September 22, 2014 marked an important day for Indigenous communities everywhere. It was the first day of a two-day high level meeting of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York City, doubling as the first World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. Throughout the day, over 1,000 Indigenous delegates gathered with government and UN officials, national human rights institutions, and various heads of state to discuss the best methods to approach and solve issues pressing Indigenous Peoples. The purpose of the meeting was to approve the conference’s Outcome Document, which would serve to renew and establish the international community’s commitment to addressing Indigenous rights. The following are excerpts of interviews with Indigenous delegates at the meeting.
Les Malzer: Key Doors Are Now Open, Indigenous Peoples Have to Walk Through Them
Mirna Cunningham: Securing Mechanisms for Compliance
Raja Devasish Roy: Outcome Document as a Tool for Lobbying
Michael Preston: We Are Our Own Experts
Windel B. Bolinget : Our Problems Will Not Be Resolved Just Within The UN System
Silvia Carrera: Keep Moving Forward
Listen to these interviews in their entirety and more at soundcloud.com/culturalsurvival.
To read the WCIP Outcome Document, visit: goo.gl/slPnlw.
