[IPSM] International Indigenous Women's Forum Declaration and Resolution

[usman x]

http://www.madre.org/fimi/outcome.html

"Bringing Indigenous Perspectives to the International Arena:
An Indigenous Women's Conference"

International Indigenous Women's Forum Declaration

We, the women of the International Indigenous Women's Forum, have come
together in New York on February 26 and 27 and March 12, 2005, for a
three-day conference beginning just prior to the 49th Session of the United
Nations Commission on the Status of Women, in which we will take part. Our
purpose in gathering is to strengthen our skills, strategies and advocacy
work on behalf of ourselves, our Peoples, our communities and Women's human
rights globally.

We note that there have been qualitative and quantitative advances, but
today, 10 years after the Fourth UN World Conference on Women in Beijing;
half-way through the decade devoted to the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals, Indigenous Women continue to face a crisis stemming from:
unbridled and escalating militarism, gender-based violence which includes
rape and trafficking of women within our own communities and as a tactic of
armed conflicts; and macro-economic policies that disregard collective
rights and deny us our livelihoods and basic services, including safe
potable water, health care and culturally appropriate education and
institutions.

We call on our governments to reaffirm and fully implement the Beijing
Platform for Action (BPfA) on the occasion of the Ten-Year Review and
Appraisal of implementation of the BPfA and to commit to stronger action to
advance Indigenous Women's human rights at this critical juncture.

We note with disappointment that the process of full recognition of
Indigenous Peoples rights has taken a slow process; we urge governments to
adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous Peoples Rights are Indigenous Women Rights

We affirm that Indigenous Peoples have fought for centuries against
genocide, displacement, militarization, colonization and forced
assimilation, preserving our cultures, identities, languages and ways of
life as distinct Peoples.

We recognize that the colonial and neoliberal policies directed at
Indigenous Peoples has left Indigenous Communities among the poorest in the
world, alienated from political decision-making processes, disenfranchised
by national governments, and subjected to grave and pervasive human rights
violations. In addition, the protection and promotion of individual human
rights remains key for Indigenous Women, including the right and fundamental
freedom to live free from violence.

We maintain that the advancement of Indigenous Women's human rights is
inextricably linked to the struggle to protect, respect and fulfill both the
rights of our Peoples as a whole and our rights as women within our
communities and at the national and international level. We recommend, in
keeping with the third report of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues, that Indigenous Women's issues be mainstreamed throughout the United
Nations system.

We note that impoverishment, gender, ethnical and racial discrimination
causes an increase in Indigenous Women's risks of becoming ill and being
denied medical treatment. We call on governments to meet their obligations
to ensure access to high quality, culturally appropriate health services,
including full-spectrum, reproductive and sexual health services. We call on
governments to undertake a concerted global response to the AIDS pandemic
and to pursue strategies for prevention and universal treatment of diseases
disproportionately impacting marginalized communities.

We affirm the centrality of individual and collective rights, including
sovereignty and self-determination, to the fulfillment of Indigenous
Peoples' human rights and the preservation of Indigenous Peoples' natural
resources and territories.

We affirm the adoption of a resolution by the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights for a second Decade of Indigenous Peoples. In order to ensure
that adequate attention is paid to Indigenous Women's human rights, we
recommend that in the implementation of the resolution there should be a
special focus on Indigenous Women.

Sustainable Development

We affirm that Indigenous Peoples are united by our lands, natural
resources, and traditional knowledge which are the foundations of Indigenous
Wealth, Strength, Identity, and Culture.

We recognize that, traditionally, Indigenous Women have played an integral
role in preserving our cultural heritages, are important producers of food
in our communities and the custodians of biodiversity for many of the
world's ecosystems. We are practitioners of medicine, pharmacology, botany,
nutrition, and the keepers of agricultural technology that sustains the
polycultures critical to maintaining biodiversity. Moreover, Indigenous
Women are the custodians and have the right to be titleholders to land.

We affirm that, in addition to being the stewards of our lands,
environmental, technical, scientific, and custodian of our cultural and
spiritual knowledge, Indigenous Women are the primary transmitters of this
knowledge to younger generations.

We therefore affirm that Indigenous Women are knowledgeable about the
struggle against poverty in our communities and creating strategies for
sustainable development in our communities and beyond.

We therefore recommend that Indigenous Women's expertise be reflected in all
national and international development strategies and that Indigenous Women,
in consultation with their communities and organizations, be part of the
formulation and decision-making processes of sustainable development
initiatives.

Collective Rights, Indigenous Resources and Economic Justice

We recall that Indigenous Peoples extensive knowledge of the plants and
animals on our lands, has historically been developed, shared and used
collectively, and has been systematically robbed most recently via
international trade rules like the World Trade Organization's TRIPS
(Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights), which fail to
recognize collective intellectual property rights and facilitate the piracy
of Indigenous Peoples' knowledge by individuals and corporations.

We recognize that a wasteful and short-sighted pursuit of profit at the
expense of nature has contributed to global climate change, an issue which
literally threatens the Earth, with particular implications for Indigenous
Communities. We note that deforestation, desertification, flooding, melting
of sea ice, land erosion, pollution, and the toxic contamination of lands
and waters are robbing Indigenous Peoples of our way of life, identity and
wealth.

The Millennium Development Goals

We recognize the importance of the MDGs as a tool for advancing strategies
for sustainable development and women's human rights. We call on all
governments to uphold their commitments to realizing these goals, with an
emphasis on Indigenous Women's full participation.

We endorse the indicator for Goals 1 and 3 ("the elimination of gender
disparity in primary and secondary school education"). However, we recall
that the Western paradigm of schooling has impoverished Indigenous Peoples
culturally, spiritually and economically. We therefore hold that the needs
of our Peoples be addressed in educational policies for meeting this goal.

We further contend that Goal 3 (gender equality) cannot be met with a
singular focus on girls' education. We echo the demands of our sisters
throughout the global women's movement for an expansion of Goal 3 to
address: reproductive and sexual health and rights, violence against women,
women's labor and property rights, and the reduction of women's work burden
by guaranteeing access to resources such as technology, sanitation, water,
housing, electricity and transportation.

International Indigenous Women's Forum Declaration, New York, 27 of
February, 2005

For more information, contact Mónica Alemán
121 W. 27th Street, #301; New York, NY 10001
(212) 627-0444; beijing10 at madre.org

---------------------
United Nations E/CN.6/2005/L.10
Economic and Social Council Distr.: Limited
7 March 2005
Original: English
05-25837 (E) 080305
*0525837*
Commission on the Status of Women
Forty-ninth session
28 February-11 March 2005
Agenda item 3

Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the special session
of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development
and peace for the twenty-first century"

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil,* Chile,* Costa Rica,* Cuba, Ecuador,* Guatemala,
Paraguay,* Peru, Uruguay* and Venezuela:* draft resolution


Indigenous women beyond the ten-year review of the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action


The Commission on the Status of Women, Convinced of the commitments assumed
in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (1), the Beijing Platform for Action (2), the Millennium Development
Goals (3), the Durban Plan of Action (4) and the General Assembly resolution
on the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (5) to
guarantee the economic, social and cultural well-being of women,

Recognizing that indigenous women are part of the diversity of the women of
the world,

Reaffirming the recommendations on indigenous women and girls adopted at the
third session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (6), which
emphasized equality, non-discrimination and the recognition of the value of
the diversity of the cultural identities and forms of social organization of
indigenous women,

Recognizing that profound gaps exist between indigenous women and other
groups, which will affect the achievement of the Millennium Developments
Goals,

Recommends that Governments, intergovernmental agencies, the private sector
and civil society adopt measures that ensure the full and effective
participation of indigenous women in the implementation, follow-up work and
monitoring of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Millennium Development
Goals.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

* In accordance with rule 69 of the rules of procedure of the functional
commissions of the Economic and Social Council.

(1) United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.

(2) Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September
1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution
1, annex II.

(3) See General Assembly resolution 55/2.

(4) See A/CONF.189/12, chap. I.

(5) General Assembly resolution 59/174.

(6) See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2004,
Supplement No. 23 (E/2004/43).

For more information, contact Mónica Alemán
121 W. 27th Street, #301; New York, NY 10001
(212) 627-0444; beijing10 at madre.org

---------------------
http://www.madre.org/fimi/news.html

Twelve Days of Action for Indigenous Women's Human Rights

February 26

Indigenous women from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America gather
for the beginning of the International Indigenous Women's Forum (Foro
Internacional de Mujeres Indigenas or FIMI) Conference, "Bringing Indigenous
Perspectives to the International Arena". Participants discuss the role of
Indigenous women in sustainable development and combating the impact of
economic globalization and armed conflict on Indigenous women and their
families.

February 27

During day two of the IIWF/FIMI Conference, Indigenous women continue to
integrate their agendas in preparation for the United Nations' 49th session
of the Commission on the Status of Women, this year known as Beijing+10
Review Process (or simply Beijing+10). Participants focus on the application
of international law to Indigenous struggles and building Indigenous women's
capacity to advocate for their rights on local, national, and international
levels.

February 28

Beijing+10 begins.

Indigenous women attend the first of five capacity-building trainings
organized by IIWF/FIMI, MADRE, and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues (PFII), which provide an opportunity for Indigenous women to
strengthen their advocacy skills and knowledge of how to navigate the
international arena. At today's training, Indigenous women learn about the
PFII and its role in advocating for the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

IIWF/FIMI issues a declaration based on strategy sessions held during its
February 26-27 conference, "Bringing Indigenous Perspectives to the
International Arena: An Indigenous Women's Conference".

March 1

Indigenous women participate in a training on the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs), a set of commitments made by UN Member States that include
pledges to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, promote sustainable
development, combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases, and improve maternal health
by the year 2015. Participants discuss ways in which the MDGs can be useful
in promoting an Indigenous women's rights agenda and the implementation of
the Beijing Platform for Action.

March 2

Indigenous women participate in a training about the role of the Special
Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of
Indigenous Peoples. Participants learn how the Special Rapporteur can be
useful in helping to monitor the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous
women's rights in their respective countries.

March 3

Indigenous women participate in a training session about the role of women
in conflict and post-conflict situations. They learn about international
monitoring mechanisms, including UN Resolution 1325, that can be used when
advocating for Indigenous women's human rights in such contexts.

IIWF/FIMI, MADRE, and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues co-sponsor
a press conference at the UN, "Indigenous Women's Human Rights and Beijing +
10". Indigenous women leaders from Latin America, Asia, and Africa speak out
about urgent human rights issues affecting their communities such as
poverty, a rise in trafficking of women and girls, armed conflicts, violence
against women, neo-liberal economic policies, and the spread of preventable
diseases.

March 4

At the final training session, Indigenous women learn about the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and
ways to use CEDAW when advocating for Indigenous women's human rights at
local, national, and international levels.

March 7

IIWF/FIMI, MADRE, The Hunger Project, CHIRAPAQ, and the UN Permanent Forum
on Indigenous Issues co-sponsor a panel, "Women's Empowerment in Rural
Communities". Panelists discuss food security, land use, and resource
management among Indigenous Peoples and the role of Indigenous women in
promoting food security and sustainable development.

March 8

On International Women's Day, Indigenous women join a march and rally
organized by Code Pink to protest the destructive impact of US policies on
women around the world and to demand US accountability to international
human rights agreements such as the Beijing Platform for Action.

March 9

Indigenous women press for the passage of a UN resolution recognizing
Indigenous women's rights within the Beijing+10 Review Process, "Indigenous
women beyond the ten-year review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action".

March 10

IIWF/FIMI, MADRE, and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues co-sponsor
a press conference, "Violence against Indigenous Women". Speakers discuss a
precipitous rise in violence against Indigenous women in Canada; violence
committed by British soldiers against Indigenous Samburu women in Kenya; and
the role of racism, discrimination, and neo-liberal economic policies in
perpetrating violence against Indigenous women in Latin America and other
regions of the world.

IIWF/FIMI, MADRE, and the Women of Color Resource Center co-sponsor a panel,
"US Policy: Women's Security and Human Rights". Panelists discuss how US
policy, with the US occupation of Iraq and US-supported occupation of
Palestine as examples, threaten women's human rights and human security
around the world.

March 11

Indigenous women win the passage of the UN resolution, "Indigenous women
beyond the ten-year review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action".

For more information, contact Mónica Alemán
121 W. 27th Street, #301; New York, NY 10001
(212) 627-0444; beijing10 at madre.org


---------------------
"The true focus of revolutionary change is never merely
the oppressive situations which we seek to escape,
but that piece of the oppressor which is
planted deep within each of us." Audre Lorde
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/margins-to-centre