[asia-apec 929] Fwd: Indigenous Rights Draft Declaration in Peril

[Mary Soledad Perpiñan]

>
> 
Kindly send this to those involved with indigenous rights and human rights
in general.  Thanks.

>IF YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS, PLEASE FORWARD THIS LETTER TO 
>CONCERNED
>
>>FRIENDS AND ALLIES.

>>As some of you already know, I will be one member of an American
>Friends
>
>>Service Committee delegation at the upcoming UN Intersessional Working 
>
>>Group on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in
>
>>Geneva, Switzerland, from November 30-December 11.
>My Native allies have
>
>>said that they believe that at this meeting, the US Government will
>
>>attempt to gut the Draft Declaration of all meaningful protections of
>
>>Indigenous Peoples' fundamental rights</color></bold> and destroy its
>future as a strong
>
>>human rights document once and for all.
>
>>Native Peoples from throughout the world labored for ten years, at
>great
>
>>personal hardship and sacrifice, to produce a declaration which they
>agreed
>
>>is a MINIMUM standard for the protection of their rights.  Central to
>the
>
>>Draft are provisions protecting collective rights, and recognizing
>
>>Indigenous nations right to self-determination, equal with all other
>
>>nations.  Article 3 on self-determination is seen by many as the most
>
>>important article of the Draft, because it protects Indigenous 
>Peoples'
>
>>right to self-determination, using language taken directly from the UN
>
>>Charter.  Native Peoples who have participated in this process for years 
>
>>are in unity that this article must not be changed in any way, nor the
>
>>State governments be allowed to weaken the protections of collective
>
>>rights.
>
>>For our part, we here have put together an urgent action network of
>people
>
>>who COMMIT to responding to 3 urgent action alerts between November 30
>and
>
>>December 11.  I am asking you, please, to be part of this network.
>
>>When I say COMMIT, let me explain what I mean.  In this electronic age,
>we
>
>>all can and do receive LOTS of urgent actions.  I get several daily.  
>I
>
>>respond to very few.  I don't think I'm unusual in this regard, so for
>this
>
>>reason, we need to secure commitments in advance.  I have nothing
>against
>
>>people agreeing to post this to various lists, AS WELL, but in order
>for
>
>>this action to be effective, those of us here (at KAOS Central) and in
>
>>Geneva, need to KNOW-beyond a shadow of a doubt-just how many
>
>>calls/faxes/emails our elected leaders have gotten, and from where, so
>that
>
>>we can confront them with specifics on their policies and demand that
>they
>
>>respond to the American public.
>
>>What I'm asking of you is this:  that you commit, for those two weeks,
>to
>
>>being either a "branch" or a "leaf".  If you're a leaf, your job is
>simply
>
>>to respond to the urgent action alerts by immediately contacting a list
>of
>
>>Washington types which we will provide you with.  It shouldn't take
>long.
>
>>You could do it over a lunch half hour.
>
>>
>
>>If you're a branch, you have the same responsibilities as a leaf, but
>you
>
>>also have the added responsibility of following up with at least five
>(5)
>
>>leaves to make sure they did their job, and then passing that
>information
>
>>back up the tree (KAOS Central is also known as the trunk).  You could
>do
>
>>this on a coffee break. You will be given all the necessary contact info 
>
>>for doing this.  We have a confirmation letter we will email you as
>soon
>
>>as you commit with the necessary information.
>
>>
>
>>PLEASE CONSIDER BEING A BRANCH and recruiting at least 5 leaves from
>among
>
>>your friends and associates (in other words, people I don't know, 
>can't
>
>>reach, and can't organize).  I know you all are really busy, but I
>REALLY
>
>>need your help and support on this.  I really do believe that, working
>
>>together, we CAN make a difference on this one.
>
>>
>
>>PLEASE RESPOND ASAP - Thanks so much.
>
>>
>
>>YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO FORWARD THIS LETTER TO YOUR LISTS, BUT PLEASE DO
>NOT
>
>>ADD OR DELETE FROM IT.  THANK YOU!!
>
>>
>
>>Love, Val Phillips
>
>>AFSC-Colorado
>
>>Indigenous Peoples' Rights Project
>
>