[governance] TR: Intl Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples [Multilingualism]

Wed Aug 10 19:00:29 EDT 2011

Dear All,

The article below was sent to me and I thought I should share it with you.
It's relevance to Internet Governance would be the WGIG 2005 Report where
"multilingualism" was identified as a policy thematic area.

Apparently, 9th August is the International Day of the World's Indigenous
Peoples.

There are two articles below:

Also in support of *International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, 9
August is a statement by Hon Tariana Turia and Hon Dr Pita Sharples
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1108/S00115/my-language-is-the-window-to-my-soul.htm
*

*"my language is the window to my soul"*

*Tuesday, 9 August 2011, 2:41 pm*
*Speech: The Maori Party* ****

MEDIA STATEMENT
*Hon Tariana Turia and Hon Dr Pita Sharples*
*Maori Party Co-Leaders*
*Tuesday 9 August 2011* ****

Ko taku reo taku ohooho, ko taku reo taku mapihi mauria; ****

*My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul. *****

Maori Party Co-leaders, Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia, have chosen
*International
Day of World Indigenous Peoples* to speak out strongly in support of Pacific
nations in their call to promote the status of Pasifika languages in
Aotearoa. ****

“August 9 is our special day across the globe, when we celebrate the
distinctive cultures of an estimated 370 million indigenous peoples.
Indigenous peoples speak more than 4000 of the nearly 7000 languages which
are still spoken in the world” said Dr Sharples ****

“When we heard the call from our Pacific whanaunga to promote the
significance of Pasifika languages it was a call to the heart which we are
duty bound to take up”. ****

“The support the Maori Party has been able to give to Te Ataarangi; to Te
Reo Mauriora, to kura kaupapa Maori and to kohanga reo in the revitalisation
of te reo Maori, has been amongst some of our most important achievements”.
****

“The theme for 2011, “*Indigenous Designs: Celebrating Stories and Cultures,
Crafting Our Own Future,”* highlights the need to preserve indigenous
cultures” said Tariana Turia. ****

“We endorse the call from Pasifika peoples, for official recognition to be
given in Aotearoa to the languages of Niue, Cook Islands, Tokelau, Samoa and
Tonga, as promoting and protecting Pacific languages; and thereby nurturing
the spirit and the strength of the peoples. ****

We have been greatly concerned at the impact of changes the Ministry of
Education has made in eliminating bilingualism goals and a lack of support
for two series of resources, Tupu (published in five Pasifika languages) and
Folauga (published in Samoan)". ****

“There is a huge volume of research demonstrating that bilingual education
has proven ability to enhance students’ performance in English academic
areas, especially language and mathematics” said Mrs Turia. ****

“We firmly believe – as we have seen with Maori immersion achievement – that
Pacific children who are bilingual will eventually show better educational
achievement than those who are not”. ****

"While we understand the Ministry may be reviewing the format of bilingual
material, we hope that there will new impetus in supporting the call from
Pacific language groups, for promoting and supporting language growth" said
Dr Sharples. ****

“The Maori Party is taking the opportunity of World Indigenous Peoples Day
to encourage the New Zealand Government to support Pacific languages, and
enable and support Pacific communities to continue to nurture their own
languages”. ****

ENDS****

** **

** **

*
*

*International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, 9 August

*8 August 2011

Kia ora,

tomorrow is the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, which
is marked annually on 9 August in recognition of the first meeting of the UN
Working Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva in 1982. The theme of the
Day this year is 'Indigenous designs: celebrating stories and cultures,
crafting our own future'.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' statement for the Day is below,
and there is a video by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples, James Anaya, at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzjr0Ha_ofY&feature=youtu.be<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzjr0Ha_ofY&feature=youtu..be>The
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues' page with information about
the
Day is at
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/news_internationalday2011.html

 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/news_internationalday2011..html>This
message is available online at
http://www.facebook.com/notes/peace-movement-aotearoa/international-day-of-the-worlds-indigenous-peoples/217462811634429

*High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Let us ensure that development for
some is not to the detriment of the human rights of others”

*5 August 2011

Following is the statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights Navi Pillay on the occasion of the International Day of the World’s
Indigenous People which is commemorated on 9 August:

“As we celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People this
year, many of the estimated 370 million indigenous peoples around the world
have lost, or are under imminent threat of losing, their ancestral lands,
territories and natural resources because of unfair and unjust exploitation
for the sake of ‘development.’ On this day, let us ask the crucial question:
who actually benefits from this so-called development, and at what cost is
such development taking place?

When indigenous communities are alienated from their lands because of
development and natural resource extraction projects, they are often left to
scrape an existence on the margins of society. This is certainly not a sign
of development. Many such projects result in human rights violations
involving forced evictions, displacement and even loss of life when social
unrest and conflict over natural resources erupt. This is certainly not what
we mean by development. Natural resource extraction projects such as mining
are land-intensive and water-intensive and often directly affect the
collective rights of indigenous peoples to their lands and territories.

All too often we see conflict between corporations, indigenous peoples and
the State over development projects which are initiated without consultation
or consent of the very people who are dispossessed of their land.

In Malaysia, for example, planned hydroelectric dam projects in Sarawak and
Sabah have caused great concern for indigenous peoples, who are either being
displaced or dispossessed of their lands. The Penan people have received
threats and there are reports of harassment of the Penan by workers of
logging companies. Various complaints and claims have prompted SUHAKAM,
Malaysia’s human rights commission, to initiate a national inquiry on the
land rights of indigenous peoples.

In India, social unrest and conflicts over land acquisition for development
and mining projects have increased in recent years. Adivasis defending their
ancestral lands and community forests are often subject to threats and
harassment, despite the existence of constitutional protections, Supreme
Court judgments and progressive national legislation requiring consent of
tribal communities, and community rights over forest use. In a positive
development in 2010 the Ministry of Environment and Forests in India stopped
the Orissa government and Vedanta, a multinational mining company
headquartered in the United Kingdom, from mining in the Niyamgiri hilltop in
Kalahandi district, since such an operation would severely affect the
ecology of the area and the situation of the Dongria Kondh Adivasi people
living in the mountains.

Threats against anti-logging activists working to protect the Amazon forest
in Brazil have been long ongoing. Recently, José Claudio Ribeiro da Silva
and his wife Maria de Espirto, both anti-logging activists and defenders of
indigenous peoples’ rights were killed in the Brazilian state of Para. My
Office continues to directly monitor the impact of extractive industries and
development projects in a number of other countries, including Bolivia,
Cambodia, Guatemala and Mexico.

In many cases, extractive activities in indigenous territories are pursued
by multinational companies headquartered in developed countries. Moreover,
extractive industries are often present in the areas inhabited by indigenous
peoples in these nations. For example, intensive oil and gas development
continues in northern Alberta, Canada in the areas where the long-standing
land claims by the Lubicon Lake Nation remain unresolved. In the Nordic
countries, the Sami are concerned about the impact of mining, forestry and
other natural resource extraction on reindeer husbandry.

Many States maintain contradictory or antiquated laws on mining and land
acquisition for development. These laws must be re-assessed to determine if
they are consistent with international human rights standards and
principles.. Such reviews must be conducted in consultation with indigenous
peoples and in good faith.

Indeed, proper consultations must be conducted with indigenous peoples at
all stages of the development and natural resource extraction cycle. They
are entitled to full disclosure of environmental, social and human right
impact assessments in a language of their choice. States should also provide
financial and technical support to enable indigenous peoples to consult with
corporations. When indigenous peoples consent to such projects, they should
have a right to a fair share of benefits from activities on their lands. And
where projects proceed without consent, mechanisms for redress are required.
International and national institutions financing such projects must ensure
their operational policies and guidelines are consistent with international
human rights standards and principles.

On their part, extractive companies have a responsibility to respect human
rights. This was affirmed in June 2011 by the UN Human Rights Council when
adopting the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The UN
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples makes explicit reference to
free, prior and informed consent. It is very clear about this requirement
for the “development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other
resources”. This is further reinforced by international treaties such as ILO
Convention No. 169 and in the jurisprudence of human rights treaty bodies,
in particular the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The right to development is a human right for all, and indigenous peoples
have the right to define and determine their own development. On this
International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, let us ensure that
development for some is not to the detriment of the human rights of others.
Let us work together to ensure true development for all.” - HC11/071E ****

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