MyNewsletterBuilder :: June Newsletter

Alyssa Macy

A Message from the Editor

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) E-News. The purpose of the IITC E-News is to share information about the work that IITC and its affiliates are involved in throughout the globe, policy development as it pertains to Indigenous Peoples, and information on international global gatherings for Indigenous Peoples.

The E-News replaces our long standing print newsletter and we look forward to this new mode of communication for the organization and to sharing our struggles and victories with our affiliates, the communities we serve, supporters, and others from throughout the globe.

Warmest regards,

Alyssa Macy
Editor, Treaty Council E-News
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon

IITC Annual Conference begins June 19 in Chimaltenango, Guatemala

The 34th Annual International Conference of the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) will take place in the city of Chimaltenango, Guatemala, from June 19 to 22, 2008, at ASECSA, 6 Calle 4-70 Zona 1, Quintas los Aposentos Chimaltenango. The conference will focus on strategic topics that will assist us in our struggles to promote and defend the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

IITC-Guatemala is looking forward to the most diverse, pluralistic participation of representatives and authorities of Indigenous Peoples from the IITC member countries, as well as from all countries whose people have a keen interest in discussing strategies, plans, programs, visions and goals to continue working towards the challenging objective of ending the racism, discrimination, oppression, marginalization, exploitation, and imposition we, the Indigenous Peoples, are currently facing. Although certain advances have been made in the field of domestic and international law, they are as yet insufficient. Indeed, in practice our Peoples continue to face a difficult situation and are struggling to survive as Indigenous Peoples.

For any communication related to the conference, please write to: Email: Conferencia2008@treatycouncil.org, as well as to Francisco Cali +502-5722-8480 francisco@treatycoucnil.org or franciscocali@hotmail.com Andrea Carmen: 1-907-745-4482 andrea@treatycouncil.org, Alberto Saldamando: 1-415-641-4482 alberto@treatycouncil.org, or visit the IITC Website: www.treatycouncil.org.

We look forward to seeing you in Chimaltenango, Guatemala.

CITI Guatemala, CEPRODI, Oxlajuj Ajpop de los Ajq'ijab', Defensoría Maya,
Asociación Sotzil, Centro Pluricultural por la Democracia, Tzu Kim Pop, Sakbe, Asociación el Adelanto, Movimiento Político Xelju, Fundación Cholsamaj, FUNDADESE, FODIGUA, Asociación Wajshaquib Batz’, Asociación Crecer, CALAS, Ak Tenamit, Sakbe, Asociación de Organizaciones Indígenas de Sacatepequéz

AGENDA IITC CONFERENCE IN GUATEMALA/AGENDA,CONFERENCIA DE CITI EN GUATEMALA

S. Illinois University, May 2008

IITC's Capacity-building & Human Rights Training Program for Tribes and Indigenous Communities

Summary
The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), founded in 1974, is an organization of Indigenous Peoples working for human rights, environmental justice and self-determination for Indigenous Peoples and the recognition and protection of their human rights, treaties, traditional cultures and sacred lands. In 1977, IITC was the first Indigenous organization to receive Consultative Status to the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Council.

The IITC's Human Rights Training and Capacity-building Program provides training and capacity-building for Indigenous Peoples, Tribes, grass roots communities, networks and organizations. Its focus is to expand awareness and build the active, informed use of international standards and mechanisms in support of local human rights issues, struggles and campaigns.

Consultations, trainings and workshops take place by invitation in tribal communities and gatherings, as well as through dissemination of educational materials, technical and legal assistance for filing cases and urgent action communications, "training trainers" in communities and mentorship at international fora.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TRAINING PROGRAM, CLICK HERE.

Right to Food Training Material Available to Communities

IITC has developed a PowerPoint entitled “Indigenous Peoples’ Advocacy for a Rights and Culturally-based Approach to Food Security”/“Los Pueblos Indígenas y la Promoción de la Seguridad Alimentaria, basada en los derechos y las perspectivas culturales”. This PowerPoint includes information on the international mechanisms that deal with the Right to Food and food sovereignty as well as case studies of how Indigenous Peoples are working to address this issue in their communities. The PowerPoint is available online in English and Spanish by visiting the IITC website at www.treatycouncil.org

The powerpoint is dedicated to Cristian, from the Yaqui community in Mexico, who recently passed away after a 12 year struggle with health conditions caused by his mother's exposure to toxic pesticides when she was a field worker (see slide 24). Cristian is one of many children who have suffered from pesticide-related health effects. We will continue the fight on this issue in his memory!

View of 2008 UNPFII

IITC Editorial: Looking ahead from the UNPFII 8th Session

The IITC shares the concerns of many Indigenous Peoples about what happened at the 8th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, especially on the final day of the session.

As most of you know by now, there was a protest in the room that day, mainly involving Latin America Indigenous delegates. They insisted on their right to speak in order to state their strong objections to certain provisions of the draft report regarding Climate Change. After some pretty confrontational and heated moments, they were permitted by the Chair, Ms. Victoria Tauli Corpus, to present a statement voicing their concerns.

Their main problems were paragraphs in the report addressing some of the dubious and even destructive (in our view and the view of many others) strategies currently being promoted by some as “solutions” to Climate Change such the “Clean Energy Investment Framework” and in particular, the World Bank’s REDD (“Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation”) initiative. Members of the Permanent Forum and the Secretariat have since pointed out that text had both been added and deleted in the final draft of the report to reflect some of these concerns. But many Indigenous delegations had called for complete removal of the objectionable paragraphs and the statement they read on the last day reiterated that call.

Thank You Madame Chair.

One of the 5 key objectives of the UN General Assembly Plan of Action for the 2^nd International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is “promoting full and effective participation of indigenous peoples in decisions which directly or indirectly affect their lifestyles, traditional lands and territories, their cultural integrity as indigenous peoples with collective rights or any other aspect of their lives, considering the principle of free, prior and informed consent”.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples repeatedly affirms the Right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent for Indigenous Peoples in a variety of contexts. These include redress, restitution, settlement and dispute resolution affecting lands and resources, as well as in development activities, judicial and legislative processes which may impact them.

FPIC can now be asserted as the operative human rights framework for concluding new Nation to Nation Treaties, as well as for negotiations pertaining to Agreements and Constructive Arrangements. FPIC is the operative principle though which the parties establish, in equal and full partnership, the terms, processes, mechanisms and criteria for settling disputes arising from the failure to implement and respect existing Treaties and agreements.