Asia

Karen Indigenous youth are leading self-determination and revitalizing territories of life in Myanmar: Esther Wah

Esther Wah is the Secretary of the All Burma Indigenous Peoples Alliance (ABIPA) and a Council member (Thematic representative for youth and intergenerational relations) of the ICCA Consortium. In this interview, Ms. Wah talks about how the Indigenous Karen youth are becoming a driving force in securing self-determination and revitalizing the Indigenous governance and management systems in our ancestral territories of life. Read more ▸

Book: Fifty Indigenous Leaders’ Voices for Nature and People in Indonesia

The Working Group ICCAs Indonesia (WGII), a member of the ICCA Consortium, recently launched the English version of the 2021 book “Suara Masyarakat Adat untuk Alam dan Manusia.” The collection of interviews in the book demonstrates that customary governance systems effectively protect biodiversity and ecosystem functions in Indigenous territories of life. Read more ▸

Defending territories, defending lives

Indigenous Peoples in Southeast Asia navigate their place within the legal frameworks of the nation-states. The extent of their self-determination depends on the strength and resilience of their assertions, and the space nation-states provide for such self-determination to be exercised.  Read more ▸

P. V. Satheesh: a quiet revolutionary walks on

P.V. Satheesh—the quiet revolutionary who helped transform the lives of Dalit women farmers in India—passed away on March 19, 2023. He was 77. The founder of the Deccan Development Society worked for agro-biodiversity, food sovereignty, women’s empowerment, Dalit rights, social justice, and local knowledge systems. Read more ▸

New report on territories of life in Southeast Asia out now

The publication “Celebrating Territories of Life in Southeast Asia” by the ICCA Consortium features stories of Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ territories of life. It highlights the region’s traditional knowledge and governance systems and sustainable livelihood practices. Read more ▸