Indigenous peoples have faced conflicts on their lands for a long time, especially those whose traditional land now fall under protected areas and national parks gazetted by the modern nation state.

They have tried all means to protect their rights and are now willing to try Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM). This method allows them to assert their land rights and to demonstrate that they are capable of working together with government authorities to protect the forest and derive subsistence and identity from it.

Innovative: Renewable Energy Projects in Ulu Papar

The communities along the Ulu Papar river face displacement in the wake of the Kaiduan Dam. By joining forces with indigenous renewable energy experts, there is a chance that these communities can protect their lands and livelihoods through the implementation of small-scale, decentralized, sustainable energy systems.

Green Voices of Borneo

Green Voices of Borneo represents voices of young people started to raise awareness with the communities, regardless of race, religion and political affiliation, of their natural resources and its sustainable use. They wanted positive actions from the Government to halt all destruction of forests, mangrove swamps, preventing the extinction of life on the river and the sea so that everything is well managed to maintain a balance of existing ecosystems in Sabah, Borneo.

Find their videos here.

The Philippines

Gikan sa Ngitngit nga Kinailadman (from the dark depths)

An entire Manobo community flees from their sub-village in San Fernando, Bukidnon to escape being killed by a wave of bombings inflicted by the 8th Infantry Batallion's counter-insurgency operations. They endure fear and hunger for seven days while hiding in the forests of the Pantaron mountain rage.

After enduring hoursof interrogation and torture, a Datu (tribal chieftain) and his companion decide that devising a drama to feign madness was the only way to elude recruitment into the military-controlled civilian defense force units.

After being shot at close range by two masked assailants, Gilbert Paborada, who had led his Higaononcommunity in Opol, Misamis Oriental in the fight against the displacement by palm oil plantations, reaches for a stone and with his own blood etches his last words on the ground.

‘Gikan sa Ngitngit nga Kinailadman’ gathers and links the stories of lumad and peasant land rights defenders whose resistance to ‘development policies’ in the form of mining, palm oil plantations and other resource-extractive industries in the Northern Mindanao region has turned them into victims of militarization. Their voices converge and paint an irrevocable map of impunity under the Benigno Aquino regime.

Find the video here.

Nepal

Indigenous Dura Culture on Forest Conservation

This documentary is the outcome of Community Based Monitoring and Information System (CBMIS) program, implemented by Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) Climate Change Program in partnership with TEBTEBBA with support from NORAD. The video shows how Dura community’s traditional knowledge and cultural practices have been playing a crucial role for conservation of natural resources and sustainable management of forest in Lamjung, Nepal.

Find the video here.

The existence of the forest and all of its potentials are a life force for the indigenous peoples living around the forest area. Realizing the strategic function of the forest is what drives the Indigenous Peoples Alliance or "AMAN" run the program of improving Governance for Sustainable Indigenous Community Livelihood in Forested Areas or "SICOLIFE" in short. Through SICOLIFE program, AMAN would like to accomplish its mission to create sovereign indigenous peoples, politically, economically independence and culturally dignified.

Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)

Indigenous Peoples and Food Security

The independent, sustainable lives in the mountains of Thailand’s indigenous peoples’ way of life is now under threat. Commercial farming, national boundaries and ‘modern life’ is compromising and taking away their last remaining link to the earth—the very source of their distinct indigenous identities, culture and dignity. Food security is becoming a serious problem as indigenous peoples are coerced into becoming employees of the international food industry in addition to their other policies related to land use and management, as well as social and political pressure to leave their homelands in search of a ‘better’ life. 

This video is a record of two hill tribe communities and how they are being affected alongside commentary from experts in related areas.

Forest Conservation: A Message from Indigenous Women

"Climate Change in a reality. In order to mitigate its adverse impact, there no doubt that we need to conserve our forests. In this video meet the women and men of the Kouy indigenous peoples of Cambodia to discover more about what the forest means to them and how indigenous women have taken the lead to protect the forest."

Community Based Forest Management: Local Solution to Global Challenges

The video on “Community Based Forest Management: Local Solutions to Global Challenges” expounds on the important role of community based forest management in indigenous peoples’ livelihood and food security; spiritual and cultural values; and climate change mitigation. The video focuses on the land use system of Lua (La-weu) indigenous peoples including sustainable practice of shifting cultivation in northern Thailand; and the challenges faced by the Bhagpani and Sitalupakha Women’s Community Forestry User Groups on forest management in Nepal.The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) produced this video in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples’ Foundation for Education and Environment (IPF).

Our Forest Our Life!

This community friendly animation video explains the basic concept of climate change and its disproportionate impacts to Indigenous Peoples (IP). It elaborates on the international agreement to mitigate the impacts of climate change, particularly REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) and the key concerns of indigenous peoples. The video also highlights the collective rights of indigenous peoples enshrined in United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Another highlight of the video is on the roles and contributions of indigenous women in the natural resource management.

Three Key Words that are vital for Asian Indigenous Peoples in COP21, by AIPP

Mr. Jason Pan Adawi, representative of TARA-Ping Pu, explains how climate change has affected the economic livelihood and food source of indigenous peoples in Taiwan/China.

Ms. Winnie Jimis, representative of Jaring Orang Asal SeMalaysia, calls upon Malaysian government to have the political will to commit to reduce the rise in temperature and to include indigenous peoples in all activities relating to addressing climate change.

Ms. Naw Ei Ei Min, Executive Director of Promotion of Indigenous and Nature Together (POINT), Myanmar, believes that there is a need for coordination at the global level as well as at the national level with the involvement of all sectors, such as governmet, private sectors, public and indigenous peoples.

Video can be seen here: https://goo.gl/hgvXFV

Mr. Anthony Dubbarma, representative of Borok Indigenous/Tribal Peoples Development (North East Asia), says that Parties attending COP21 should bring justice, protection and freely determine indigenous peoples' rights holistically respect, promote, maintain, and protect their traditional habitant without hampering their livelihood and nature.

Video can be seen here: https://goo.gl/l7FaLA

Mr. Sudarshan Chaudhary, General Secretary of Youth Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (YFIN), Nepal, says it is necessary to support adaptation efforts of indigenous peoples toward the impacts engendered by global temperature rise.

Video can be seen here: https://goo.gl/4D9lfp

Mr Julios Ceasar M. Daguitan, representative of Asia Pacific Indigenous Youth Network (APIYAN), calls upon indigenous peoples to unite for system change not climate change.

Video can be seen here: https://goo.gl/9oSEoo

Ms Nittaya Earkanna, representative of Inter Mountain Peoples Education and Culture in Thailand (IMPECT), says governments should give justice to indigenous peoples in climate change.

Video can be seen here: https://goo.gl/zWmkIX

Mr. Pallab Chakma, Executive Director of Kapaeeng Foundation, expects that international change agreement will ensure free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) mechanism, which guarantees that governments and companies have to conduct consultation with indigenous peoples before implementing any project in their land.