Inclusive dialogue with Indigenous Peoples and the government in Kenya
We are excited to sign an agreement with the Ogiek Peoples Development Program at COP16 to expand our collaboration with and for the Ogiek Peoples and their forests.
FSC-IF
The Ogiek People have a deep, ancestral connection to the Mau Forest, viewing it as not just a physical space, but a vital part of their cultural identity and cosmovion. As guardians of this rich ecosystem, the Ogiek have practiced sustainable land management techniques for millenia that reflect their profound understanding of the forest’s biodiversity. Their traditional knowledge ensures the forest remains healthy and resilient.
In the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity COP16, the FSC Indigenous Foundation signed an agreement with the Ogiek Peoples Development Program (OPDP) building on our existing project for Ogiek women’s socio-economic empowerment. We will expand our collaboration to support a dialogue between the Ogiek Peoples and government institutions regarding policies based on Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
Through this work, the Ogiek People will be able to sustainably manage and restore their forests while advocating for their rights and recognition of their traditional knowledge.
Read an article authored by OPDP Executive Director Daniel Kobei on how the Ogiek People are conserving medicinal forest plants for future generations.
Watch the video below to learn about the connection between the Ogiek People and biodiversity.
Join us in supporting Indigenous Peoples’ rights and their invaluable connection to our forests. Together, we can support Indigenous Peoples to protect these vital landscapes for future generations.
For more information, please contact:
Salina Sanou
FSC-IF Regional Director for Africa and Asia and IPARD Deputy Director
Indigenous women’s organizations of Quetzaltenango and Totonicapán, Guatemala gathered to share knowledge, experiences, and strategies, and dialogue with stakeholders.
FSC-IF
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala – The FSC Indigenous Foundation, in collaboration with Hivos and the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB), through the Coordinating Committee of Women Territorial Leaders of Mesoamerica (CMLT), organized a National Meeting of Indigenous Women’s Organizations of Quetzaltenango and Totonicapán, Guatemala. This significant event, part of the Indigenous Women’s Economic Empowerment (I-WEE) Initiative, took place on August 8 and 9, to strengthen the empowerment and advocacy of Indigenous women.
The event brought together more than 100 delegates from over 30 Indigenous women’s organizations participating in the I-WEE initiative and key stakeholders from international cooperation and private and public sectors. It served as a platform to explore new solutions and strategies for Indigenous women to be at the center of economic and political actions.
Participants shared knowledge, experiences, and strategies on three crucial topics:
Indigenous women’s political participation and advocacy
Addressing violence against Indigenous women
Economic empowerment of Indigenous women
The Mayan cosmovision was the foundation of the event, opening each day with an offering of gratitude and closing with a spiritual moment. Participants sat in a circle around an altar in the center with offerings of candles symbolizing the four cardinal points, as well as the Heart of Heaven, the Heart of the Earth, and flowers. The slogan for the event was “Weaving Life.”
Day 1: Empowerment and recognition among Indigenous women
During the first day, delegates of Indigenous women’s organizations connected, shared wisdom, and discussed their experiences on the three key topics.
In the first word circle, “Indigenous women and their participation in politics, in decision-making spaces and the challenges and opportunities encountered,” Indigenous women emphasized the importance of being recognized as active subjects in politics and decision-making. They shared challenges such as violence, machismo, competition between women, and discrimination, for example for wearing their traditional clothing. They proposed solutions for increasing the visibility of Indigenous women, starting in the family, all the way to participation in politics. Media and communications can be a tool for change. Another solution proposed was the need for workshops for men to understand how to treat and work with women. One conclusion was clear – the need for regulations promoting parity and alternation, not just in the political sphere.
Those who did not have the opportunity to speak added their ideas with post-it notes to the wall, and this information was collected and incorporated into the dialogues the following day with stakeholders.
The next word circle, “Advocacy actions that can be implemented by communities to reduce violence against Indigenous women,” featured two life stories of Indigenous women survivors of violence who have managed to leave abusive relationships. They have taken on leadership roles in their communities, helping others to overcome violence.
Solutions were proposed at all levels, including the need for justice; training for women on rights and for the staff of institutions that guarantee women’s rights on how to provide dignified, respectful, accessible, and culturally relevant care; and the importance of self-love.
“I feel fortunate to be a Mayan woman,” said one participant.
Participants also discussed the importance of healing processes and ceremonies, and Nan Graciela Velasquez Chuc led a healing process with plants.
The final word circle of the day, “What is being done for the economic development and entrepreneurship of Indigenous women” included interventions from women involved in various economic projects, from textiles to chocolate and tomatoes. In the absence of political participation due to racism, economic development was noted as a key channel for Indigenous women’s empowerment.
Women shared their stories to create businesses, highlighting key challenges such as water scarcity, harvest loss, sanitary licenses, organizational strengthening, production equipment, and the need for increased technical knowledge. Indigenous women’s organizations have been overcoming these challenges through knowledge exchanges, healing from the Mayan cosmovision, and articulating exactly what they wanted to achieve. One participant noted that this is the definition of empowerment – knowing what you want and seeing the path to achieve it.
As a closing of this word circle, Patricia Chuc led a self-care and wellness activity that incorporated breathing, motion, and water.
The day concluded with a cultural evening with a performance by the Maya Kaqchikel group Sotz’il Jay and a reading by Mayan poet Negma Coy. It invited a reflection on how art can be healing and a uniting force.
Day 2: Collaborative dialogues with key actors
On the second day, key actors from communities, Indigenous Peoples’ authorities, local and national governments, UN agencies, implementing partners, multilateral organizations, businesses, and civil society joined the event for inclusive dialogues. The contributions and insights from Indigenous women gathered the previous day were organized into prioritized topics. These were then shared during the dialogues to ensure the creation of impactful actions and strategies that consider the identity and culture of Indigenous women.
The first dialogue “Actions to promote the political participation of Indigenous women” highlighted the importance of Indigenous women’s own mobilization and advocacy. Participants also noted the need for transparent information on resources directed to them, and for projects and programs that respond to Indigenous women’s realities, priorities, and leadership.
Indigenous women’s power and valuable contributions were highlighted, especially in the promotion of peace. Women have different ways of seeing and making decisions, and this complementarity is needed at all levels. One Indigenous woman participant noted the “wealth of the struggles we have in common.”
At the end of this dialogue, the Indigenous women participants read the demands they had formulated the day before, which included: reform of the Electoral and Political Parties Law, promoting that each political party has at least 50% participation of Indigenous women; creation and promotion of opportunities for women by the State to participate in socio-political environments under equal conditions; strengthening and financing of institutions created to protect and promote the rights of Indigenous women.
The second dialogue “Actions to prevent and reduce violence against Indigenous women” highlighted the importance of education of women and youth on their rights.
The women’s demands included: a judicial system that responds effectively to complaints of violence with cultural relevance; better medical and psychological health care for survivors of violence, as well as training for health personnel; mass visual and radio awareness campaigns aimed at the entire population to promote a culture of peace and prevention of violence; culturally relevant care for women in Mother languages with respect for their culture, beliefs, and way of life; laws, policies, plans and programs in favor of women respond to their needs and emerge from the grassroots level.
The final dialogue of the day “I support economic development and Indigenous women’s entrepreneurship” highlighted the need for concrete and transparent funding, beyond words of commitment.
The women read their demands in this area, mentioning: facilitating market access for Indigenous women’s products; providing women with seed capital to strengthen their enterprises; providing Indigenous women with new technologies and capacity building for their use, together with their Indigenous knowledge; promoting spaces for the exchange of experiences at the local, national, regional and international levels with Indigenous women entrepreneurs; and that implementing partners do not duplicate efforts, but rather develop integral processes according to their specialties to support enterprises.
To close the two-day event, participants received recognition awards created in wood with the name of the event in ancient Mayan epigraphic writing, before an energetic closing before the alter to end the two-day meeting.
Pioneering elements of this initiative
The FSC Indigenous Foundation introduced several pioneering elements at the event, emphasizing an Indigenous women’s cosmovision perspective.
One of the key innovations was providing simultaneous interpretation in the Mayan languages K’iche’ and Mam, in addition to Spanish and English, to facilitate participation in the women’s mother languages. The FSC-IF, in collaboration with Angloservicios, provided training for the K’iche’ and Mam interpreters on using Zoom’s virtual interpretation booths. This likely marks the first time simultaneous interpretation of Indigenous languages has been included in a national event in Guatemala.
Another crucial element was childcare provision, recognizing that many women cannot attend activities and workshops due to childcare responsibilities. The FSC-IF has incorporated childcare in all I-WEE workshops so mothers participate fully while their children engage and learn together. Facilitators used a ludo-pedagogical methodology, incorporating elements of the Mayan cosmovision for the children.
The way forward
This event underscores the commitment of the FSC Indigenous Foundation and its partners to support Indigenous women’s organizations in Guatemala to lead their development. The Meeting initiated concrete actions to promote Indigenous women’s economic, political, and social empowerment.
FSC-IF will consolidate the results of the dialogues of the meeting together with the demands articulated by Indigenous women. We will return this information to the Indigenous women’s organizations to accompany them, together with partners and allies, in positioning in different spaces and mechanisms of decision-making, resource mobilization, and design and implementation of programs and projects.
We are continuously seeking technical and financial partners to expand our work with I-WEE and other crucial initiatives. If your organization or business is interested in collaborating with us and with Indigenous women for sustainable change, we invite you to connect at fsc.if@fsc.org.
About I-WEE
The I-WEE initiative works with Indigenous women and girls in Guatemala and Honduras to promote their economic empowerment by strengthening capacities, generating enabling environments for their active participation and advocacy, and strengthening productive initiatives led by Indigenous women. It is implemented by FSC-IF in collaboration with partners AMBP, Hivos, UNDP, FAO, and UN Women / Indigenous Women’s Platform and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) with private sector partners.
About FSC Indigenous Foundation
The FSC Indigenous Foundation is a global Indigenous organization promoting Indigenous-led actions for their development and self-reliance. We work to elevate Indigenous Peoples in their contribution to the protection of Mother Earth and recognize them as providers of solutions and partners to fight against global challenges.
The Humanist Institute for the Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos) is an international organization working for a world in which people can realize their full potential and unleash their ingenuity and creativity to build just and sustainable societies for themselves and future generations. Hivos’ mission is to amplify and connect voices that promote social and environmental justice and challenge power imbalances.
Announcement of the Online Course: “Right to Consultation and Free, Prior and Informed Consent”
The course will contribute to the rights and sustainable development of Indigenous Peoples in Central America.
FSC-IF
Panama August 27, 2024
The FSC Indigenous Foundation, in collaboration with the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB), the Autonomous University of Chiapas (UNACH), and Equitable Origin, is proud to announce the start of the online course on the Right to Consultation and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). The course begins today, August 27, 2024, with an opening and induction session to welcome participants and present the course contents and study format.
FPIC is a specific right of Indigenous Peoples recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) that allows Indigenous Peoples to give or withdraw their consent, at any time, concerning projects affecting their territories.
“Historically, our Indigenous Peoples have been expelled from their ancestral lands to make way for extractive projects, violating the good living of many Indigenous Peoples. Empowering ourselves in these processes such as FPIC, allows us to make decisions in any proposed development activity in our Indigenous communities.”
Nely González, Lenca People, Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Honduras (CONPAH), who will participate in this course.
The objective of this course is to empower Indigenous leaders and technicians from countries in Central America to guide their communities and organizations in consultation and advocacy processes, understand and apply national and international legislation on FPIC, and use national and international mechanisms for the effective protection of Indigenous territorial rights.
Through this course, the 50 participants will receive training through five modules with legal lecturers specialized in Indigenous Peoples’ rights on protection and defense of territorial rights, informed consent, and relevant national and international legal mechanisms.
The course will run for three months, meeting weekly. UNACH will certify participants who have satisfactorily completed the course, readings, exercises, and practical work.
We are excited about the start of this training and are confident that this course will contribute significantly to the empowerment of Indigenous Peoples in the region to manage, develop, and govern their territories based on the principles of self-development, environmental stewardship, and respect for their rights.
“It is of great importance to be able to participate in the FPIC course, it provides us with the necessary tools so that our Indigenous Peoples know their rights and are protagonists of the initiatives or projects that they do not accept by imposition, but that the cosmovision of our peoples is respected, the benefits they will acquire and what the risks will be in any scenario.”
Marlene Herández, Ngäbe-Buglé People, Panama, working for Geoveristy and participant in this course
Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Self-Determination: Amplifying Indigenous Youth Voices
Read our statement at the UNPFII 2024: Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ Self-Determination: Amplifying Indigenous Youth Voices.
FSC-IF
Every voice matters, but are we listening enough? Over 50% of the Indigenous population is under the age of 29, each carrying a legacy and a vision for their communities’ future. Today, we spotlight the pivotal voices of these Indigenous youth, who are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but active change-makers today.
The FSC Indigenous Foundation is privileged to address the Twenty-Third Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, focusing on the pivotal theme: “Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination in the context of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: emphasizing the voices of Indigenous youth.”
Empowering Indigenous Youth: A Path to Self-Determination
We acknowledge the vital role of Indigenous youth in driving sustainable development and advancing self-determination. Despite their critical importance, they often face barriers to participate in decision-making processes. To address this, the FSC Indigenous Foundation commits to:
Enabling Participation: We facilitate the active involvement of Indigenous youth in governance, ensuring their voices lead efforts toward self-determination.
Knowledge Exchange and Development: We provide scholarships and training to equip Indigenous youth with business and leadership skills for a global stage.
Integration of Indigenous Knowledge: Recognizing and integrating traditional knowledge of Indigenous youth in global discussions on climate change, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development.
Our Indigenous Fellowship Program allows Indigenous youth from around the world to exchange, dialogue, and strengthen their leadership and networks to implementation of a project in their communities in the areas of climate change, land rights, and Indigenous economies.
Urging Commitment to Self-Determination
We call upon all stakeholders to deepen their commitment to integrating the rights of Indigenous Peoples into policies, programs, and practices. The right to self-determination, enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, is foundational for empowering Indigenous communities to manage their development according to their traditions, values, and aspirations. It is imperative to create frameworks supporting this right and prioritizing the voices of Indigenous youth in all decisions affecting their future.
Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship
Indigenous Peoples are crucial in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification, drought, and food insecurity due to their profound understanding of ecosystems and sustainable practices. Their stewardship exemplifies living in harmony with nature, offering invaluable lessons for global sustainability.
We are working with the Emberá and Wounaan Peoples of Panamato design and pilot a certification label as a mechanism to connect Indigenous Peoples with business opportunities that align with their cosmovision and nature conservation efforts.
Indigenous Rights: A Foundation for Equity and Conservation
Acknowledging Indigenous rights is fundamental for addressing historical injustices and ensuring their participation in society on equal footing. This recognition is crucial for global efforts in biodiversity conservation and combating climate change.
Role of Indigenous Women: Leadership in Sustainability
Indigenous women play a pivotal role in environmental sustainability and social justice. Their leadership and knowledge are essential for preserving cultural traditions and ecological wisdom.
Our Indigenous Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador supports positive actions to empower Indigenous women, youth, and girls to preserve, revitalize, and promote their culture and identity. We work with Indigenous women’s organizations and other partners generate enabling environments for Indigenous women’s active participation and advocacy and strengthen productive initiatives led by Indigenous women.
Indigenous territories are vital for global solutions to climate change and sustainable livelihoods. The FSC Indigenous Foundation urges stakeholders to promote and uphold Indigenous Peoples’ collective right to land in policies and programs.
In conclusion, the FSC Indigenous Foundation remains steadfast in supporting Indigenous youth and advancing the right to self-determination. We invite all stakeholders to join us in this essential endeavor to shape a sustainable, just, and equitable future for all.
