Global Indigenous Peoples Convening on the Health Impact of Conflict

16th March 2022

Global Indigenous Peoples Convening on the Health Impact of Conflict, Militarization, Arms and Narco-Trafficking Successfully Held.
Organized by Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network and Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, Gender Justice and Peace.

An estimated 476 million Indigenous Peoples live in over 90 countries and territories worldwide. Indigenous Peoples make up only 5% of the global population, however, they protect 80% of the Earth’s biodiversity. Colonization, conflicts, wars, militarization and pandemics, have affected Indigenous communities disproportionately. While Indigenous Peoples claim customary rights to more than half of the planet’s lands and forests, governments have acknowledged their legal right to use or own just 18% worldwide.

In many countries around the world, Indigenous Peoples’ territories have been seized, governments have actively engaged in population engineering to support displacement of Indigenous folks and the violation of Indigenous rights and resources. Military force is also often used, creating opportunities for governments to strategically arm specific Indigenous groups, thus creating power structures which further divide Indigenous communities, resulting in a massive proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

Furthermore, state of emergencies, laws on "disturbed areas" and other draconian measures have been imposed on several Indigenous territories such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act clamped on Manipur and Northeast India since 1958. We have found countless examples of Indigenous schools, historical sites and biodiversity sites occupied by military force in countries around the world.

Besides conflict, Indigenous Peoples’ traditional lands have been used for large-scale production of opium poppy, and cannabis crops. They also fall victim to the drug producers who remove them from their lands, or forcibly recruit them into the production process. Indigenous Peoples are caught in the violent world of illicit drug production, and hence have become targets of law enforcement, resulting in deaths, disproportionate rates of criminalization and incarceration.

Another pressing concern is the exploitation of Indigenous resources from extractive industries, as well as the resulting toxic contamination of surrounding environments. Toxins often found include radiation, dioxins, PFAS, nuclear waste, pesticides and insecticides and other chemicals with detrimental health impacts. Military bases are often built on Indigenous lands, and Indigenous peoples manifest high rates of cancer and other serious health impacts as a result of excessive exposure to military waste and contaminants.

The militarisation and conflicts in Indigenous territories have had severe health implications on the lives of Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples’ life expectancy is up to 20 years lower than the life expectancy of non-Indigenous peoples worldwide, and they account for about 15% of the extreme poor.

There exists a culture of silence in local and international stories, and conflicts affecting Indigenous Peoples are often invisible, underreported and understudied. A meeting on Environmental Violence against Indigenous Peoples was held at Columbia University in November, 2019, and, since 2002, there has been a call on the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples to form a Working Group on Militarization to consult with affected Indigenous Peoples and ensure that funds allocated for development are not used for military activities.

There has also been a call for the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on militarization in Indigenous areas. Articles 21, 23, 24 and 29 of The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007 includes the right to health, including indigenous peoples’ right to improving their economic and social conditions in the area of health, with particular attention to the needs of indigenous elders, women, youth, children and persons with disabilities.

The Indigenous Peoples Convening on the Health Impact of Conflict, Militarization, Arms and Narco-Trafficking was held online on 9 February 2022 from 9 am to 1 pm EST. For the first time, global Indigenous scholars, legal experts, medical practioners and community leaders shared what is happening in their part of the world. Speakers at the convening came from Kenya, Tanzania, Manipur in Northeast India, Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Canada, Russian Federation, Guam, Mali and Australia.

They include Dr Myrna Cunningham, Chairperson of the Center for Autonomy and Development of indigenous People (CADPI), Sheryl Lightfoot, Canada Research Chair in Global Indigenous Rights and Politics and Associate Professor in Political Science, Public Policy and Indigenous Studies, University of British Columbia, Panti Gonmei, President, Rongmei Luh Phuam, Rongmei Women’s Organisation,Manipur, Avexnim Cojti, Executive Director, Cultural Survival, Lisa Natividad, President of Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice & Associate Professor, Division of Social Work, University of Guam, USA, Elifura Laltaika, Executive Director, Association for Law and Advocacy for Pastoralists, Tanzania, Mariam Aboubakrine, Présidente, Association Tinhinan Canada et membre Tinhinane Sahel.

Others include, Lucy Mulenki, Executive Director, Indigenous Information Network, Kenya, Dr Vera Solovyeva, Founder of Sakha Diaspora Network, Amy Juan, Co-founder, Tohono O’odham Hemajkan Rights Network, Reynaldo Morales Cardenas, Assistant Professor Northwestern University Medill School and Buffet Institute for Global Affairs, Gilbert Smith, Administrative Director, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, Lori Johnstone, Southeast Indigenous Peoples' Center, USA, Dr Bronwyn Carlson, Head of Indigenous Studies at Macquerie University, Australia, Reena Mutum, Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network. Laishram Niketan from Manipur opened the convening with Pena, an indigenous musical instrument from Manipur in Northeast India.

In the words of the convener of the event, Binalakshmi Nepram, Co-Founder, Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, Gender Justice and Peace, “The event is a historic one that is bringing Indigenous peoples from all over 10 countries and regions and will share innovative Indigenous Peoples Mechanisms and practices of decolonization, efforts to address wars and conflict, especially the role of Indigenous Women in peacebuilding, conflict resolution and disarmament.

The convening will enable us to listen to one another and reimagine a world that is safer; a world which can mitigate wars, conflicts, racism, militarism, environmental violence and disease. We will also strategies to find ways to find justice for the war crimes and acts of genocide committed against Indigenous Peoples by engaging with the International Criminal Court and the Rome Statute of 2002”

The recommendations of the convening has been shared widely with Indigenous communities around the world as well as to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples in their convening to be held from 25 April-6 May 2022 at UN Headquarters in New York as well as Expert Mechanism on Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP).

Following are the recommendations from the convening :

o Indigenous peoples met at a global convening held online via zoom on 9th February 2022 convened by the Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, Gender Justice and Peace with support from Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network and many other organisations and partners who have joined us.

o We acknowledge the work done by many who came before us to ensure that issues of wars, conflicts and violence of Indigenous peoples are addressed in a never ending effort to find our collective peace. We also acknowledge the Indigenous Peoples Declaration announced at the Second World Peace Congress in Barcelona in Spain, 15-17 October 2021 and join the clarion call for ending further colonisation and genocide of Indigenous peoples, end all forms of warfare, manufacturing and proliferation of arms and narcotic production and trafficking and call for the de-militarization of Indigenous Peoples’ lives, lands, territories, and resources.

o We confirm through our convening today that most armed conflicts around the world are now currently being waged on indigenous peoples territories, which contain most of the remaining sources of mineral wealth, water and bio-diversity. Demand stolen wealth be returned, including the return of ecosystems.

o We concur that not only have indigenous peoples experienced a collective history of genocide, dispossession, dislocation, violence against women. Manifestations of these violent forces persist today in the form of development aggression, forced displacement, and economic exploitation.

o To keep military bases off of Indigenous lands which disrupt Indigenous lifeways. Decolonize remaining US and all other territories to promote self-determination. Demilitarize conservation efforts

o We acknowledge that the forces which are inherited from colonization, are all determined and compounded by structural racism and discrimination, and make indigenous peoples vulnerable to poor health.

o Report Human Rights violations in conflict zones to UN mechanisms. Women and youth involved in prevention and resolution of conflict. Creation of Independent International Indigenous mechanism for conflict resolution. Collection and analysis of data in conflict zones, led by Indigenous Peoples. Access to information justice.

o Create support systems for women and children victim to conflict. Promote and facilitate youth movements. “Our ways are our strengths” Celebrate cultural heritage as protest. Promote cross border cultural sharing. Youth involvement and activism.

o Federal laws affecting regional communities must be pre-approved by local Indigenous communities. Recognize Indigenous rights of large-numbered Indigenous peoples. Indigenous Peoples included in decision-making processes, especially on land management

o Encourage proactive academic research. Justice Commissions for victims of conflicts. Implement and Strengthen Indigenous health systems.

o Global presence in mainstream media: develop Indigenous information and media systems. Develop mechanisms to hold nation-states accountable for HR violations and illegal activity. Advance local institutions from the bottom up.

o The convening strongly resolves that many illnesses that have a disproportionate impact on indigenous people, especially problems of mental health, are related to colonialist and racist structures that cause indigenous communities to be some of the poorest and most marginalized in the world. Circumstances of extreme poverty lack of access to education and social services, destruction of Indigenous economies, and socio-political structures, forced displacement, armed conflict, and the degradation of customary lands and waters.

o The Indigenous peoples at our convening today are striving to work towards mitigating the above mentioned issues. We are reminded of articles 21, 23, 24 and 29 on health as well as Article 30 on Militarisation as enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) adopted on 13 September 2007. Articles that refer specifically to the right to health of Indigenous Peoples. We call upon all states at the UN to uphold these in ensuring that SDGs are achieved by 2030

o We call for the removal of all colonial martial laws, military bases, arms and narcotic drug production and trafficking centres from indigenous lands, territories, and resources and that ancestral lands that were taken from indigenous peoples be returned to traditional landowners.

o We also call upon the immediate stopping of environmental violence committed on indigenous peoples’ bodies affecting our health, land, territories, and resources. Nations must stop the exploitation of indigenous resources and the toxic contamination of the land, air, sea, and space. This includes radiation, dioxins, PFAS, nuclear waste, pesticides and insecticides and other chemicals, and the influx of narcotics drugs and guns which are harmful with detrimental health impacts. Military bases often build on indigenous lands; indigenous peoples manifest high rates of cancer and other diseases as a result of excessive exposure to military waste and contaminants.

o We also call upon the world to recognize the historic legacy of innovative Indigenous Peoples Mechanisms and practices of ending wars especially the role of Indigenous Women in peacebuilding, conflict resolution and disarmament. Indigenous peoples’ traditional practices such as the “Great Law of Peace” of the Iroquois Confederacy as well as “Loiyunba Shinbun”, “Cheinarol” etc and the Meira Paibi Movement from Manipur since time immemorial have served as a blueprint for international relations and diplomacy practiced at the highest levels. Therefore, we insist that peace and disarmament efforts include decision making by indigenous peoples, indigenous women and nations if a gender just and sustainable world is to be realized.

o We also call upon governments around the world to stop the threats, intimidation, sexual violence, trafficking and killing of Indigenous women and girls by domestic and foreign military members as well as security forces and armed gunmen. Indigenous women and girls living in militarized, weaponized communities are at an alarmingly high risk of sexual exploitation. We also call to stop criminalisation of Indigenous human rights defenders.

o We also call for the establishment of many Truth and Reconciliation Commissions in all the socio-cultural zones of the world to ensure that the historical wrongs done to Indigenous Peoples be made right. To ensure the inclusion of Indigenous peoples, and women in peace processes and negotiating peace treaties.

o We call upon the UN and international community, the International Court of Justice to ensure that justice is done. Indigenous peoples call for an International Tribunal to ensure that genocide and crimes against Indigenous peoples done be acknowledged, brought to book so that the healing can start.

o We call upon the world to work to re-imagine a new “Great Law of Peace” as originated from Iroquois Confederacy and many other Indigenous conflict resolution processes to enable us to live in sync with Mother Nature and enable us to reimagine a world that is free from wars, conflicts, racism, militarism, guns, drugs, environmental violence and disasters

For more details, contact:

Media and Communications
[email protected]

Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, Gender Justice, and Peace
www.globalallianceindigenouspeoples.com

Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network
https://www.womensurvivorsnetwork.org