land rights
Piaroa Declare their Rights
A dramatic announcement by a Piaroa interest group last week not only outlined their opposition to illegal mining activity within their territory, it also denounced the presence of armed groups that violate their peaceful ethos. The manifesto was published on March 9 on the website of the Observatory of Political Ecology of Venezuela. People from […]
Batek Illness Becomes Deadly
Back in early April, reports came out about a mysterious illness that was afflicting the Batek of Kuala Koh: some young people were becoming sick and having breathing problems. The state health authorities in Kelantan attempted to provide cover for themselves by blaming the Batek for not being willing to take transportation to clinics to […]
Developing Gender Equality among the Fipa
Several NGOs in the Rukwa Region of Tanzania have been campaigning recently for their society to promote more gender equality. They are particularly focused on women having better guarantees to the lands they help farm. Several of the villages mentioned last week in a news report about the situation are located in the traditional Fipa […]
Yanadi Gain Land Titles
For the Yanadi, gaining full titles to lands they have cultivated in Andhra Pradesh for many years can be a breakthrough event. But while they have suffered injustices from higher caste Indians for generations, they have also been attaining their rights, such as their land titles, ever so slowly, according to a perceptive analysis published […]
A Review of Nubian Discontent
A statement by the young Nubian activist Siham Othman was widely quoted after she was arrested, along with 23 other protesters during their peaceful demonstration in Aswan early last September. She was quoted again two weeks ago in an Associated Press news report reviewing the reasons for the Nubian discontent. The writer, Hamza Hendawi, is […]
Semai Urged to Vote for Changes
An elderly leader of the Semai in Malaysia’s Perak State has advised all members of his society to vote against the ruling political party in important national elections. Gahrai Kadek, the 77-year old Tok Batin (leader) of the Semai in the state, advised the Orang Asli people to vote out the Barisan Nasional (BN) government […]
Nubians Still Waiting for their Lands
Eight months after the Nubians dramatically protested for rights that are guaranteed by the Egyptian constitution, they are still waiting for the government to carry through with its promises. Last week, Public Radio International, a media organization based in the U.S., published a report providing the reasons for the Nubian discontentment and an update to […]
Altruistic Values of the Orang Asli
An anthropologist who has studied the Orang Asli for 40 years advises Malaysians to expose themselves more effectively to their lifestyles and cultures in order to better understand them. Professor Alberto Gomes argues that societies such as the Semai, Batek, and Chewong are not respected as they should be by the broader population of Malaysians—the […]
Update on Nubian Protests
Last November, Nubians staged protests in southern Egypt to dramatize their arguments that they’ve been cheated out of their rights and of their lands by the government. They demanded a recognition of their right to resettle their historic territory in Old Nubia, especially since it is guaranteed in the Egyptian constitution. A news story in […]
Mbuti Hardships on Idjwi
Mbuti living on Idjwi Island must cope with discrimination and hardships in their struggle to survive on the fringes of Bantu society. A Reuters feature last week described the conditions that they endure and the causes of their troubles. At 43 miles long and 131 square miles in area, Idjwi is the second largest island […]
