cmf@un

Newsletter of the Claretian Ministry at the United Nations

Vol. 1, Issue 2 November 2013

The Claretian
Ministry at the
United Nations in
New York City Indigenous people threatened
attends open
meetings of sub-
jects of particu-
lar interest to the
T he priority issue of the
CMF@UN is human
rights, especially as it
Claretian congre- touches on ethnic minori-
gation ties and indigenous peo-
attends NGO ples. The United Nations
meetings on distinguishes between the
these subjects two groups, though many
and takes part in of the issues and difficul-
discussions that ties they face are similar.
lead to the for- The main difference is
mation of policies size and the level of assimi-
lation into the culture
of the dominant society.
Indigenous peoples have Dom Pedro Casaldliga, C.M.F. with two Brazilian indigenous leaders
often been isolated and (in 2007). In June of this year, Casaldliga, through Nobel Peace lau-
marginalized, so that their reate Adolfo Perez Esquivel, sent a greeting to Pope Francis, asking
him to defend the indigenous and reconcile with liberation theology.
customs, institutions, and In the meeting with Esquivel and indigenous Argentinean leaders, the
worldviews are distinct. pope told them he would include indigenous concerns in his agenda.
The Claretians have
United Nations missions among indigenous peoples in many became dominant through conquest, occupa-
Upcoming Events: Latin American and African countries as well tion, settlement, or other means.
as India and the Philippines. The United Nations uses a principle of
World Conference
self-identification, rather than a strict defini-
on Indigenous
Peoples,
Who are the indigenous peoples? tion, to designate a people as indigenous.
It is hard to define them because of their An important part of the UNs description
Sept. 22-23, 2014,
UN Headquarters,
diversity. A fact sheet of the UN Permanent is that indigenous peoples were abused by the
New York Forum on Indigenous Issues has this descrip- new arrivals, especially with the expansion of
tion: Practicing unique traditions, they retain Europe in the 16th and 19th centuries. Colo-
social, cultural, economic, and political char- nialism widely subjected them to massacre,
acteristics that are distinct from those of the persecution, theft of ancestral homes and the
dominant societies in which they live. Spread riches of the land, enslavement for hard labor,
across the world from the Arctic to the South forced assimilation, and isolation into remote
Pacific, they are the descendantsaccord- regions.
ing to a common definitionof those who While there are greater sensitivities now to
inhabited a country or a geographical region at the rights of the indigenous, the consequences
the time when people of different cultures or of earlier exploitation and abuse endure in
ethnic origins arrived. The new arrivals later prejudices and stereotypes that too often lead
cmf@un november 2013 1

Broddi Sigurarson (Wikimedia Commons)
In 2010 Maoris from New
Zealand celebrated their
countrys endorsement
of the UN Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples. During the declara-
tions 2007 adoption in the
UN General Assembly, New
Zealand was one of four
countriesalong with the
United States, Canada, and
Australiathat voted no.
By 2010 all four had formally
endorsed the declaration.
2 cmf@un november 2013
to neglect and abuse of the rights of the indig-
enous.
There are estimated to be more than 370
million indigenous people, about 5 percent
of the worlds population. They are spread
across the world in 80 countries and in 5,000
distinct tribesfrom the Sami in Finland to
the Maori in New Zealand. While there are
urban concentrations, most are rural and
living in remote places. They make up 15
percent of those living in poverty. Many often
have difficulty in getting governmental recog-
nition of their unique status, notwithstanding
the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples.
Survival International
notes that a particular cat-
egory is especially endan-
geredthe so-called uncon-
tacted. They are peoples
who have no peaceful contact
with anyone in the main-
stream or dominant society.
There are about 100 uncon-
tacted tribes in the world,
40 in Amazonia alone. They
often keep apart because
first contact brought disease,
enslavement, or loss of ancestral lands. They
may at first have been passed over by colo-
nialists because their lands were remote and
deemed worthless, but now are attractive to
mining and logging interests.
These uncontacted tribes usually are wary
and often resist engagement with the domi-
nant society. Even among scholars there is
much dispute about the nature of such tribes
like the Yanomami on the Venezuela-Brazil
borderwhether they are pristine or not, to
what extent they interact with nation-states,
the amount of violence endemic in their cul-
tures, and the like.
The UN and the indigenous
When the United Nations went through
the exercise of defining the Millennium
Development Goals to end povertywww.
un.org/millenniumgoalsit was quickly rec-
ognized that the indigenous had a special his-
tory of oppression, persecution, and poverty,
and had unique, urgent needs.
Thirteen years ago the UN established
the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
(www.undesadspd.org/IndigenousPeople) as
an advisory body to its Economic and Social
Council. The forum assisted the General
Assembly in writing the 2007 Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
This declaration affirmed indigenous
peoples equality to all people as well as
their diversity and richness of culture as part
of the common heritage of humankind. It
also declared prejudices and discrimination
against peoples and individuals on the basis
of national origin or racial, ethnic, or cul-
tural differences as racist, scientifically false,
legally invalid, morally condemnable, and
socially unjust.
The General Assembly took note that
indigenous peoples have suffered from his-
toric injustices as a result of, inter alia, their
colonization and dispossession of their lands,
territories and resources, thus preventing
them from exercising, in particular, their
right to development in accordance with their
own needs and interests. This has resulted
in many of the indigenous being isolated,
impoverished, and oppressed in our own
times. Thus the necessity to spell out in detail
the rights of the indigenous.
The obligations of nation-states
Nation-states are obligated to protect the
unique demands and respond to the unique
needs of the indigenous, while still incorpo-
rating them into national life. This could only
happen with full participation of the indig-
enous in all decision-making, especially as
they impact their own lands and way of life.
Land grabbing, for example, has been
an especially serious threat. The pressure of
development to combat poverty has turned
nationsdeveloped and developing aliketo
open lands reserved for the indigenous to
exploitation for minerals, timber, and oil. Not
only is the possession of the land at issue, but
also the whole structure and organization
of indigenous life is threatenedlanguage,
religion, health, conservation of natural
resources.
Agreements and institutions must be
established and structured with the interna-
tionally recognized principle of free, prior, tation is reported for Bolivia, Peru, Mexico,
and informed consent (FPIC) of the indig- Nicaragua and Ecuador. RESOURCES
enous, who are to share fully in the execution
The resources of the United
of policies and programs. (For a case study, Other concerns Nations Per-
see Mayan struggles in Claretians Belize Earlier this year (May 21-30), the 12th ses- manent Forum
mission, page 4.) sion of the Permanent Forum of Indigenous on Indigenous
There have been some improvements in Issues raised other issues to the UN Eco- Issuesinclud-
ing the 2007
the status of indigenous peoples, as there nomic and Social Council as urgent: Declaration
have generally been in recent years for those Health, especially of women and children on the Rights
living in poverty throughout the world. But (obesity and diabetes, violence, substance of Indigenous
progress has been unequal. Many indigenous abuse, suicide and mental health); Peoples and
its newslet-
peoples have organized themselves to claim Education (especially in indigenous lan- ter Message
their rights and take effective governance guages and culture); Stickare
of their landsoften with the assistance of Youth (especially employment on tradi- available at:
friendly nongovernmental organizations, UN tional lands or in cities). www.undesad-
agencies, and other countries concerned for These are issues that affect all peoples spd.org/IndigenousPeo-
their human rights and survival. living in poverty throughout the world, not ples.aspx
While careful guidelines have been estab- just the indigenousand the United Nations Leading non-governmental
organizations advocat-
lished to respect the rights of the indigenous has agreed to the millenium goals to end
ing for indigenous rights
and to assist them in ways respective to their povertybut the cry of the indigenous for include:
traditions, old prejudices and the lure of rapid respect of their rights, land, and traditions, www.survivalinter-
development often are too strong. The UN because they are isolated and few in number national.org. SI works
reported that in Latin American countries and so out of sight, ought not to go unheeded. specifically for tribal peo-
with significant indigenous populations, the Following the example of Dom Pedro ples rights worldwide.
indigenous have only minuscule representa- Casaldliga, C.M.F., who devoted his life to www.culturalsurvival.
tion in governing assemblies. In Guatemala, the indigenous of Brazil, Claretians work- org. This NGO partners
with indigenous peoples
for example, with half the country indig- ing with indigenous peoples throughout the to defend their lands, lan-
enous, only 19 out of 158 members of parlia- world are called to support their aspirations guages, and cultures.
ment are indigenous. Similar underrepresen- for justice and the defense of their rights. www.firstpeoples.org.
This NGO was begun by
Native American initia-
tive but addresses all
Religious to ask Pope Francis to revoke papal bulls indigenous issues.
www.amazonwatch.org.

I
This NGO addresses the
n 1452 Pope Nicholas V issued In preparation for the 2014
Wikimedia Commons

ecological and indig-

the papal bull Dum Diversas, World Conference on Indigenous enous issues of the Ama-
which extended to Christian Peoples, religious congregations zon region.
monarchs the rights of conquest working at the United Nations are www.cimi.org.br. The
and discovery; two subsequent currently preparing a joint letter Indigenous Missionary
bulls confirmed them. Originally Council of Brazil is the
to Pope Francis in which they will indigenous advocacy
directed to lands reconquered from ask him to rescind those bulls. agency of the Brazilian
Islam, Pope Alexander VI in the This is not just a symbolic gesture, bishops.
1493 bull Inter Caetera extended because in many civil courts, www.ipacc.org.za. The
those rights to the discoveries in Pope Alexander VI,
claims based on those bulls are Indigenous Peoples of
author of the infamous
America, Asia, and Africa by the bull Inter Caetera still being honored to the disad- Africa Co-ordinating
Spaniards and Portuguese. These Committee.
vantage of indigenous peoples.
bulls not only sanctioned the theft of lands, www.minorityrights.org.
The letter, drafted by the Passionists, will
Indigenous advocacy is
but also the enslavement and systematic ask Pope Francis to champion the God-given part of its broader scope
oppression of their original peoples in the dignity of our indigenous brothers and sis- of supporting minorities
name of conversion to Christianity. ters and formally revoke the relevant bulls. throughout the world.

cmf@un november 2013 3

 cmf@un
Our Lady of Mt Carmel Parish
92 S. Lexington Ave.
White Plaines, NY 10606
USA
Mayan struggles in Claretians Belize mission
I
n 1994 in southern Belize the government
created the Sarstoon-Temash National Park,
42,000 acres of pristine rainforest. The park is
across the border from the Claretian mission
in Izabal, Guatemala, and our UK-Irish mis-
sion in Belize is also in the park.
Only, the government didnt ask the local
Qeqchi Mayan Indians and Afro-Carribean
Garifuna about it. Some Mayans didnt even
realize for years that they lived in the park.
They have lived off this land since the days of
the great Mayan empire, and continue to do
so with the Garifuna in a sustainable manner.
The park is also home to many endangered
species like the jaguar and manatee.
The Supreme Court of Belize ruled
twicein 2007 and again in 2010that the
Mayans who lived and cared for these forests
hold the legal titles to these lands.
Light of hope for Kolla indigenous in Argentina
I n the community of San Felipe in the Salta
Province in the far north of Argentina,
Claretian Missionaries are assisting 48 fami-
lies of the Kolla indigenous people by bring-
ing electrity to their farming area. With the
help of the Claretian foundation PROCLADE
San Jose del Sur, the families will be receiving
environmentally friendly solar panels that
allow them to access electricity for 10 hours a
day. In an environment of isolation and poor
communication as San Felipe, this access to
electricity is crucial.
The people will be able to light their
homes, use electric appliances, and improve
communications. After the funding is
obtained, the project, called Light of Hope,
will take six months to execute. Then, with
4 cmf@un november 2013
(914) 948-5909
jpiccmf@outlook.com
frankburns.wordpress.com
The UN Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples requires the
free, prior, and informed consent
(FPIC) for any change like the cre-
ation of the park and any subsequent
developmental projects that will affect
the land. But the government has
continued to ignore the rights of the
Mayans and Garifuna, and, without
their consent, has opened the park
to exploration for oil by U.S.-based
Capital Energy. Already road building
Father Dominic McDonagh,
and test drilling have caused disruptions and C.M.F. baptizes a child in San
damage to the forest. Pablo, Belize, a community
The Mayans and Garifuna have organized of Qeqchi Mayan Indians
and protested, and continue to challenge the who were moved by the
government to make way for
government in court and before the UN (see
the creation of the Sarstoon-
www.minorityrights.org and www.culturalsur- Temash National Park.
vival.org).
proper maintenance, the solar panels can last
for many years. PROCLADE San Jose del Sur
will work to empower participants to take
Claretians are working to
bring solar power to the
Kolla indigenous in the iso-
charge of the project and make any necessary
lated far north of Argentina.
changes, and will train them in using and
maintaining the equipment.
PROCLADE San Jose del Sur