The three representatives with whom we spoke were more than receptive to our project. The coordinating director of the KOMKU Trust, a man named Xharae Xhase, fielded some of our questions. He spoke with seamless English and was erudite. Although his education ended at secondary school, he has seemingly been forged through of a curriculum of marginalization. As he is San, he offered great insight into the present-day condition of his community. When asked what the major problems were that his community faced, his reply was concise. He sited the following as the plagues of his people: lack of education, lack of resources (land, money, property), gradual erosion of culture and lack of employment opportunities.

Click here to view the embedded video.

By Adrian Eisenhower

I arrived a few nights ago to Johannesburg, South Africa. In the airport I connected with two colleagues, John and Daniel. This was the first time I met either of them. John is a native of the states and has spent a good deal of time in Africa and South America. Daniel is of the Maasia tribe in Kenya and works with the Maasia outreach organization, SIMOO.

For the next month and a half, the three of us will travel from here to Kenya. This passage has been designed and funded by Tribal Link and the route coordinated with the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC), a nerve center of over 155 Africa indigenous people’s organizations. IPACC is also connecting us with indigenous communities as we travel north. Our progress will be thoroughly documented and online dispatches will be sent to Tribal Link- videos and stills will be posted here on Tribal Link’s website through out the weeks to come.

At this early juncture, much remains a mystery. My first full day in South Africa was used mostly in preparation. The three of us, guided by GPS, drove around both Jo’burg and the capital city of Pretoria in search of supplies for the field.

The truck, though not the perfect conveyance for our passage, may be adequate. Both John and Daniel are confident that it will arrive us safely to the rural communities where we are bound. I await some evidence before I form an opinion. Later today we will likely head to Botswana and I will soon find out if we, as well as the Colt, are ready for whatever we have ahead.

Adrian Eisenhower is a young photographer and journalist residing in New York. He currently teaches studio art and photography at the Masters School.

Tribal Link’s Indigenous Voices program highlights the stories of indigenous peoples worldwide. Our goal is to outreach these stories to a wider audience. It is important to hear about the needs and concerns of indigenous peoples in order to better support their efforts to preserve their communities and their cultures. Indigenous Voices began with informal interviews with participants in our Project Access program who were funded to attend the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues each Spring at UN Headquarters in New York. We are now broadening the circle to begin to interview indigenous representatives of communities worldwide by traveling directly to their communities. An initial cluster of consultations will be conducted in countries throughout southern & east Africa.

Daniel Salau Rogei accepting his diploma

Introduction

Tribal Link Foundation (TLF) and Simba Maasai Outreach Organization (SIMOO) have had a long and cordial relationship with shared objectives, aspirations, and zeal to better Indigenous Peoples’ (IPs) situation. I was lucky to be one of the beneficiaries of the TLF global access capacity building program in the year 2005 and 2006. This was an invaluable program for the PF participants considering the limited capacity of IPs in accessing information regarding the UN and its affiliated processes.

This was however not enough especially for IPs and the Maasai in particular who have lagged behind for decades in academic advancement. I approached and explained to TLF the need to equip IPs leaders academically for a sustained capacity building and empowerment. It was a dream comes true when TLF offered to facilitate my four years undergraduate studies. I enrolled at Daystar University, Nairobi for BA in Community Development and Business Administration in the fall 2006.

Experience and Successes

June 19th 2010 was a hallmark of achieved dreams when Daystar University held its 33rd graduation ceremony at Athi River Main Campus. True to Daystar’s mission statement of ‘training servant leaders in Africa’, I feel I have emerged as a qualified servant leader. To me it was a culmination of a sustained focused determination and the immense support of my donors, family and community. I owe them all for their support and I dedicate this success to them.

Four years back I have never been the same again. The skills and experience gained is invaluable in addressing community’s development challenges of the 21st century. My experience in college have given me a better world view and renewed my hope for the renaissance of IPs . The exposure to immense wealth of information and interaction with knowledgeable professors coupled with my on-hand experience in community work in the course of my studies have made me better than ever before. On the process of doing my school projects, I have helped in the formation and formal registration of five community based organizations commonly known as Self-Help groups (two youth groups and 3 women groups). I have also been involved in the training of community based organizations (including four in Tanzania) on leadership/governance, project cycle management, advocacy techniques, proposal writing, monitoring and Evaluation and report writing.

Future Plans

Now that I am better equipped, I look forward to continue working with Indigenous Peoples in general and the Maasai/pastoralists in particular. I feel it is my time to give back to the people what I have generously received from others. I have come to appreciate that many IPs organizations require strengthening in the above mentioned areas. I will offer my self to help where I can. I hope to discharge my services through SIMOO or any other IPs organization.

Another important requirement of IPs is diversification of livelihoods through entrepreneurship development. This is another area that am willing to help the communities achieve their dreams through development and management of small businesses, access to start off funds and marketing of products.

Lastly but not least, IPs and their organizations are desperately in need of well researched and factually established disaggregated data that is reliable for informed decision making and sustainable development. This is particularly authentic and more acceptable if done by IPs professionals and is therefore trusted to be free from biases and errors. I can’t purport to have the capacity at the moment to do this, but perhaps that informs my desire to pursue graduate studies. I would wish to enroll for a masters program if and when I get support from TLF.

During the Ninth Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the United States announced that they would be reviewing their position on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The UNDRIP was adopted by the General Assembly in September 2007. While 144 Member States voted in favor of adopting the historic UNDRIP, the United States was one of 4 Member States who voted against the adoption, alongside Canada, New Zealand and Australia. There were 11 Member States who abstained. Of the 4 countries who voted against the UNDRIP, Canada has declared its reconsideration, while Australia and New Zealand have actually reversed their decision.

Together with other Federal Agencies, the U.S. Department of State will be hosting consultations with federally-recognized tribes and dialogues with NGO’s and other stakeholders. The consultations schedule will be posted on the website located at www.state.gov/tribalconsultation/declaration. Tribal leaders, NGO’s and others are encouraged to contribute to the review via email (declaration@state.gov) or via mail to the Department of State: S/SR Global Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street N.W., Suite 1317, Washington, D.C. 20520. Written comments are requested by July 15, 2010 so that they can be given adequate consideration as part of the review.

World Peace & Prayer Day is next Monday, June 21^st , the day of the Summer Solstice. Chief Arvol Looking Horse, leader of the Lakota Dakota Nakota Oyate, the great Sioux nation, is calling all nations to prayer of any kind on June 21 in an effort to return the planet to balance, the people to spirit.

World Peace and Prayer Day was founded in 1996 in the Black Hills of South Dakota by Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe of the Sioux Nation. Chief Looking Horse was led by a vision to honor sacred sites and to invite all nations and all faiths to do the same, to heal our relationship with our mother, the Earth. World Peace and Prayer Day is held annually on the summer solstice, a powerful day to pray for peace among all living beings.

In a message to the people of the world, Chief Arvol Looking Horse says, “Our vision is for Peoples of all continents to come together as ONE at their Sacred Sites to pray, meditate, and commune with one another, on this day, thus promoting an energy shift to heal our Mother Earth to achieve a united consciousness toward attaining Peace” (Read Chief Looking Horse’s entire message.)

Chief Arvol Looking Horse will be celebrating World Peace and Prayer Day at Burgundy Brook Farm in Palmer, MA. Read more about the events happening over the course of this weekend on Burgundy Brook Farm. Events are open to the public. For more information visit their website.

Click here to see a list of official gatherings around the world.

Two of the official gatherings are being hosted by Tribal Link colleagues: United Confederation of Taino People in Bronx, NY on Sunday June 20^th & the Wittenberg Center for Alternative Resources in Woodstock, NY on Monday June 21^st. Please click on their names to read about their events or visit Tribal Link’s calendar for more details.

Click here to read an article with Chief Arvol Looking Horse.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Interviewed, filmed, and produced by John Halpern

Project Access supports indigenous peoples participation in international meetings and conferences at which decisions are made that affect their rights, cultures and livelihoods. For more details on Project Access, click here.

The above interview with Manuela — a participant in Project Access new workshop, the Project Development and Fundraising Training — is part of a series of interviews with nine of participants in the training.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Interviewed, filmed, and produced  by John Halpern

Project Access supports indigenous peoples’ participation in international meetings and conferences at which decisions are made that affect their rights, cultures and livelihoods. For more details on Project Access, click here.

The above interview with Mildred — a participant in Project Access’ new workshop, the Project Development and Fundraising Training — is part of a series of interviews with nine of participants in the training.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Interviewed, filmed, and produced  by John Halpern

Project Access supports indigenous peoples’ participation in international meetings and conferences at which decisions are made that affect their rights, cultures and livelihoods. For more details on Project Access, click here.

The above interview with Jennifer — a participant in Project Access’ new workshop, the Project Development and Fundraising Training — is part of a series of interviews with nine of participants in the training.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Interviewed, filmed, and produced  by John Halpern

Project Access supports indigenous peoples’ participation in international meetings and conferences at which decisions are made that affect their rights, cultures and livelihoods. For more details on Project Access, click here.

The above interview with Jennifer — a participant in Project Access’ new workshop, the Project Development and Fundraising Training — is part of a series of interviews with nine of participants in the training.