International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

(August 10, 2012) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday marked the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, highlighting the key role played by the media in empowering indigenous people. “From community radio and television to feature films and documentaries, from video art and newspapers to the internet and social media, indigenous peoples are using these powerful tools to challenge mainstream narratives, bring human rights violations to international attention and forge global solidarity,” the UN chief said a message for the annual observance. “Indigenous voices are recounting compelling stories of how they are combating centuries of injustice and discrimination, and advocating for the resources and rights that will preserve their cultures, languages, spirituality and traditions,” he added. The theme of this year’s Day – ‘Indigenous Media, Empowering Indigenous Voices’ – aimed to highlight the importance of indigenous media in challenging stereotypes, forging indigenous peoples' identities, communicating with the outside world, and influencing the social and political agenda. The Day was first proclaimed by the General Assembly in December 1994, to be celebrated every year during the first International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, which ran 1995 – 2004. In 2004, the Assembly proclaimed a second International Decade, from 2005 – 2015, with the overall theme of ‘A Decade for Action and Dignity.’
Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also issued a message for the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples stressing the importance of using indigenous media to integrate indigenous people to the sustainable development model. “Indigenous peoples face… the sharpest edges of change – from poverty and social injustice, from discrimination and marginalization. This cannot stand. To succeed, sustainable development must be inclusive. All voices must not only be heard but listened to,” Ms. Bokova said. “At a time when debate has opened on the contours of a new global sustainability agenda, the voices of indigenous peoples must be heard,” she added. “Their rights, cultures and the knowledge systems must be taken into account.” Ms. Bokova emphasized that the media provide a way to fight isolation and discrimination, particularly for indigenous women, by providing them with a way to bolster their voices and promote changes in attitudes and social behaviour.
In another message, Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous people, James Anaya, stated that indigenous media can help reduce the marginalization and misinterpretation of indigenous voices, which has been detrimental to their attempts to secure and understanding of their rights within the broader societies in which they live. In particular, Mr. Anaya, along with the Expert Mechanism on the Right of Indigenous People, point to activities related to extractive industries as issues that require attention from the media to ensure that indigenous rights are protected even though new projects regarding land and resources are being carried out.