Indigenous Peoples – Best Allies or Worst Enemies?

Credit: FAOBy Baher KamalROME, Apr 25 2017 (IPS)It all happened on the very same day—4 April. That day, indigenous peoples were simultaneously characterised as fundamental allies in the world’s war on hunger and poverty, while being declared as collective victims of a “tsunami” of imprisonments in Australia. See what happened. Australia must reduce the “astounding” rates of imprisonment for indigenous peoples and step up the fight against racism, on 4 April warned Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.“Traditional indigenous knowledge and the diversity of their food systems can provide solutions for healthy diets, and many areas such as nutrition, climate change or ecosystem management” – Graziano da Silva“It is alarming that, while the country has adopted numerous policies to address the socio-economic disadvantage of Aboriginal peoples and those from the Torres Strait Islands, it has failed to respect their rights to self-determination and to full and effective participation in society,” she added at the end of an official visit to Australia.　Tauli-Corpuz said that the Australian government policies have failed to deliver on targets in the areas of “health, education and employment and have led to a growing number of people being jailed, and have resulted in an increasing number of children being removed from their homes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.”Astounding Fig...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Africa Asia-Pacific Development & Aid Featured Food & Agriculture Headlines Health Human Rights Indigenous Rights IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse Latin America & the Caribbean TerraViva United Nations Women & Economy Source Type: news