In record time from the moment the idea was born for this book, in April 2018, the book was launched at UN Headquarters on April 25, 2019, and 400 copies were distributed. The excitement was palpable. The room was packed, standing room only. Indigenous Youth is speaking out, clearly, their own voices are here, telling the world about challenges, dreams, disappointments, hopes, demands, struggles, visions…
Fourteen Indigenous young people from the seven Indigenous socio-cultural regions of the world, and also the three Co-Chairs of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, attended to this book with tremendous care and dedication. Each author was chosen by her/his own region through consensus processes, a participatory paradigm that we can all learn from.
The Introduction to the book was written by the Co-Chairs of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, namely Qivioq Nivi LØVSTRØM (Inuk, Greenland), Kibett Carson KIBURO (Endorois, Kenya), and Q”apaj CONDE (Aymara, Plurinational State of Bolivia). The Africa chapters were written by Juweria ALI (Ogaden Region, Somali People) and Amnai HANDAINE (Amazigh). The Asia chapters were written by Aisah Czarriane MARIANO (Kankana-ey, Itogon Benguet) and Aisah Czarriane MARIANO (Kankana-ey, Itogon Benguet). The Arctic chapters were written by Ole-Henrik LIFJEL (Åarjel-saemie, Norway) and Seqininnguaq Lynge POULSEN (Greenlandic Inuit-Kalaalit, Greenland). The chapter on Central and South America and the Caribbean was co-authored by Maria Antonia Benito TOMAS (Mayan community Poqomam, Guatemala) and Rayanne Cristine Maximo FRANCA (Baré community, Brazil). The chapters on Eastern Europe, Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia were written by Varvara KORKINA (Kumandin People, Western Siberia, Russia) and Elvir SAHIRMAN (Crimean Tatar, Ukraine). The chapters on North America were authored by Marcos A. MORENO (Pasqua Yaqui Tribe, USA) and Shanese Indoowaaboo STEELE (Nipissing and Métis, Canada). The chapters on the Pacific were written by Sylvia ELIAS (Lien Madolenihmw, Pohnpei, Micronesia) and Jesse MARTIN (Aboriginal-Yuin/Eora, Torres Strait-Wagadagam, Australia).
The beautiful artwork for the book cover was offered by our youngest author, the 17-year old Seqininnguaq Lynge Poulsen. The acknowledgements to all contributors to this project were written by the three co-editors of the book: Dali Angel Pérez, Victor Anthony Lopez-Carmen and Elsa Stamatopoulou. The foreword was contributed by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake. Many of the authors and the representative of the Envoy on Youth spoke at the book launch.
The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Program of the Institute for the Study of Human Rights, dedicated to human rights advocacy, research and teaching, consider the collaboration with the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus and the Tebtebba Foundation for this book a testimony to the social relevance and potential of academia. We hope that the book will make even more visible the continuing and robust Indigenous Youth voices that bring new life and broad horizons to the struggles for social justice, peace and human rights and for a sustainable world of well-being and diversity.
To order copies of the book, please write to ishr@columbia.edu.
