FIMI's Board of Directors
Lucy Mulenkei, Executive Director of the Indigenous Information Network (IIN) in Nairobi, is a Maasai leader and an expert in sustainable development and environmental preservation. IIN was founded by Indigenous Peoples in 1996 to enhance and maintain the capacity of Indigenous Peoples and to protect their rights and ensure their participation in development. Completely managed by volunteers, IIN publishes the biannual magazine Nomadic News, devoted to development issues of concern to Indigenous pastoral communities in Kenya; works for socioeconomic empowerment for women and men; and promotes conservation and environmental identity. At the United Nations World Conference Against Racism in South Africa in 2001, Ms. Mulenkei addressed the official assembly of government representatives on behalf of the Indigenous Peoples of Africa.
Lea Mackenzie is currently Senior Policy Advisor of International Policy and Relations at the Assembly of First Nations. She is also a member of the Project Review Committee of the Indigenous Peoples Partnership Program (IPPP) at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and a member of the International Indigenous Women's Forum (IIWF). Ms. Mackenzie has worked for the AFN as an Advisor on International Indigenous Women's Issues and as Chief of Staff to National Chief, Phil Fontaine. Lea has also gained extensive experience in the Federal Government, as she worked for the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development for seven years. During that time, Lea held positions ranging from environment to human resources and corporate services, and served as a policy advisor to the Deputy Minister and Associate Deputy Minister.
Tarcila Rivera is the Executive Director of CHIRAPAQ, an organization based in rural Ayacucho department in Peru. CHIRAPAQ offers human rights trainings, distributes information on Indigenous cultures and rights, and investigates violations of Indigenous Peoples' rights. The organization also works to eradicate poverty and hunger in the Andean region through community programs that increase self-sufficiency and access to food and expand the community's economic base. An Indigenous Quechua from Ayacucho, Ms. Rivera is a popular educator and renowned advocate for the international recognition of Indigenous rights. She has served as a resource person to the NGO Committee on Indigenous Rights, and she advocates for sexual and reproductive rights at the local, national, regional, and international levels.
Victoria Tauli Corpuz is Executive Director of the Tebtebba Foundation (Indigenous Peoples' International Center for Policy Research & Education), an organization that has United Nations consultative status and is based in Baguio City, Philippines. Ms. Tauli Corpuz is on the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations and a member of the Asia Indigenous Women's Network. She has a Nursing degree; is an Indigenous activist who is committed to the recognition, protection, and promotion of Indigenous Peoples' rights worldwide; and has been defending the rights and cultures of Indigenous Peoples for more than 30 years.
Mónica Alemán is MADRE's Program Director and an Indigenous Miskita youth leader from Nicaragua. Ms. Alemán was among the planners and organizers of the International Youth Summit at the UN World Conference Against Racism in 2001. She was instrumental in establishing a Special Unit for Youth within the UN High Commission for Human Rights and creating a policy in this agency to mainstream youth issues. Ms. Alemán is a founder and current coordinator of the International Indigenous Women's Forum (IIWF/FIMI).