Call For Expression of Interest for An Evaluation Team Member

External evaluation for the two projects from May 2014-June 2020)

1. “Strengthening capacities of indigenous movements and indigenous youths to advance the recognition and protection of indigenous peoples’ rights in Asia “(300-900-1377 starting from July 2018)
2. “Strengthening the capacities of Indigenous Youth and Indigenous Organizations in Asia” (300-900-1292, May 2014-April 2017)

The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) is a regional organization, founded in 1992 by Indigenous Peoples’ movements in Asia. AIPP is committed to the cause of promoting and defending indigenous peoples’ rights and human rights and articulating issues of relevance to indigenous peoples. At present, AIPP has 47 members from 14 countries in Asia with 18 indigenous peoples’ national alliances/networks (national formations), 29 local and sub-national organizations. Of this number, 16 are ethnic based organizations, six (6) indigenous women and four (4) are indigenous youth organizations and one (1) organization of indigenous persons with disabilities.

AIPP believes in the inherent right to self-determination of all peoples, including Indigenous Peoples. Right to self-determination and self-governance is a social necessity for indigenous societies for the continuity of our social processes and self-development. This implies that the collective rights of indigenous peoples must be addressed as enshrined in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) and United Nation Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) for the full enjoyment of our human rights.

Further, AIPP, as a regional federation of Indigenous Peoples’ organisations representing the movements in Asia, believes in the self-organizing capacity of member-organizations (MOs) and indigenous communities and that they are the drivers of change in solidarity with vibrant democratic forces i.e. CSOs, institutions and individuals. It is for this reason that AIPP focusses on empowerment of indigenous movements and communities and integrated dialogue with various state and non-state actors for change to come.

What makes Indigenous Peoples distinctive are their unique values, tradition, and governance system, including their education system. Unfortunately, the alarming trend among Indigenous Peoples in Asia is the fast erosion of their culture and values, and traditional and customary institutions because of co-option and or super-imposition of state administrative system. Further, indigenous communities are facing complex challenges from increasing integration of their livelihoods into the market economy.

Furthermore, alienation of Indigenous Peoples from their homeland (largely) by creation of national parks, development aggression and militarization have driven most indigenous communities into poverty and dehumanized conditions. The situation has caused mass-exodus, displacement, and denial of access to land and forest. This has denied or weakened the continuity of their cultural practices and development of their indigenous knowledge and institutions resulting in severe mutilation of their institutions and disruption of knowledge transmission within their communities.

In addition, mainstream education is imparted with the intention of assimilating indigenous children and youths into the mainstream society, which invariably leads to misinformation and stereotyping of indigenous communities as backward and uncivilized. The general mainstream perception regarding indigenous communities as being backward and uncivilized has led to indigenous children and youths to be ashamed of their identity and a loss of self-esteem.

Outmigration of indigenous children and youths to urban areas, in search of work and for better education, is exponentially resulting in their assimilation into the mainstream culture. These combined factors of outmigration, mainstream education and denial of their identity is conditioning them to feel inferior and forcing them to adopt mainstream culture, values, and lifestyles.

Therefore, Regional Capacity Building Program (RCB) had been conceived in AIPP to restore the pride of their identity, values of cooperation, community solidarity, and decision-making by consensus, etc. through capacity building, inter-generational knowledge transmission and community organizing.

Click here to download for the details information about the projects and the call.