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International
Day of the World's Indigenous People
August 9
"…we rejoice
in the richness of indigenous cultures and the special
contributions they make to the human family. We also recall the
tremendous challenges which so many indigenous peoples face,
ranging from unacceptable levels of poverty and disease to
dispossession, discrimination, and denial of basic human
rights."
Secretary General Kofi Annan, in
observance of the
International Day of the World's
Indigenous People, 2005
The growing recognition that
indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable and
marginalized of the rural poor is especially relevant to renewed
efforts to reduce global poverty. The involvement of indigenous
people in defining development objectives, identifying the
barriers that confront them, and designing programs that address
their specific circumstances is necessary to achieving
development goals.
Key Facts:
-
Indigenous peoples represent
one-third of the world's 900 million extremely poor rural
people, though they constitute only about four percent of the
world's population.
-
Indigenous peoples live in every
region of the world, with about 70 percent living in Asia.
-
The Amazon River Basin is home to
about 400 different indigenous groups. While the land accounts
for just seven percent of the world's surface area, it harbors
more than half of its biodiversity.
-
Indigenous peoples suffer higher
rates of poverty, landlessness, malnutrition, and internal
displacement than the rest of society, and have lower levels of
literacy and less access to health services.
IFAD is working in partnership
with indigenous peoples, supporting their self-empowerment so
that they can address the root causes of their marginalization.
These partnerships have identified a variety of program
activities that enable indigenous peoples to overcome barriers
to their well-being:
o
Securing access to ancestral lands
and territories
-
Empowerment through capacity
building and genuine participation; strengthening indigenous
peoples' institutions and judicial systems; and building
coalitions of indigenous peoples
-
Valuing and revitalizing indigenous
knowledge systems and cultures; promoting inter-cultural
awareness; and supporting bilingual and cross-cultural education
-
Promoting indigenous women's
capacity for autonomous action in community affairs
In 2004, IFAD allocated $155.8
million in loans and $2.7 million in grants for projects in
support of indigenous peoples.
Fact Sheet on Indigenous Peoples:
http://www.ifad.org/pub/factsheet/ip/e.pdf
"Indigenous Peoples and
Sustainable Development: A Discussion Paper":
http://www.ifad.org/gbdocs/gc/26/e/ip.pdf
"Valuing Diversity in Sustainable
Development: IFAD Experience with Indigenous Peoples in Latin
America and Asia":
http://www.ifad.org/events/wssd/ip/ip.pdf
Cheryl Morden
Interim Director
North American Liaison Office
International Fund for Agricultural Development
1775 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington, DC 20006
Tel. 202.331.9099
Fax 202.331.9366
www.ifad.org |
