The May edition of Asia Indigenous Observor is a roundup of the events that took place in the month. Land rights activists from AIPP’s networks prepared for and attended the Global Land Forum in Jordan as they tabled the issues faced by Indigenous Peoples in Asia on their right to self-determination through recognition of their ownership of lands and territories and how external players such as corporates and governments have stunted the process leading to vast stretches of ancestral lands being captured through the insidious narrative of conservation and development, which are in direct conflict to the human rights of Indigenous Peoples who depend on forests and natural resources for their sustenance.
Our Secretary-General delivered a speech at the Second Asia Parks Congress reiterating the indigenous worldview of living in harmony with respect to all living beings and the critical role of Indigenous Peoples in conservation and sustainable systems of biodiversity.
A round of trainings of frontline and climate defenders happened in Bangkok which included media and strategic advocacy sessions; a crucial tool to help draw global attention to the structural inequalities waged on Indigenous Peoples.
The future is indeed indigenous if we have to continue to battle climate change!