By Mariana Kiimi (Ñuu Savi, CS Staff)
On April 25th and 26th, 2026, Cultural Survival attended the Historic 2nd Global Summit on Indigenous Peacebuilding in New York, co-organized by the Global Network of Indigenous Peacebuilders, Mediators and Negotiators & partner organizations
More than 250 Indigenous Peoples from the 7 socio-cultural regions, UN officials and diplomats, gathered to exchange their experiences and struggles on the consequences of armed conflicts on their lives and territories, as well as peace building paths in a context of escalating violence worldwide.
From Guatemala, Mexico, and Colombia to Manipur, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Cameroon, and New Zealand, we shared our stories, our concerns, and our tears. We also lit a candle to remember our Indigenous relatives who have been killed amidst a variety of conflicts, and to pray for a future where Indigenous Peoples don’t have to survive in their occupied territories, but can actually thrive and co-exist peacefully with all the living beings.
We called on the United Nations, and government officials all around the world for the reframing of global peace and security efforts by placing Indigenous Peoples at the center of conflict prevention and resolution. As Binalakshmi Nepram, President of the Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, Gender Justice and Peace stated “It is time to move from seeing Indigenous Peoples as victims of conflict to recognizing them as experts, mediators, and negotiators of peace.
Today, on the International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament, we recognize and honor Indigenous women’s contributions to peacebuilding and protest against militarism and nuclear weapons everywhere, and we demand the cease of fire in all occupied Indigenous Peoples’ territories.
Watch the full event on YouTube
