Members of AIPP

Bangladesh Adivasi Forum (Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum)

Bangladesh Adivasi Forum (BAF) was established on 13 July 2001 with 79 members in the National Committee and 25 members in the Executive Committee. It represents 50 different indigenous communities with more than 3 million indigenous populations. It is a national level organisation working for establishing fundamental rights of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh. The major objectives of the Forum are: Establishing constitutional recognition and rights of indigenous peoples, promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples, including right to self-determination, land rights, economic, social and cultural development, engaging non-indigenous community, civil society, media, NGOs and youth to assert indigenous people’s issues, awareness campaign for creating positive public opinion and building solidarity and unity among adivasis in the country. BAF is engaging government, UN agencies, national and international NGOs, National Human Rights Commission, civil society, media, youth and women on indigenous issues for the last 12 years. BAF representatives attended the UNPFII, UN Working Group on Indigenous Peoples, EMRIP and other sessions and mechanisms and made interventions.

BAF is working for establishing a just society where indigenous peoples will enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms, where their rights and culture are fully respected and they determine their own development, control own future and live with dignity in the society.

Trinamul Unnayan Sangstha (TUS)

Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is one of the geographical, socio-cultural, political and economically diverse regions of Bangladesh. It is situated in the southeast region of Bangladesh, bordering Tripura and Mizoram State of northeast India and Myanmar (Burma). The hilly area with green forest covers made the region different from other parts of the country. There are 13 ethnic communities that have been living with their rich cultural practices and heritage from time immemorial. Khagrachari hill district is one of the 03 districts of the CHT. The Chakma, Marma, Tripura and Bengali communities are living in the Khagrachari hill district and ethnic communities are in majority. The ethnic communities have been living with subsistence-based economy, which is largely dependent on forest. Besides plough cultivation, fisheries, livestock and poultry, the jum or hill firming and gathering of forest produces are major sources of traditional livelihood of the people of the region. Therefore, these peoples have strong indigenous knowledge, innovations and practices on natural forest management.

The peoples, as of CHT, were long been deprived from the basic development facilities i.e. life skills, healthcare, education, safety net programs, agricultural technology and associated job opportunities due to political unrest of CHT. The CHT Accord 1997 has ended more than 25 years of armed struggle and created opportunities for development interventions.

TUS was established in 15 March 1997 by a group of 13 dedicated indigenous social activists. From our beginning we have aimed to empower grassroots communities of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), so they can take action on the social and economic challenges they face.

Since our establishment, we have led our mission successfully more than one decade as a non-governmental, non-profit and non-political organization. We are now a leading local NGO in CHT, and have experience in undertaking a range of short and long-term projects on livelihoods, natural resource management, environment, health, water and sanitation, good governance, and IPs rights issues.

Who We Work With
We work to improve the lives and livelihoods of those most in need of our support, regardless of ethnicity and religion. We work with disadvantaged and marginalized groups, including jhum cultivators, landless and marginal farmers, unemployed youth, women, and day labourers. In implementing our activities, TUS believes in working together with individuals, networks and organisations that share our vision and values. We have experience of working with a range of local, national and international NGOs and donor organisations, as well as government bodies and officials.

Where We Work
We are based in Khagrachari District, and currently work in five of its Upazillas. We have experience working throughout Khagrachari, and the three districts of the CHT.

Our Approach
Community Empowerment: We believe that communities are best-suited to identify their needs, and the steps required to change their lives. In line with our Mission, we work to build the capacity and self-reliance of grassroots communities so they are able to lead their own development activities. This includes building and supporting community organisations; running awareness-raising campaigns; organising skills development trainings; developing socio-economic infrastructure; and building links between communities and local government, so they can access the services they deserve.

Our Vision
“To establish a society based on the values of Social justice, Creativity, Integrity, Equality, Equity, Diversity, Solidarity and Unity in which peoples have a wellbeing and dignity lives”

Our Mission
“To assist to build up capacities of disadvantaged, marginalized and back-warded communities at grassroots level so that they can identify and solve their problems or issues to access their socio-economic, culture, education and other citizen services”

Kapaeeng Foundation

More than 54 indigenous ethnic communities with a population of nearly three million have been living in Bangladesh for centuries. Over the years the indigenous peoples in Bangladesh experienced a strong sense of social, political and economic exclusion, lack of recognition, fear and insecurity, loss of cultural identity, and social oppression. Mainstream development efforts have either ignored their concerns and/or had a negative impact on them. Often issues and actions that affect them are not discussed with these communities or organizations representing them. Thus they are subjected to stark socio-economic deprivation.

Despite severe discrimination and oppression on indigenous peoples, the solidarity between and among indigenous peoples in both the hill region and the other regions of Bangladesh and between indigenous peoples and mainstream citizens of the country has grown in a significantly during the recent decades.

On 2 December, 1997 an accord popularly known as CHT Peace Accord was signed between the Government of Bangladesh and the PCJSS to bring forth a negotiated political settlement to the two and a half decades long armed conflict in the CHT. It paves way for the peace, development and opportunities to meaningful engagement of indigenous peoples in CHT.

Despite the some successes and achievements during recent decades, indigenous peoples’ organizations are facing problems in smooth networking and coordinating the programme of activities on promotion and protection of the human rights of indigenous peoples. However, liaison with various indigenous peoples’ organizations and between indigenous peoples’ organizations and mainstream support organizations is among the important factors for lobby and campaign for indigenous peoples’ cause.

Against this backdrop, Kapaeeng Foundation as a human rights organization for indigenous peoples in Bangladesh was established on 1 April 2004 with the view to working for promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples of the country. The term ‘Kapaeeng’ is derived from indigenous Khumi language, meaning ‘Rights’. Kapaeeng Foundation is duly registered with the Joint Stock Company and Firms of Commerce Ministry, Government of Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.

Vision
The vision of Kapaeeng Foundation is to establish a society based on the values of justice, equity and freedom where fundamental freedoms and human rights of indigenous peoples are ensured.

Mission
The mission of Kapaeeng Foundation are, among others, to promote and protect the human rights of the indigenous peoples of the country and to conduct advocacy, lobby and campaign programme for the same at local, national, regional and international level; to establish a strong network and partnership with national, regional and international organizations and individuals working on promotion and protection of human rights as well as indigenous peoples rights and to raise the capacity of the indigenous peoples in promoting and protecting the human rights.