Shuar woman in Ecuador

In South America the main focus of the program is the claim of Collective Indigenous Rights, with elements of organisational development of Indigenous Peoples organisations.

The stage in the process within the South American countries related to the indigenous peoples movements makes it important to strengthen the bonds and cooperation across borders. Even if the major part of the program is related to Ecuador, were NPA has a long tradition in working closely with indigenous peoples organisations, we have, in order to strengthen the bonds and cooperation between the region’s indigenous people, introduced a cross border initiatives concerning Collective indigenous rights involving indigenous peoples organisations in Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia.   Chile is the only country in Latin America that has not signed the ILO convention 169, concerning Indigenous Peoples Rights. The support to the Mapuche Indigenous Peoples is a part of the program.

The Maya indigenous movement is weak, fragmented and vulnerable, but will through the program, be given special attention. The program in Guatemala will focus on empowerment of indigenous peoples through existing indigenous organisations. NPA is also focusing the unequal distribution and access to power and resources, because power and resources are highly concentrated, and feudal and paternalistic cultures dominates the society, which lack democratic traditions. Maya Indigenous organisations will benefit the exchange of experience with the much stronger movements in South America.

Africa
Indigenous Peoples Rights is a fairly new subject in Africa, reflecting another stage then in Latin America. NPA initiate it’s involvement related to the subject in Africa by a small program in Tanzania. The focus is strengthening of village structures that can represent the local indigenous people’s interests within the Tanzanian society at large. There is a platform of local and international NGO’s that will be cooperating in order to assist these groups. NPA’s Tanzania office will join the cooperation network and also work for expanding our Indigenous Peoples involvement first of all by promoting it’s experience to our Rwanda office.