OIYP Voice
June 2004: Indigenous Rights
Focus
This month’s focus will be on Indigenous Rights and Issues and the ways in which IYP Action Partners are working to have these rights and issues recognized. We are looking particularly at the actions taken by members of the IYP network to uphold the rights of Indigenous young people, whether these actions are being undertaken by Indigenous or non-Indigenous members of the network. Many exciting events and projects are underway in this area and we’ve done our best to inform you of the latest developments.
Next month IYP Voice will focus on the Make Poverty History campaign, looking at Oxfam’s involvement in this worldwide movement and the ways in which Action Partners can mobilize their energy and resources in the assistance of the Global Coalition Against Poverty. This is a campaign which affects all Action Partners and which everyone can be involved in, so send us your ideas!
See July’s Voice to read more about the great work of OIYP Action Partners in this area!
We hope you enjoy this issue.
The OIYP Voice Team
Editor: Catherine Loy
ACTION PARTNER NEWS
Read about the work of our Action Partners around the world.
Vivek Trivedi,
OIYP 2004 Action Partner, India.
How do you see your world?
In my view, the world still has two dimensions: on the one side hi-tech advancement in a few hands and the rest being deprived of basic amenities like education, health care, housing, edible and nutritious food, clean drinking water and clothing.
Through my field work in a slum I met a girl called Poonam, living in the slum with her family, migrants from Gujarat due to scarcity of drinking water. She had never visited a school but she wanted to at least see a school. How does it look? What is inside the school? Why are lots of children going to school wearing school dresses? She asked me these questions when I visited the slum during my project, "ICTs in Rural and Slums Sectors" of the Commonwealth Youth Programme: Asia Centre. She met me many times during the project and she even came to the CYPTEC on Wheels (a computerized mobile van equipped with the latest devices and technology like the Internet) and had hands-on experience making drawings on MS Paint. Using and touching the computer delighted her. She has many dreams but how will she make them come true? Where will she go? She may fall into the hands of an early marriage or become a victim of child or bond labor; she could be the victim of sexual harassment..... Is this her fate or destiny? Who is accountable? The parents who gave birth to her, the Almighty who created a wide disparity of wealth in the world; or the ineffective policies of the government; or ourselves ... we who discriminate against others and never want any body to come up to our standing - this is the natural tendency of human beings. Isn't it?
Joya Banerjee,
OIYP 2004 Action Partner, USA.
Things are good in New York. I am working closely with Imane Khachani, OIYP 2004 action partner from Morrocco, whom I'm sure you all remember, who is interning here at UNFPA in the Division of Arab States and Eastern Europe.
The Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS is really blossoming. We now have almost 600 members. Please check out our new website: www.youthaidscoalition.org
GYCA is a UNAIDS and UNFPA supported, youth-managed alliance of close to 600 youth leaders in HIV/AIDS representing over 66 countries. Its four priorities include technical assistance and capacity building, advocacy training, networking and sharing of best practices, and preparations for international conferences.
The website has an events calendar, global directory of youth HIV/AIDS organizations, a resources section with training tools such as peer education manuals and programme managing tools, and a member profiles section. All of it is interlinked with TakingITGlobal. And of course, we still have our e-forum:
gyca-subscribe@groups.takingitglobal.org
Other than work, life is good. New York City is getting warm finally, and I can't wait for summer! I am going to the Youth Coalition Forum on sexual and reproductive health in May in Buenos Aires and will be meeting some OIYP action partners there I think. I am turning into a young person on the conference circuit, ha ha!
Hope you are all doing well.
Lan Anh Ha,
OIYP 2000 Action Partner, Vietnam.
I am going to university in Canada and I will be doing a community replacement year abroad with my International Development program in Ecuador next year. My partner is an American student at Berkeley university and is also a social justice activist. We are looking for a host family in Quito or Salgonqui Ecuador as well as information on different organizations working on indigenous female reproductive rights, HIV/AIDs, fair trade and oil issues so that we can volunteer and intern for one of these organizations. We are also looking to be in touch with IYP action partners in Ecuador and the surrounding countries such as Peru, El Salvador, Chile or Bolivia. If you have any contacts/ information on homestay opportunities in Quito or Salgonqui and social justice organizations, please contact us at : lananh@youthlink.org
I look forward to hearing from anyone!
Gracias!
Abby Falik,
OIYP 2004 Action Partner, USA and ISC Member
The aim of my action plan was to create a Global Citizen Corps - a peer-education program which empowers young social entrepreneurs in the U.S. to mobilize a youth movement supporting poverty alleviation and the achievement of the MDGs.
For as long as I can recall I have been driven by my desire to ensure that more young people in the U.S. have opportunities to learn about life in contexts very different to their own - and to help them understand and act upon their responsibilities as citizens of the world. Through my work at NetAid (www.netaid.org) over the past three years I have had the tremendous opportunity to begin working toward my long-held dream of creating a movement of young people in the U.S. who are committed to the alleviation of global poverty.
My initial concept for the Global Citizen Corps (GCC) was conceived in early 2004. The idea was to recruit and train a Corps of young Change Agents - high school students with entrepreneurial flare, interest in global issues and a commitment to inspire others to action. By bringing these young leaders together and supporting them through intensive training, it seemed possible that the GCC might build a momentum a greater than the sum of its parts: increasing American youth engagement on global issues today while laying the groundwork for a new generation of Americans who are committed to playing a more co-operative and responsible role in the global community.
It was my participation at OIYP in Sydney in July of 2004 which fed my passion and committed me to seeing the vision for the program through. Drawing inspiration from my fellow action partners who were involved in promoting social change in diverse contexts across the globe, I returned to New York determined to make the GCC a reality.
Upon returning, I worked throughout the summer and fall to finalize the details of the concept, broker initial partnerships, secure a seed grant and hire two wonderful teammates. By November we were able to launch a pilot year of the GCC, and the results have far exceeded my greatest expectations!
To help us test and refine all components of the program, we recruited 20 amazing high school students to participate in the pilot as 'GCC Leaders'. Once selected, participants took part in intensive training to help them develop the knowledge, perspectives and skills necessary to co-ordinate a series of Global Action Days at their schools. They were also introduced to the GCC Online Action Center where they are able to connect to one another through blogs and listservs, access resources and receive ongoing support - both from NetAid and each other.
The first of these days coincided with World AIDS Day on December 1, 2005 when - with the support of an innovative online community - GCC Leaders reached over 13,000 students with activities raising awareness about the Global AIDS and mobilizing support to curb the pandemic.
As a result of this work, and the efforts of GCC Leaders to mobilize support for Tsunami relief efforts in early 2005, the GCC began to gain terrific media visibility, getting airtime on CBS, CNN and MTV!
For their second Global Action Day GCC Leaders encouraged their peers to wear white wrist bands in support of the Global Campaign for Action Against Poverty (GCAP). The third and final Global Action Day will take place at the end of April when GCC Leaders will involve their schools in the issue of access to education as part of the Global Campaign for Education's annual 'Week of Action'.
Building upon the successes of the GCC pilot, we are now planning for a national launch of the program with the aim of empowering 200 young leaders from as many schools across the U.S. in the coming school year. Selected GCC Leaders will have the opportunity to meet for a week-long training camp at the GCC Summit (a bit like the OIYP sitting!) which will take place in New York this July.
The GCC draws upon my deepest passions and I feel deeply privileged to have the opportunity to help the program grow. I am proud of how far the program has come in a short time, and am tremendously excited to nurture it to realize its fullest potential. Beyond this, I remain deeply grateful to the community of OIYP Action Partners around the world whose remarkable energy, commitment and vision continually fuel my own.
STORY OF THE MONTH
In our Story of the Month, Sylvie Ellsmore, OIYP 2004 Action Partner from Australia, explores the work that is yet to be done in reconciling the Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations of Australia. Sylvie has been involved in a number of campaigns through her organization, ReconciliACTION, including the Freedom Ride around Australia, which was designed to raise awareness of Indigenous Rights.
Reconciliation remains a major issue for Australians, particularly young Australians. Indigenous peoples continue to be the single most disadvantaged people in Australian society for almost all socio-economic indicators, with Indigenous young people in particular facing high rates of unemployment, incarceration, lack of access to services such as housing and much lower levels of literacy than non-Indigenous young people.
Australia has a conservative government which has consistently opposed the recognition of rights for Indigenous Australians, particularly land rights, and many positive measures for Indigenous self-determination. Unlike other invaded (colonised) countries Australia has not signed treaties with its Indigenous people and many in power refuse to recognise the darker parts of our history, particularly in relation to the taking and "assimilating" of Indigenous children and the violent conflict which took place in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The most recent report from the United Nations Commission for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination again criticised current Australian policies as in breach of the human rights of Indigenous Australians.
Many Australians remain unaware, or even antagonistic, towards the history and current circumstances of Indigenous Australians. Recent political events and flare-ups in racial tension between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, including a noose attack on young boys in Goondawindi and riots in Redfern and Palm Island following the death of Aboriginal people in policy custody, highlight the ongoing urgency of need for initiatives which promote respect for Indigenous people and address continued underlying social issues.
Despite the loss of momentum at the national level, reconciliation at the grass roots remains strong. Young people across Australia are taking leading roles in the community through their work in social services, community organisations and Indigenous groups to promote reconciliation and the rights of Indigenous Australians. Many Indigenous young people's work focuses on addressing the many barriers that other young Indigenous people face to full participation in the Australian community and economy.
Although young people make up a significant proportion of the population, with over 60% of the Indigenous population aged under 25, and although there are a number young people playing key roles in the community, it is rare that the voices of young people are sought or listened to by those driving the reconciliation process and setting policy at the regional, state and national level.
ReconciliACTION was formed to address the needs of young people to gain emotional and organisational support for their work and to promote young people as agents of social change.
ReconciliACTION has grown to be the largest network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous young Australian in Australia, with members from across metropolitan, regional and remote Australia. The young people involved come together to work on projects and campaigns. The name - 'ReconciliACTION' - reflects the belief that Reconciliation has to be about more than just words. It is about making changes through action.
The aims of ReconciliACTION are;
- to build respect within the community about Australia's Indigenous peoples and their cultures,
- to educate the Australian community about Australia's history, Indigenous history, and the ongoing barriers which prevent full participation in the Australian community and economy by Indigenous people,
- to build positive relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and communities,
- to promote the recognition of the rights of Indigenous people as the first peoples of Australia, and
- to overcome racist attitudes towards Indigenous people.
ReconciliACTION is aimed at promoting change in the attitudes of both decision makers and at the grass roots, and encouraging young people to stay involved in the long term path towards reconciliation.
ReconciliACTION also supports young activists - members have repeatedly expressed their relief at finding a safe space in which they can meet people working on similar issues, learn together and support each other.
A recent project of ReconciliACTION was Freedom Ride 2005. Modelled on the Freedom Rides in North America in the 1950s and 60s, in Australia in 1965 a group of university students organised a 'Freedom Ride'. It became a key event in Australia's social history by helping to bring the ingrained discrimination and racism in NSW country towns to the attention of the wider Australian public, part of a broader push for Aboriginal civil rights taking place across the country.
To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the original Freedom Ride, earlier this year ReconciliACTION filled a bus with young people passionate about reconciliation and retraced the original 'Freedom Ride' journey, whilst making a documentary about the experience. Freedom Ride 2005 called attention to continuing racism in regional NSW and also to the dedication of those committed to change in their own communities.
Freedom Ride 2005 interviewed over 300 people living in over 13 communities in regional NSW (Australia's most populous state) including many young people about race relations in their town and what they think about reconciliation. The Freedom Ride 2005 highlighted just how far Australia has to go on the road to reconciliation, and the many negative views that exist in the community towards Indigenous people. It also highlighted that very few Indigenous people, especially young people, are aware of their rights and what can be done to address incidents of racism and discrimination.
As a result of Freedom Ride 2005 ReconciliACTION is currently developing both a documentary about the ride and an education campaign and has initiating a number of campaigns aimed at changing government policy.
In May 2005 ReconciliACTION organised a National Youth Workshop in Canberra, with the support of IYP delegate Michael Galluzo. The International Youth Parliament has provided an Action Partner Grant to assist with the travel costs of young people from across the country to attend.
The National Youth Workshop will allow the voices of a diverse range of young people to be promoted at the national level and it would provide an avenue for young people from a range of geographical areas where there exists no support for their involvement to connect with the ReconciliACTION Network, as the largest youth reconciliation network in Australia (and one of the few run by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people).
The Workshop will follow and a respond to a major, invitation-only National Workshop which is being organised by Reconciliation Australia, a national foundation. The Reconciliation Australia Workshop will be attended by heads of government and key decision makers including the Prime Minister, as well as a small number of young people. The Reconciliation Australia Workshop will look at what has been achieved so far for reconciliation, and what still needs to be done. The recommendations from those participating in the National Workshop will guide Reconciliation Australia and the national agenda for the next two years, in preparation for a National Convention in 2007, at which a new 10 year agenda for Reconciliation will be set.
The Youth Workshop will ensure that the current moves to re-invigorate the Reconciliation process at the National level incorporate the views and input of young Australians. The dual focus of the project on providing input into the national reconciliation agenda and inspiring and empowering a wide range of young people to become actively involved in the future will ensure that youth voices continue to be promoted in the process.
There has also been a huge amount of media interest and momentum created by the Freedom Ride, which can be built on by this workshop and will help ensure that the views of young people collected are heard through the media to the wider Australian community. Highlights from the interviews collected on the Freedom Ride will be shown at the National Youth Workshop to ensure that the voices of young people in regional NSW are also incorporated into discussion.
For more information about ReconciliACTION and its past projects visit www.reconciliaction.org.au
Contact Sylvie to discuss her work at: sylvie@reconciliaction.org.au
NETWORK AND TAKE ACTION
Survey of Youth Peace Practice
The research team at the United Network of Young Peacebuilders is trying to find out how youth peacebuilding practices can be evaluated. Our project is called ‘Youth in Peacebuilding: Developing criteria to identify good practices.’ The goal of our research is to develop criteria that organizations and activists working for peace can use to evaluate their own peacebuilding activities. We invite all youth organisations and youth activists to contribute to this research, by answering this short survey: www.unoy.org/downloads/11001.doc
Results of the research will be shared among youth organisations, researchers and donor agencies, and among all those who contributed. Thanks in advance for your time and energy!
International Youth Development Agency E-Group.
If you are interested in youth work, want to participate in the recent local and global seminars, conferences, workshops, trainings, to get every type of information regarding the youth work then we invite you to be a member of the e-Group of the International Youth Development Agency (IYDA).
It is an international NGO whose aim is to extend and increase the active role of the youth in the society. IYDA has special youth exchange programs, and actively engaged in organizing seminars, conferences, workshops, trainings and other youth work.
In order to become member, send a blank email to: yda_international-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or visit the group web page, www.groups.yahoo.com/group/yda_international
Have you got an amazing story on film, paper or audio?
If so, we’d love to hear it. Australian youth-run development agency, the Oaktree Foundation (www.theoaktree.org) are collating resources by and for young people about development and community projects. There are an amazing number of stories and ideas that people have put time, effort and money into and with the growing MDG campaign, organisations like the Oaktree increasingly have the opportunity to highlight these to young people all around the world.
So, if you’ve got film footage, audio recordings or written pieces about your work, we’d love to be able to access it as we look to compile a series of short films and resources around young people’s action towards social justice, sustainability and opportunity.
If you’ve got something that you think could be appropriate, drop us a line – s.moss@theoaktree.org
International Youth Day: "Making Commitments Matter."
On 12 August, young people around the world will celebrate International Youth Day. This year's theme is: "Making Commitments Matter - the tenth anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth". Youth around the world are encouraged to celebrate their role in society and to review what their countries have achieved in youth development in the past ten years.
The Website of the Programme on Youth will list various events taking place that day. To add your event, send an email to youth@un.org. More info can be found on: http://www.un.org/youth
JUNE FEATURE
In our June feature, Sezin Rajandran, a campaigner for Indigenous People's Human Rights, reports on the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights and the issues which came to light as a result of the voting.
The Temporary 22nd Report on the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights
Yesterday, April 20th, the Commission on Human Rights voted on Item 15, Indigenous Issues, much to the embarrassment of the American and Australian citizens in the room. All of the resolutions concerning indigenous issues were passed, even the contentious ones, and the overwhelming arrogance of the USA and Australia were made crystal clear to the entire world in their single-minded opposition to the rights of indigenous peoples.
Resolution E/CN.4/2005/L.56 on Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights was adopted by a roll-call vote of 39 in favour, 13 against, and one abstention. This is traditionally Cuba's resolution (you will recall that Professor Miguel Alfonso Martinez who did the treaty study is one of Cuba's delegates) and has become more and more controversial each year, especially considering that the USA would like to get rid of the WGIP in general. When Cuba presented the resolution they pointed out that it is the same resolution as last year except for a new paragraph dealing with the Second Decade on the World's Indigenous Peoples. The USA haughtily informed the Commission that in their view the WGIP had outlived its influence and "its day is done." The USA would like to see the Permanent Forum subsume the work of the WGIP, and the five days be translated into more time for elaborating the Draft Declaration.
The USA did not mention the fact that a large number of indigenous delegates are not able to attend the Permanent Forum because of visa difficulties as well as their fascist definition of what is a terrorist through the wholly illegal Homeland Security and Patriot Acts.
The USA proceeded to table an amendment to the text which would force the WGDD to complete its work before the 62nd Commission on Human Rights this year. They wanted the Commission to know how committed they are to the WGDD and the importance they place on a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, but that the WGDD could not continue indefinitely and had to be adopted by the end of this year. After a vote took place rejecting the amendment, the USA again noted how committed they are to the completion of the Declaration, but they are against an open-ended mandate of the Working Group. They said that even though their amendment was rejected, they will assume that the work will be finished by the 62nd Commission and will treat the WGDD as such. This meaning that even though they didn't get their way, they will treat the WGDD as if their amendment passed and next year if the process isn't done the spoiled brats will make it difficult for further sessions of the WGDD.
They also said that they would call a vote on the original resolution, and they would abstain from the vote. Australia snakily stated that they will give consensus this year for the WGDD, but like the USA (anyone surprised?) they will consider these the last sessions of the WGDD and they will not support the WGDD if it is not completed its work by 2006.
The vote was 51 in favour, none against and one abstention from the USA.
How embarrassing, I was quite ashamed of my passport and I apologize for my country. Sincerely, I am very sorry.
Some of the voting records did not include Togo, who had been in the beginning one of the not-so-subtle lackeys of the USA/Australia team. I had originally thought they had an attack of conscience and left the room so they would not have to vote, but when I looked I saw that they were in fact sitting there but were deciding not to vote. Very interesting, and the UN Briefing does not count them as being absent from the vote in their summary of the day's session...These things make me believe that really there are Spirits sitting behind each of these delegates and sometimes they are able to get through and help someone stop doing the wrong thing, which does take them closer to the right thing even if it may not be so obvious.
But at least the various working groups regarding the Draft Declaration and indigenous populations are still being supported by a majority of the Commission, and it would appear there are some fantastic advances for the Declaration, a striking one being Canada's admission that they are in fact willing to support the text as it is. Although this was never stated on the floor, I heard this through my extensive grapevine and was very thankful to find it out. Also, Madame Daes' report will be published as an official UN document and for those who have not read it, it is truly fantastic and I feel will be of great assistance to indigenous peoples of the world.
RESOURCES
The website of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues:
http://www.un.org/esa.socdev/unpfii/4session/4session.htm
The Asia-Pacific Indigenous Youth Network defends and promotes the rights of indigenous peoples in the Asia-Pacific region:
http://www.apiyn.org/home.htm
The website of the International Indigenous Youth Network:
http://www.itv.se/boreale.valkea.htm
The website of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People 1995-2004:
http://www.un.org/rights/indigenous/mediaadv.html
Listings of International Indigenous links:
http://www.bloorstreet.com/300block/aborintl.htm#10
An Indigenous Australian online network:
http://www.ion.unisa.edu.au
An online resource for young people interested in Millenium Development Goals:
www.youngmdg.com
LETTERS TO THE VOICE
Dear Voice,
India accounts for nearly 60% of the world's wild tiger population with nearly 3000 tigers in 28 tiger reserves. A major reason for this success of tigers in India has been Project Tiger, initiated in 1973 by the late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with the assistance of WWF-India. Project Tiger was started with the formation of Corbett Tiger Reserve at a time when tigers in India had almost come down to three digit figures, and 32 years later with the formation of 27 more tiger reserves, tigers seemed to be thriving. However, Indian tigers today are facing a crisis. In early 2005, there was a drastic decline in the tiger population in Rajasthan state, with over 20 tigers reported missing from Sariska tiger reserve.
This was followed by the complete elimination of tigers from the Panna tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh state. There were also reports from several other tiger reserves of drastic decline in tiger populations. Initial studies suggested mass poaching to be the reason. This has raised a severe outcry from conservation groups, resulting in the intervention of the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the formation of a Wildlife Advisory Committee to the Ministry Of Environment and Forests and Prime Minister to assess the reasons in April 2005.
It is at this critical time in the history of Indian wildlife that we go into yet another Indian Tiger Census 2005, conducted annually in all Tiger Reserves and Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks with sizable tiger populations in India, from May 9-17 in the state. Never before has there been such interest and involvement in tiger census both by conservation groups and general citizens. Our organization, Friendship Foundation, a youth-run environmental group, is participating in and co-ordinating tiger census efforts with other NGOs in the state of Andhra Pradesh with the Forest Department in Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary and Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, two of the four sites for this years' census in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
There is no doubt that the census this time will be closely watched by wildlife bodies and conservation NGOs, for if there is a very large reduction in the tiger populations, this may well be the first major disaster in the history of the Project Tiger, until now one of the most successful species conservation programmes in the world.
Vikram Aditya,
OIYP 2004 Action Partner, India.
Dear Voice,
I guess many things have changed in our lives after about one year and I hope we also managed to change many things in people's lives... I moved in February to New York city for an internship under the United Nations Fund for Populations (UNFPA)'s Special Youth Program and I'm working closely with Joya that you might all remember. It was so nice to see her again and to remember together OIYP's great times!!
I'm working with the Arab States Division here at UNFPA's HQ as well as the Adolescent Youth Cluster and most of my work is focusing on Youth and Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health. It's very interesting, but I really miss my patients and the hospital and I'm impatient to get back to my duties and consultations. When I go back to Morocco, I will need to do some more practice (mainly surgery and emergencies), take some exams, prepare my thesis and think of specialization. But I'm here until the end of July, so if anyone feels like visiting the Big Apple, a huge MARHABA!!!!
