Links

Center for Indigenous Knowledge Systems, India

The centre carries out research, training programmes and production of educational material about Indigenous knowledge systems in India.

http://www.ciks.org/index.htm

(Added: Fri Oct 26 2007   Hits: 156)

Express your concern about the future of the Sentinelese and Jarawa tribes

Local settlers are entering the Jarawa reserve from the coast and the road, and persuading the Jarawa to hunt for them in return for alcohol, tobacco and food. If this continues, the Jarawa are likely to lose their independence and may be wiped out completely. The Sentinelese have demonstrated their wish to be left alone: failure to respect this risks further deaths, and could expose the tribe to diseases to which they have no immunity. Urge the government to ensure that the law is enforced and that outsiders are kept away from the land of all the tribes of the islands; and that the Andaman Trunk Road is closed in accordance with the orders of the Indian supreme court, and that the spirit of the Andamans administration's Jarawa policy is upheld.

http://www.survival-international.org/how_to_help.php?howto_help_id=39

(Added: Mon Aug 28 2006   Hits: 240)

Friends of the the Narmada

The construction of large dams on the River Narmada in central India and its impact on millions of people living in the river valley has become one of the most important social issues in contemporary India. This website presents the perspective of grassroots people's organisations on the issue. The Friends of River Narmada is an international coalition of organisations and individuals.

http://www.narmada.org/

(Added: Thu Jul 13 2006   Hits: 65)

General Considerations on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples in Asia

This report presents a general overview of the situation of the rights of indigenous peoples in Asia, based on the information gathered by the Special Rapporteur from various sources during recent activities in the region, including activities organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia and Nepal, a follow-up visit to the Philippines and the First Asian Regional Consultation with the Special Rapporteur (Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 6th Session, 15 May 2007).

http://www.tebtebba.org/tebtebba_files/unpf/pf6/6session_crp11_en.pdf

(Added: Tue Jul 31 2007   Hits: 40)

India's forgotten tribes gain rights over forests

Over 40 million of India's most impoverished and marginalised people live in the country's forests -- including tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks -- but for years have been neglected by the government and left to fend for themselves. The Maldharis have long lived with eviction threats, alleged harassment and extortion by officials who say they are guilty of environmental destruction and endangering wildlife in the sanctuary -- one of the last bastions of the rare Asiatic lion. But a new law will for the first time enshrine their right to live in the forests and national parks. However, conservationists are worried this could hamper efforts to save India's endangered wildlife such as lions and tigers. (Rupam Jain Nair, Reuters Alert Net, 1 January 2007)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/DEL254638.htm

(Added: Tue Jan 09 2007   Hits: 125)

Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF)

A world wide body that represents over eight million Khmer Krom people - the indigeneous people of South Vietnam.

http://www.khmerkrom.org/eng/

(Added: Thu Jul 13 2006   Hits: 57)

Losing Ground: The human rights impacts of palm oil plantation expansion in Indonesia

This report by Friends of the Earth, Sawit Watch and LifeMosaic reveals how Indonesian government policies and palm oil industry practices are harming the rights of local communities and indigenous people (Friends of the Earth, February 2008).

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/losingground-summary.pdf

(Added: Tue Feb 12 2008   Hits: 87)

March 8 in the World's Largest Democracy

India, the world's largest democracy, is often used as an example of a success story of globalisation, where the English language opens windows to the world of call centers and off-shore job contracts. This article however looks at the Adivasis, the 840 million indigenous people of India, whose dispossession from land and resources remains the other face of modernization, globalization and development, whose persecution reveals the poor quality of India's democracy on the ground level, and who create their own democracy in the form of mass mobilisation for last month's gathering on the theme of "Adivasi Women: Situation and Struggles" in Ranchi. ( Radha D'Souza, Znet, 17 April 2006)

http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2006-04/15pilger.cfm

(Added: Tue Apr 18 2006   Modified: Thu Jun 22 2006   Hits: 212)

No Sanctuary: Ongoing Threats to Indigenous Montagnards in Vietnam's Central Highlands

Drawing on eyewitness accounts and published sources, this 55-page report provides fresh information about ongoing religious and political persecution of Montagnards, or indigenous communities, in Vietnam's Central Highlands. (Human Rights Watch, 14 June 2006)

http://hrw.org/reports/2006/vietnam0606/

(Added: Wed Jun 21 2006   Modified: Thu Jun 22 2006   Hits: 47)

Passing on the Challenges or Prescribing Better Management of Diversity? Decentralisation, Power Sharing and Conflict Dynamics in Central Sulawesi, In

Since the end of Suharto's rule, Indonesia has initiated an ambitious decentralisation programme. To some extent, this has addressed long-standing local and regional demands for greater autonomy. But it has also opened up space for new forms of competition amongst local identity groups and interests (Rachael Diprose, CRISE Working Paper No.38, 2007).

http://www.crise.ox.ac.uk/pubs/workingpaper38.pdf

(Added: Wed May 07 2008   Hits: 23)

Shanland.org

Website about the issues facing the Shan paople of Burma. Although the Shan State is geographically in Burma, the Shans are different in their origin and language from the other groups in that country.

http://www.shanland.org/

(Added: Thu Oct 07 2004   Modified: Thu Jun 22 2006   Hits: 103)

Tamil Nation

This Site exists to nurture the growing togetherness of more than 70 million Tamil people, living in many lands and across distant seas - a growing togetherness rooted in a shared heritage, a rich language and literature, and a vibrant culture - a growing togetherness consolidated by struggle and suffering and given fresh impetus by the digital revolution - a growing togetherness given purpose and direction by a determined will to live in equality, in freedom and in peace with their fellow beings and meaningfully contribute to an emerging one world, unfolding from matter to life to mind ...

http://www.tamilnation.org/

(Added: Thu Jun 09 2005   Modified: Thu Jun 29 2006   Hits: 90)

The Hmong: An Uncertain Future in Thailand

Approximately 6,500 Hmong live at the Huay Nam Khao camp in Phetchabun, 4,500 of which arrived in Thailand during the last year. Most paid between bt6,000 and bt30,000 to human traffickers to help them reach Phetchabun, situated in the heart of central Thailand. Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has issued a statement warning that if the group is forced to return to Laos they could face serious human rights violations including torture, ill-treatment and possibility execution. Because the Thai government has been unwilling to declare them as refugees-choosing instead to classify the Hmong as illegal immigrants-UNHCR simply cannot intervene. Consequently, there is a serious lack of food at Huay Nam Khao. (Will Baxter, Torwards Freedom, 21 September 2006)

http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/890/

(Added: Mon Sep 25 2006   Hits: 84)

Trendswestbengal

Trendswestbengal is an indigenous Geographic Information system venture. It has been developed as a result of a government private sector partnership and is free on the web. Essentially aiming to be discussion forum for all dialogues related to social development and Millennium Developmetn Goals in West Bengal, the site presently has GIS maps of all the 3358 gram panchayats (lowest unit of rural governance) of West Bengal showing GP boundaries, block boundaries, district boundaries, major roads, rivers, railways and markets.

http://www.trendswestbengal.org

(Added: Thu Dec 02 2004   Modified: Wed Jan 17 2007   Hits: 178)