Land Rights Now for Indigenous Youth

General

Full Project Title: Passing the torch: Land Rights Now for Indigenous Youth Implementer: Indigenous People’s Movement for Self Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), as Host, and Asia Young Indigenous Peoples Network (AYIPN) Indigenous peoples for the longest time have experienced oppression as development in the guise of extractive industries has destroyed our ancestral territories. Across Asia, indigenous youth face challenges from discrimination and lack of culturally appropriate education in our own languages to environmental pollution and land grabbing of our territories in the name of development. Indigenous youth are called on to defend their rights as youth - by making their issues known to those in leadership roles - and as indigenous peoples, calling attention to self-governance, the importance of our values and traditions in the modern world, socioeconomic development and the protection and defenseof ancestral land. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected indigenous peoples as clinics and hospitals are inaccessible. In education, as online learning is introduced, it has become difficult for families to afford gadgets and internet to provide to their children. Difficulty for strong signal is also lacking thus indigenous youth are not experiencing quality education. Transportation is limited and indigenous communities are located in remote areas. Yet the pandemic has also made many realize the importance of protecting nature which has been a part of indigenous culture. With this in mind,we, indigenous youth with our partners, are committed to the continuous protection,development and the defense of our land and rights for sustainable development - and our future. We are ready to take the torch of the Land Rights Now campaign. The main objective of “Passing the torch: Land Rights Now for Indigenous Youth” is to strengthen and shape the Land Rights Now campaign with more significant involvement of indigenous youth. Specific objectives and activities we will carry out to achieve them are: 1) to amplify the voice of indigenous youth for their campaigns and advocacy: Capacity Building and Empowerment of Indigenous Youth: - Formal and informal education/training and exchanges to build leadershipand organizational management skills to strengthen local organisations - A focus on young women to be leaders and transforming indigenous communities to decolonise and end patriarchy -Nonviolent Direct Action training so indigenous youth are equipped to mobilise communities Advocacy Campaigns: - Support and carry out national advocacy campaigns led by indigenous youth -Document, and revitalize traditional food systems and stewardshiprole of indigenous peoples as a means to reclaim health, culture and languages 2) to builda movement of indigenousyouth across Asia and the globe to participate in and coordinate the Land Rights Now Campaign: Network Building - Build the power of indigenous youth by strengthening our network across Asia and deepen connections to other regions (linkingto indigenous youth organisations signed up to the Land Rights Now campaign andothers, encouraging them to join) 3) to build the capacity of indigenous youth to carry on and take over coordination of the Land Rights Now Campaign: - Join the coordination of the LandRightsNow campaign and shape public campaign actions at regional and global for the duration of the project and beyond.