Indigenous lobby in the lion’s den

In contemporary climate talks, we hear the call for urgency and the need for sustainable policies. We attempt to seek solutions mostly in technology, while Indigenous Peoples protect 80% of the world’s biodiversity. Indigenous practices have been working for thousands of years with very good outcomes. And yet, their knowledge does not get enough attention and recognition. To what extent are we familiar with the Indigenous lobby? And how relevant is this, and for whom?

This third session of a 3 part series will first provide a historical overview of Indigenous lobbying within the international institutional arena. What were important key moments, what tools emerged and what challenges were present at that time? Lastly, we discuss one of the most echoed demands: the call for recognition of Indigenous cosmovisions.

Together we will explore these visions and discuss why the Indigenous movement needs global solidarity. Not only for the sake of the climate crisis but also for the protection of ancestral practices, Indigenous rights, cultures and our common future. We will do this together with keynote speaker Leo van der Vlist, he is the director of the Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples and has since 1990 been advocating the rights of Indigenous peoples globally. During his keynote, Leo will take us from 1922 to the present.