Asia Indigenous Youth Platform (AIYP) Follow on Facebook

 

Background

Indigenous Youths in the Asia are facing a time of key life transitions and uncertainty about the future. In addition to navigating these new aspects of life, young people from indigenous communities face a range of unique social and cultural challenges. Indigenous communities often live in remote locations with less access to modern education, health and other services than mainstream peoples/ their countrymen, and continuity of cultural practices and identity is intimately connected to belonging to a community. Formal decision-making and governance structures are often led by a group of chosen leaders who are informally advised by wise elders in the community. Most decisions and programs are influenced by popular opinion and the youth (boys and girls), including children, take active part in the implementation of the community’s programs and activities. However, their customary institutions are in mutilated forms due to varied reasons such as invasion, occupation, militarization, development aggression, assimilation, political domination and imposition of state structures, etc. These institutional challenges have produced extreme conditions where the whole community often go through or are experiencing collective trauma and internalization of victimhood and violence affecting the children, youth and women the most. So. to deal with the emerged youth issues, AIPP in collaboration with UNESCO and UNDP established Asia Indigenous Youth Platform during the Regional Youth Leadership Training and Youth Conference in the presence of 45 indigenous youths from Nepal, Bangladesh, Mainland India, Northeast India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Philippines on 5-12 June 2019 in Chiangmai.

Vision

We envision a sustainable world in which indigenous youth play a leading role in achieving respect and equality for indigenous peoples through the full recognition of their inherent rights.

Objectives

Recognising the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN DRIP) and the fundamental importance of realising and protecting human rights of indigenous youth, AIYP will work collectively to address a number of interconnected issues affecting young indigenous people. Central to AIYP’s work will be recognising the principle of free prior and informed consent within all of AIYP’s actions, which will work to achieve the following for indigenous youth and their communities:

• Prevent loss of culture and protect indigenous knowledge
• Access quality education including Mother Tongue Language education
• Strengthen land rights and food security
• Participate in decision-making
• Provide sustainable livelihoods for indigenous youth

Thematic Areas

• Loss of Culture/TL,
• Access to Education & Health,
• Land rights / security/food,
• Political participation / peace / participation in decision-making,
• Mother tongue language,
• Human rights and
• Employment

Structure

• “Council” one representative from each country + regional (Annual),
• “Executive” 2 representatives + one alternate from each regional (Quarterly)
• “Membership” all Indigenous Youths in national youth organizations/federations + regional
• “Working groups” based work plan (as needed)

Name of the focal and alternative persons

SL No.	Country Name	Focal person	Alternative person
1	Nepal	Hemanta Rai	Bikesh Thami
2	Bangladesh	Chandra Tripura
3	Mainland India	Punita Topno	Rakesh Ekka
4	Northeast India	Rokasen	Rajiandai
5	Myanmar	Ko Taung	Ko Naing
6	Thailand	Miss Suwanni Bunyuenkun	Miss Khaming Lungsaeng
7	Lao	Somchit Nongbhor	Lah Soukseum
8	Vietnam	Cong Duong Hoang	Pan Thi Tan
9	Cambodia	Samin Ngach	Sokhunthea
10	Indonesia	Jakob Siringoringo	Jhontoni Tarihoran
11	Malaysia	Ricklend Gryst Christopher	Sabrina Metree
12	Philippines	Nedlloyd Tuguinay	Rurelyn Bay-ao