Blog

Globally, in the name of progress and development, indigenous people who inhabit world's richest regions in natural resources, face the gloomy prospect of dispossession and displacement due to mining, oil and gas development, large dams, plantations, industrial farming, industries, thermal plants….

Out of planet's 200 eco-regions or biodiversity hotspots, 80% are inhabited by indigenous people. There is a strong and definite correlation between regions of high biodiversity and regions inhabited by indigenous people. Indigenous people's attitude towards nature and their vast amount of ecological knowledge resulting from a long history of managing the environment has played a crucial role in the conservation of biological diversity on earth.

In India too, the tribal belt that stretches from Gujarat in the west, up to West Bengal in the east, and encompassing the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand overlaps with the map of natural resource-rich India. For example, the state of Jharkand meaning “forest tract” and populated by 30 % Adivasis is the leadingproducer of mineral wealth in the country: iron ore, coal, copper ore, mica, bauxite, graphite, limestone, and uranium. Jharkand accounts for 40% of the mineral resources of India. The total value of mineral production is amounted to over Rs. 3000crores.

And what it costs in human suffering to rape Mother Earth and extract those Rs. 3000 crores has been best documented in the following films that expose most truthfully the injustice that has been done to indigenous people in the name of development.

Read more... and see Buddha weeps in Jadugoda

Indigenous Voices at the United Nations

The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, with a mandate to discuss indigenousissues related to economic and social development, culture, theenvironment, education, health and human rights.

Applications for grants under the Small Grants Programme under the Second Decade will be accepted between 1 July 2010 and 1 October 2010.Applications are to be submitted to: indigenousfund@un.orgduring this time period. Applications submitted outside of this timeperiod or to other email addresses will not be considered for funding.The proposals will be assessed by the Bureau of the UN Permanent Forumon Indigenous Issues in May 2011 and successful applicants will receivenotice thereafter. A list of organizations awarded grants will also beposted on this website.

Please note:
- Project must have a focus on indigenous peoples
-All applicants must submit their project proposals in accordance withthe Trust Fund Project Proposal Format and include both a summary sheetand a proposal document
- Projects will be disregarded if the required information is not present.
- Additional information pertaining to the proposal will not be accepted beyond the deadline of submission (1 October 2011)

For more information click the link:

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/