In this era,the most oppressed communitities are asserting themselves.from eva latin america to muthanga ,This could be seen. --- Sudhir Devadas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> On 9/9/07, Sudhir Devadas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > the good teacher should read ralph ellison... > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > probably an unconditional commitment to pluralism > precludes honouring of > treaties with tribes, but our dollar-genuflecting > academics couldn't be > bothered with such trifles: > > > *UN General Assembly backs indigenous peoples' > rights* > > 43 minutes ago > http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ixWgtCGxM1ZSp0cA7qDku9h87pRA > > UNITED NATIONS (AFP) ? The UN General Assembly on > Thursday adopted a > *non-binding > declaration* protecting the human, land and > resources rights of the world's > 370 million indigenous people, despite opposition > from Australia, Canada, > New Zealand and the *United States*. > > The vote in the assembly was 143 in favor and four > against. Eleven > countries, including Russia and Colombia, abstained. > > The declaration, capping more than 20 years of > debate at the United Nations, > also recognizes the right of indigenous peoples to > self-determination and > sets *global human rights standards* for them. > > It states that native people have the right "to the > recognition, observance > and enforcement of treaties" concluded with states > or their successors. > > Indigenous peoples say their lands and territories > are being threatened by > such things as mineral extraction, logging, > environmental contamination, > privatization and development projects, > classification of lands as protected > areas or game reserves amd use of genetically > modified seeds and technology. > > UN chief Ban Ki-moon hailed the vote as "a historic > moment when UN member > states and indigenous peoples have reconciled with > their painful histories > and are resolved to move forward together on the > path of human rights, justice and development for > all". > > But Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United > States, countries with > sizable indigenous populations, expressed > disappointment with the text. > > They said they could not support it because of their > concerns over > provisions on self-determination, land and resources > rights and giving > indigenous peoples a right of veto over national > legislation and state > management of resources. > > Among contentious issues was one article saying > "states shall give legal > recognition and protection" to lands, territories > and resources > traditionally "owned, occupied or otherwise used or > acquired" by > indigenous peoples. > > Another bone of contention was an article upholding > native peoples' right to > "redress by means that can include restitution or > when not possible just, > fair and equitable compensation, for their lands and > resources "which have been confiscated, taken, > occupied, used or damaged > without their free, prior ad informed consent". > > Opponents also objected to one provision requiring > states "to consult and > cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples > ...to obtain their free > and informed consent prior to the approval of any > project > affecting their lands or territories and other > resources, particularly in > connection with the development, utilization or > exploitation of mineral, > water or other resources." > > Indigenous advocates note that most of the world's > remaining natural > resources -- minerals, freshwater, potential energy > sources -- are found > within indigenous peoples' territories. > > "Unfortunately, the provisions in the Declaration on > lands, territories and > resources are overly broad, unclear, and capable of > a wide variety of > interpretations, discounting the need to recognize a > range of rights over > land and possibly putting into question matters that > have been settled by > treaty," Canada's UN Ambassador John McNee told the > assembly. > > A leader of Canada's native community, Phil > Fontaine, slammed his > government's stance. > > "We're very disappointed with Canada's opposition to > the declaration on > indigenous peoples," said Fontaine, leader of > Assembly of First Nations, who > came to New York to lobby for adoption of the text. > > Canada's indigenous population totals some 1.3 > million people, out of a > total population in 32.7 million. > > Adoption of the declaration by the assembly had been > deferred late last year > at the initiative of African countries led by > Namibia which raised > objections about language on self-determination and > the > definition of "indigenous" people. > > African countries were won over after co-sponsors > amended an article to read > that "nothing in the declaration may be ...construed > as authorizing or > encouraging any action which would dismember or > impair, totally or in part, > the territorial integrity or political unity of > sovereign and independent > states". > > The declaration was endorsed by the Geneva-based UN > Human Rights Council > last year. > > in solidarity, > sudhir > > (*emphases added*) > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story. Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games. http://sims.yahoo.com/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
