World Bank Steps Up Discussions with Indigenous Groups at this Year's UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Photo Credit: UNPFIIDuring this year’s Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues the World Bank engaged with Indigenous Peoples in a number of formal and informal sessions. Formally these engagements took place during plenary sessions of the Permanent Forum and informally during side events and organized dialogues. The size of the World Bank's team attending the Forum, which came up to 30 people in comparison to just a handful during last year's event,...

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World Indigenous Network Conference 2013

The World Indigenous Network Conference, held in Darwin, Australia, brought together over one thousand indigenous people and local community land and sea managers from the 26th to the 29th of May. The meeting provided an opportunity for indigenous peoples and local communities to share their experiences on community based natural resource management techniques through the hundreds of presentations that took place over the 4-day meeting. The presentations...

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African Caucus Meets with UN Special Rapporteur

Prof James AnayaPhoto Credit: UNDuring the twelfth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) held in New York, representatives of indigenous peoples and organisations may request a meeting with the UN Special Rapporteur, Prof James Anaya, concerning matters falling within his mandate.On Monday, 20 May 2013, on acceptance of their request for a meeting, the Southern African delegation of the African Caucus, accompanied...

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United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Enters Second Week

The twelfth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is currently taking place at United Nations headquarters in New York City from May 20 to May 31. The UNPFII is an advisory body to the UN Economic and Social Council, which is the UN platform on economic and social issues. The UNPFII brings together Indigenous peoples, governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders in unique fashion to collaborate on issues...

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Economics and the Common(s): From Seed Form to Core Paradigm

From the 22nd to the 24th of May, Gino Cocchiaro (Natural Justice) and Britta Rutert (Natural Justice Associate based in Germany) attended a meeting on the commons hosted by the Heinrich Boell Foundation in Berlin, Germany. The meeting sought to show the wide array of commons based methodologies, develop a coherent narrative of these methodologies and plan the next steps for action. To do so, the conference had 5 main streams: 1) Integrating theory...

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Ensuring Climate Finance Effectiveness in Africa

Kulthoum Omari, Heinrich Boell FoundationFrom 21-23 May, Cath Traynor (Natural Justice Associate) participated in the “Ensuring Climate Finance Effectiveness in Africa” workshop in Magaliesburg, South Africa, organised by the Heinrich Boell Foundation, Pan African Justice Alliance, and Transparency International Kenya. The workshop provided a platform for civil society actors and other stakeholders in the region to share experiences, strategies and...

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Natural Justice attends Fracking and Agrarian Transformation Dialogue

On 22 and 23 May 2013, Stephanie Booker of Natural Justice attended the Fracking and Agrarian Transformation Dialogue hosted by the Southern Cape Land Committee (SCLC) in Steytlerville, Eastern Cape.  Attended by 55 community members, farmworkers, local and national non-government organisations, environmental activists, academics and international guests, the dialogue was an opportunity to discuss potential fracking in the Karoo and unite together...

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WIPO launches Draft TK Documentation Tool-Kit at UNPFII in New York

Photo credit: Q"apaj Conde The World Intellectual Property Organization organised a side event during the Twelfth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues discussing the complex issue of documenting traditional knowledge (TK) and challenges and opportunities. During the side event WIPO presented its “Draft WIPO Traditional Knowledge Documentation Toolkit” which sets out practical information on safeguards and best practices...

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NKC Calls on South African Government to Implement Recommendations from Former Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Issues

On Wednesday, 22 May 2013, on the topic of human rights, and during the Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Issues, Prof James Anaya, Mr Cecil Le Fleur, delivered a statement on behalf of the National Khoisan Council in South Africa.  In the statement, Mr Le Fleur called upon the South African government to urgently implement the recommendations of the former Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Issues, Prof Rodolfo Stavenhagen set...

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Statement by Africa Caucus at UNPFII

Baba FestusThe Twelfth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is currently underway in New York.   Issues of health, education, culture and human rights are the central themes that the Forum will be focusing on in this session. During the discussions on education on Tuesday, 21 May 2013, the African Caucus, in a statement to the Forum, advocated for culturally sensitive education for Indigenous Peoples,...

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Spatial Planning for Conservation and Sustainable Development in Sabah

On 23 May, Holly Shrumm (Natural Justice) attended a day-long meeting on spatial planning for conservation and sustainable development in Sabah, Malaysia, which was organised by Hutan and the Malaysian branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Malaysia). With an overall emphasis on establishing the technical information-base for a holistic landscape approach to planning, participants highlighted the following points, among others:The need for...

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Natural Justice Attends Documentary Screening at UNPFII

Filmmaker Nilson Tuwe Huni KuinOn Monday, 20 May 2013 Johanna von Braun and Laureen Manuel of Natural Justice attended the screening of a documentary film produced by, Nilson Tuwe Huni Kuin, an Indigenous filmmaker. The screening of the film was a side event to the Twelfth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), arranged by the UNDP’s Equator Initiative in collaboration with the Tribal Link Foundation....

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Online Debate on RSPO and Palm Oil Sustainability

Darrel Weber, RSPO Secretary GeneralOn 21 May, Holly Shrumm (Natural Justice) joined an online debate hosted by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) on a range of questions concerning palm oil sustainability. The debate was moderated by acclaimed writer and journalist Fred Pearce and the speakers included Darrel Weber (Secretary General, RSPO), Robert Hii (Outreach Manager, Palm Oil Consumers Action), and Lorinda Jane and Michelle Nicol...

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Natural Justice Attends Twelfth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

The Twelfth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) opened on Monday, 20 May 2013 at the UN General Assembly Hall in New York.  The opening address was delivered by Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Mr Wu Hongbo, who also facilitated the ceremonial handing over of the baton of chairmanship by Grand Chief Edward John of the Tl’azt’en Nation in northern...

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Regional Workshop on awareness raiding and capacity-building to support the ABS mechanism under the Nagoya Protocol, Chengdu, China

Arpitha Kodiveri of Natural Justice attended the Regional Workshop on awareness raiding and capacity-building to support the ABS mechanism under the Nagoya Protocol held in Chengdu, China between the 15th- 17th of May,2013 which was organized by ICIMOD. The workshop sought to bring together regions concerned with issues of biodiversity conservation and traditional knowledge across the Hindu Kush Himalayan landscape. Key representatives from Pakistan,...

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Participatory photography workshop held in Melangkap, Sabah

On 16 May, Borneo Conservancy Initiative and Natural Justice co-organised a participatory photography workshop with the five villages of Melangkap in Sabah, Malaysia. The workshop was facilitated by Remmy Alfie Awang, a Global Diversity Foundation community researcher from the nearby village of Bundu Tuhan. Remmy led the community participants through an introduction to digital cameras, the basics of taking pictures, and a practical session around...

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Staff Meeting 13.05.13

Today we were very lucky to have a staff meeting with our Facilitator Mary-Anne Murphy.Lots of thinking, reflection and discussion today.  Below is a link to the presentation:Below is the Padlet we added our ideas to:This is the link to the Google document that we will add to:http://bit.ly/1apG...

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Natural Justice Attends Meeting of the Working Group on Extractive Industries

Following the Secretariat of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights' press release on 25 April 2013, Stephanie Booker of Natural Justice attended a meeting of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights Violations in Pretoria, South Africa on 6 May.In line with the Working Group's mandate to request, gather, receive and exchange information and materials, participants gathered from a number of civil...

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Deulahudi Villagers Map Their Claim Under Forest Rights Act

Deulahudi, a small tribal village in Hrichandanpur Block of Keounjhar District n Odisha, India assembled for a participatory mapping exercise of their Community Forest Resources on 28th April 2013. The gathering was a field exercise carried out in their traditionally protected forest. The village is inhabited by the Kolha (also known as Munda or Ho) Tribe, recognized as one of the 62 Schedule Tribes in Odisha. According to village elders, the village...

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Welcome

Welcome to Frankton Schools eLearning blog. The purpose of this space will be explained short...

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