A few days ago, we had the chance to speak with Edna Kaptoyo, a program officer with the Indigenous Information Network-Kenya, about her participation at the climate change conference in Copenhagen. Below is a short excerpt of what she had to say about Indigenous organizing on climate change. We have also provided a transcript below, including links to more information.
Transcript:
I’m Edna Kaptoyo. I work with the Indigenous Information Network-Kenya, and I am the program officer. I am in charge of climate change and forests.
From the start, it wasn’t really receptive of Indigenous Peoples because we weren’t given a chance to give an opening statement at the plenary, as we were accorded that status at other meetings. So, we had to settle for other times in the other plenaries where we were given a few minutes to give in our deliberations.
In terms of participation I would still say that there was less space. Despite the fact that we were there in great numbers and really had a lot of input to give to the Conference of Parties. And we did actually have to use Indigenous people who came as party delegations to try and push our issues.
In other meetings we were allowed to participate in the informal working groups and go out when it was time for them to make a decision, but this time we couldn’t even get in. Even the plenary access was really restricted, and we couldn’t get to the plenary because we had to have sometimes a special badge for the opening plenary. They had given less badges which could not even cover half of the Indigenous Peoples who were there.
The message we tried to bring was built up from the Anchorage meeting we had—the Global Indigenous Peoples Summit on Climate Change, held in Alaska in April—where we came up with a declaration. And then to Bangkok where we developed our policy statement. Basically, we are talking about the principles that should be observed by Parties, and the first one was the rights of Indigenous Peoples as stipulated in the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Secondly, the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples and their full and effective participation in the process at national, regional and international level. And thirdly, respect for the traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples, as a science that can be used to combat and cope with climate change. So, those were the three messages in the policy documents.
Indigenous people, we had a series of protests—peaceful protests—and one of them was on the REDD program, the reducing emissions from degradation and deforestation. And we actually made a human chain, and we did it in the Bella Center where the venue was. We went around and said we were calling for “no rights, no REDD.” So, if you don’t give us, if you don’t have our language in REDD on rights, we are not going to support the REDD program. And actually we had a lot of support and the text that came in this week—the negotiating text—they actually removed the brackets on the language that was on the respect of Indigenous Peoples rights.
My impression is for the first time at least, first looking at the global aspect is we, Indigenous people, for the first time came out in great numbers, worked together, and we were from all over the world and really worked together to really push on our suggestions, our text proposals at the climate change meeting. Secondly also I think, for the first time, I think we are making at least a first step. It is really where the Indigenous Peoples are trying to organize themselves. Because the Forum was not really that strong but now it is getting stronger and really try to get structures around it.
Thirdly, it was also a challenge, we had these communications in terms of giving information back and the feedback mechanism and its good because we had Indigenous People from the local level participating and because they are getting the impact there they are very willing to bring information back to their communities.
I think we made a major step in trying to create and to look at what the position of the government is and where they could support us. And I think when I get back I also have to tell them what happened and what were the setbacks and what were the achievements and then you have to strategize again how to continue participating. Because this Conference of Parties, this is not the end of the meetings and not the end of, in terms of getting the rights of people into the text and also in the climate change convention itself.
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