FIMI/IIWF Participation at the Seventh Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
April 21-May 2, 2008—New York —FIMI events during the Seventh Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Workshop on the Revitalization of Indigenous Languages:Thursday, April 24th 2008 8:00am to 9:30 am, Church Center, 10th Floor
Panel on the Revitalization of Indigenous Languages: Thursday, April 24th 2008, 1:15pm to 2:45 pm, Conference Room 2, UN Headquarters
The focus on raising awareness about Indigenous languages is closely tied to the rights of indigenous peoples to maintain their native tongues and have these respected and recognized by the law of their countries. The discussion will center on the challenges posed by linguistic erosion that endanger not only a language but a culture as well. In losing a language, indigenous peoples also lose remnants of traditional knowledge and the diversity that are integral to their heritage. The panel will propose a course of action to prevent any further threat to indigenous languages by integrating these languages into educational and political institutions to ensure their preservation.
Violence against Indigenous Women & Climate Change: Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 3:00pm to 4:25pm Conference Room 2, UN Headquarters
The Violence against Indigenous Women & Climate Change: The Importance of Stewardship, Community Livelihoods, and Spirituality panel will explore a few manifestations of violence against Indigenous women through the lens of climate change. Specifically, the panel will address the role of women's organizations in stewardship of animals and the environment, sustainable livelihoods in urban environments and the preservation of sacred spiritual places. Using definitions of violence against women and gender-based violence from an Indigenous perspective, it will report on tools and mechanisms for successful action and propose recommendations for integrating these perspectives into public policies.
Workshop on Organizing and Mobilizing Resources on the Ground to Respond to the Impact of Climate Change: Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 8:00am to 9:30am Church Center, 10th Floor
The realities of climatic change will be discussed as to how they relate to the plight of Indigenous Peoples across the world. The workshop aims to identify the effects environmental changes will have on the livelihood of Indigenous Peoples who for the most part do not contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases but yet are disproportionately affected because of their close relationship to their surroundings and to the land. As part of initiatives to lessen the detrimental effects of climate changes on Indigenous Peoples, strategies that integrate capacity building, environmental conservation, and plans for sustainable development will be discussed and debated in detail to extract the benefits and drawbacks associated with each method.