November is Native American month but it is also Membership Month at Cultural Survival, which means it's time to celebrate our members and the good you do around the world in advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

After significant scrutiny over World Bank Operative Policy 4.10 regarding Indigenous Peoples, we, Cultural Survival, would like to express our concern that these policies do not sufficiently protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples. To allow this policy to remain unchanged would undermine decades of tireless efforts to promote the rights of Indigenous Peoples. These policies fall far under the standards that one should expect from illustrious international organizations, particularly those whose goals are to promote human rights and development.

By Madeline McGill

Climate change impacts people everywhere. Rising temperatures and sea levels are only some of the many ways that carbon emissions and other forms of pollution are affecting the planet.

Some countries are combating the ramifications of climate change better than others. After years of reliance, curbing a nation’s dependency on fossil fuels takes time. However, for many Pacific Islanders, time is a luxury they cannot afford.

Come learn about the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and how it can aid in your advocacy efforts and put pressure on governments to respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights. 

Sunday, September 21, 2014
4:30pm-6:00pm
Columbia University Law School
Jerome Greene Hall 103
425 West 116th Street
New York, NY 10027

Indigenous Peoples represent remarkable diversity – more than 5,000 distinct groups in some 90 countries, making up more than 5 per cent of the world’s population, some 370 million people. These peoples continue to self-identify as distinct peoples with strong links to traditional territories with their own social, economic and political systems as well as unique languages, cultures and beliefs.

By Madeline McGill

Next week, Indigenous representatives from around the Globe will be headed to New York City to participate in the UN’s World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. This high-level meeting of the General Assembly will address the issues of rights in regards to Indigenous communities.

By Madeline McGill

September 22, 2014 marked an important day for Indigenous communities everywhere. It was the first of a two-day gathering of the General Assembly at the United Nations in NYC, the first-ever World Conference of 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.