Stories about Indigenous from March, 2012
Nepal: Call for Submissions for Nepal International Indigenous Film Festival
The 2012 Nepal Indigenous Film Festival is calling out for submissions of any type of film related to Indigenous youth produced after 1 January, 2008. Submitted films should be made by indigenous youth or should focus on positive efforts indigenous youth are doing to honor their heritage. More details about...
Guatemala: Indigenous and Rural Communities March to Defend Their Land
Thousands of Guatemalan indigenous people and countrymen participated in a nine-day march to defend their lands, protest forced relocations, and call attention to other issues affecting rural communities. We share some images of the march posted online by blogger and photographer James Rodríguez.
Ecuador: The March for Life Arrives in Quito
On its arrival in Quito on March 22, the March for Life was met with support from one side and opposition from another, including criticism from the government and police resistance. Ecuadorean netizens reported during the day on social networks by sharing photos, videos, reports, and reactions on the arrival of the march in the capital of Ecuador.
Video: Indigenous Communities Document their Growth and Governance
The Indigenous Territory and Governance Platform is made up of a series of institutions all working together to provide the indigenous people of Latin America the tools and resources to be able to strengthen the governance they have of their territory and their community. A series of short videos is used to document their progress. All links lead to Spanish language sites.
Ecuador: The ‘March for Life’ Approaches Quito
The March for Life is approaching the Ecuadorean capital of Quito without any major delays. As we reported in a previous post, indigenous communities and organizations of civil society have organized this march to protest large scale mining in the country. Here are a collection of citizens reports and reactions from the Ecuadorian blogosphere.
Argentina: Documentary on Indigenous People in Buenos Aires
The documentary 'Runa Kuti, Urban Natives' shows us the stories of four descendants of indigenous communities living in the city of Buenos Aires, and how they struggle with reclaiming their identity, rediscovering their culture and making a place for themselves in the city.
Bangladesh: The Plight of the Indigenous People
In Bangladesh there are more than 45 indigenous tribes (adibashis). Every day some of them are being subjected to discrimination, oppression and abuse. Their plights can be heard in indigenous blogs and other social media platforms.
Turkey: Riot Police Continue to Clash with Kurds Celebrating Newroz
Kurdish people are the largest ethnic group in Turkey. They have been subject to state-sanctioned discrimination and human rights violations. Today, in Yuksekova, which is a district in the Hakkari province of Turkey, Kurdish people were attacked for gathering to celebrate Newroz - the Kurdish new year.
Norway Hosts First Journalism Award for Indigenous Broadcasters
Norway is widely known for hosting the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize Awards. This month, the Scandinavian country is hosting the debut of another important yet largely unknown journalism award ceremony for the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network (WITBN) on March 29, 2012.
Bolivia: New March Against TIPNIS Road to Start in April
Dario Kenner, a blogger based in La Paz, reports that “a majority of community leaders from the TIPNIS indigenous territory and national park decided to begin a march towards La Paz on 20 April to oppose a road project through their territory. This is the second time these communities will...
Panama: “I'm Ngäbe, I'm Bugle, I'm Panamanian”
After police forcibly removed the indigenous Ngäbe-Bugle who were blocking the Pan-American highway to protest mining in their territories, a video campaign titled "I'm Ngäbe, I'm Bugle, I'm Panamanian" aims to raise awareness and tell Panamanians that the struggle of the Ngäbe-Bugle should be a national concern.
Turkey: Police Attack Kurds Celebrating Newroz
Thousands of Kurds took to the streets in celebration of Newroz across Turkey today but were dispersed with water cannons and tear gas. The celebration marks the first day of Spring. Kurds in the past were not allowed to exert their Kurdish identity in public, but since the 1980s, Newroz has become a symbolic event in highlighting Kurdish culture, and identity.
Ecuador: ‘March for Life’ Says ‘No’ to Large-Scale Mining
The Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has decided to promote large-scale mining in his country, but in spite of the economic benefits, indigenous communities and other civil organizations do not support these projects. Hence, The 'March for Life' is a protest against large-scale mining in Ecuador.
South Korea: Twitter Photos of One-Person Relay Protest against Jeju Naval Base Construction
South Korean Tweeters have joined rallies against the Jeju naval base construction that has been blamed for disrupting residents’ livelihood and destroying a rare ecosystem. Each Twitter user has volunteered to take turns to one-person protest against the construction and to tweet the photos, such as user @okeeffe00, @sirdy10 and @yds5921 did in...
Intercontinental Cry Will Launch Spanish Edition
Ahni announces the upcoming Spanish edition of Intercontinental Cry [es], which will go live on March 31, 2012. “The main objective of IC Espanol is, of course, to provide Spanish readers with the same news that our English readers have come to expect from us; what I consider to be...
Ecuador: ‘March for Life’ Protests Mining
The March for Life, Water and Dignity started on March 8 from El Pangui, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, and plans to reach the capital, Quito, on March 22, World Water Day. The march, organized by the Indigenous Confederation, is a protest against President Correa's decision to boost mining and oil exploration. Further...
Should Indonesia Ban Hard-Line Islamic Groups?
A hard-line Islamic group in Indonesia is under fire for often resorting to violence and intimidation in carrying out the group's objectives. Indonesian netizens who reject the group's methods are campaigning online to ban the group in the country.
Video: Indigenous Naso People from Panama ask for Help against Dam
In this video by SelvaRica, an artistic collective using multimedia to promote indigenous and environmental issues, a Naso Indigenous woman from Panama asks for help from the international community to put pressure and stop a Dam construction in their lands. The dam will flood their forests and change their traditional...
Brazil: Can the Agrarian Economy Develop Without Rural Bloodshed?
Nilcilene Miguel de Lima is one of the dozens of small farmers from the Amazon who are being threatened to death by land-grabbers and illegal loggers. As Brazil's GDP goes up, its environmental heritage is increasingly less protected, and the new forest code, soon to be voted, will open up the forest for use by big agricultural businesses.
Colombia: Film Festival Award Goes to Indigenous Film
The Cartagena International Film Festival [es] awarded one of its India Catalina awards in the category of New Creators in Short Films to the documentary short Mu Drua (My land) by Mileidy Orozco Domicó of the University of Antioquia [es]. The documentary, in the Embera tongue, follows the struggles of...
