Occupying a position marked by ethnic discrimination, social exclusion and violated rights, the Batwa ‘Pygmies’ of Africa’s Great Lakes region continue to fight a battle for equality that is steadily deteriorating their society.  The Batwa, a forest hunter-gatherer group numbering approximately 70,000 to 80,000[1], are spread throughout Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  Continually disabled by dominant neighbors and deforestation, today, the Batwa struggle is fu

Tribal representation in the federal government has long been criticized for a lack of native consultation and a failure to take Native tribes seriously as true sovereign nations. Over the past few months, tensions between Native organizations and the Department of Interior (DOI) have grown to historically high levels as hopes for meaningful reform have turned sour.

Nominations are being accepted for the 2003 Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership in Conservation, sponsored by Ecotrust. The $25,000 award will be presented to an individual whose leadership has improved the economic, environmental, political and social conditions in his or her region. The award may be used for one or more of the following activities: professional development, program improvement, research, or a traditional activity, or ceremonial participation. Additional information is available from Ecotrust. Who may be nominated?

After five days of a hunger strike, an opposition coalition within the Bolivian national congress has found its conditions met and is ready to end this stage of resistance. The coalition, comprising the Pachakuti Indigenous Movement (MIP), the Movement Towards Socialism (MAP) and the New Republican Force (NFR), joined protesters in demanding a second emergency session of Congress to discuss compensation for the victims of Bolivia’s previous dictatorships etc.

A commission sponsored by the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations has called for Indonesia to give Papua more powers of self-government. The commission says the key to peace in the region is the immediate implementation of the “Special Autonomy Law”. It recommends that power sharing be put into practice by Indonesia, in lieu of plans to divide Papua into three provinces. Also, it cautions that a continuance of extreme violence in Papua could destabilize the entire country, and that a military crackdown could lead to calls for humanitarian intervention from the international community.

National Party leader Bill English has called for an end to the exclusively Maori seats in Parliament. Mr. English has argued that “modern Maori are highly skilled operators in our current political system, their voices are heard at every level and the Maori seats have outlived their usefulness." This view has been rejected by the New Zealand Government, which counters that the Maori seats “safeguard against tyranny of the majority.” The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is also opposed to English’s plan.

"Before the gold was yellow, now it is black, but the color of the blood that pays for them continues being red, continues being Indian..."- U'wa Traditional Authorities

“Plan Colombia is a death sentence for us… [It] is a plan for violence. The money the United States is spending in Plan Colombia will go to protecting the international companies by purchasing arms, more sophisticated equipment, and to constructing military bases in the richest [resource] zones.” - Roberto Perez, President, U'wa Traditional Authority, Feb 7, 2001

The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (known as MONUC) confirmed in a January 15 report accusations that rebel soldiers in the northeast have been murdering and cannibalizing the indigenous Mbuti, or Pygmies, and other civilians in the region. MONUC documented witness accounts of Mbuti being killed and eaten, or forced to cook remains of their neighbors and relatives near the town of Beni.

The Norwegian University of Tromso Center for Sami Studies is at the forefront of Sami advocacy, research, sustainability studies, education, and cultural preservation. The University offers specialized degrees, hosts lectures, steers committees, holds forums, provides multilingual courses, and awards grants to scholars and organizations. Much of their efforts are aimed specifically at sustaining and studying the Sami culture.

The European Roma Rights Center released a report on September 12 describing the ongoing human rights abuses and marginalization suffered by Roma in Poland. The report, entitled “The Limits of Solidarity: Roma in Poland After 1989”, examines episodes of racially motivated violence and discrimination against Roma, and the systematic judicial neglect of Romani victims. The document provides a detailed and troubling picture of the Roma’s exclusion from and persecution in many sectors of Polish society.