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| Sunday, 8 August 2004 |
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Tomorrow is International Day of World's Indigenous People International Day of the World's Indigenous People falls on August 9. Among many indigenous people are the Indians of the Americas, the Inuit and Aleutians of the circumpolar region, the saami of northern Europe, the Aborigines and Torre Strait Islanders of Australia, the Maori of New Zealand and Veddas of Sri Lanka. Throughout human history, whenever dominant neighbouring peoples have expanded their territories or settlers from far away have acquired new lands by force, the cultures and livelihoods-even the existence- of indigenous people have been endangered. Indigenous people inhabit large areas of the earth's surface. Spread across the world from the Arctic to the South Pacific, they number, at a rough estimate, some 300 million. Indigenous or aboriginal peoples are so-called because they were living on their lands before settlers came from elsewhere; they are the descendants-according to one definition-of those who inhabited a country or a geographical region at the time when people of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived, the new arrivals later becoming dominant through conquest, occupation, settlement or other means. August 9 is the International Day of the World's Indigenous People as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994. The date marks the day of the first meeting in 1992 of the working group on indigenous populations of the sub commission on the promotion and protection of human rights. Indigenous peoples, all over the world, are excluded from decision-making processes. Many are marginalized, exploited and forcefully assimilated. They are subjected to repression, torture and murder when they speak out in defence of their rights. Fearing persecution, they often become refugees and sometimes must hide their identity, abandoning their languages and traditional customs. In spite of cultural and ethnic diversity, there are often striking similarities between the problems, grievances and interest of the various indigenous peoples and therefore in their presentations to international forums. Participation of indigenous communities and organisations in United Nations meetings has served to highlight these similarities. It has often been the case-particularly since the emergence of new nations in the wave of decolonization which followed the Second World War-that indigenous people insist on retaining their separate identity and cultural heritage. It is now generally admitted that policies of assimilation and integration aimed at bringing these groups fully into the mainstream of majority populations are often counter-productive. Since its establishment, the United Nations has, nevertheless, as part of its overall human rights work, addressed some situations which affect indigenous peoples. In 2000, Economic and Social Council established the Permanent Forum on indigenous issues as a subsidiary organ. The year 1993 was designated as the international year of the world's indigenous people, at the end of which the General Assembly proclaimed the international decade of the world's indigenous people (1995-2004). It is aimed at fostering partnerships to improve the living conditions of the indigenous people. For far too long indigenous peoples' lands have been taken away, their cultures denigrated, their languages and customs suppressed, their wisdom and traditional knowledge overlooked, says Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations in his message on the International Day of the World's Indigenous People. He calls upon governments, inter-governmental organisations and civil society to work towards empowering indigenous peoples and ensuring their participation in decisions that affect their lives. |
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