Indigenous Peoples Fight for Inclusion in Development

Today, August 9 is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, a day first proclaimed in 1994 and dedicated to ensuring the participation of indigenous peoples in decision-making.

As indigenous peoples celebrate today, they are calling on their governments to honor this commitment and are asking the international community for greater access to sources of aid funding.

In the northern Philippines, in Cordillera, indigenous peoples are feeling very betrayed by their government and foreign aid that did not support them in “their cause for self-determined and sustainable development” (Devex News). 

“U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki Moon said: ‘we highlight the importance of honoring treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements between states, their citizens and indigenous peoples’” (Devex News).  

Local indigenous groups have advocated for change to their government for years and in that time their demands in terms of development have not been met.  Violations of indigenous rights have grown in this time and external groups continually dictate development and funding – indigenous peoples who cannot present basic requirements such as birth certificates or marriage contracts are excluded from these development projects. 

Instead, donors should aid indigenous organizations in their building capacity and funding should go straight to these groups rather than to external forces so that indigenous populations can decided how to move forward with their own development.

On a day we are supposed to celebrate and include indigenous populations in decision-making, and on the 9^th anniversary of this day, it is shocking that there is not more inclusion and there is a lot left to do to move forward. 

 

Story courtesy of: https://www.devex.com/en/news/what-indigenous-peoples-need-from-foreign-aid/81603