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2025 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples August 8th, 2025

Theme: Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures

(Image by Yuri Rodriguez Rodriguez, Pixabay)

While AI can support cultural revitalization, youth empowerment, and even adaptation to climate change, it often reinforces bias, exclusion, and misrepresentation towards Indigenous Peoples.

Most AI systems are built without Indigenous input, risking the misuse of their data, knowledge, and identities.

Besides, massive data centers can also impact Indigenous lands, resources, and ecosystems. This is a new issue added to the barriers to accessing new technologies, especially in rural areas, excluding Indigenous from full participation in AI-related processes.

To unlock AI’s full potential, Indigenous Peoples must be respected as rights-holders, co-creators, and decision-makers. Meaningful inclusion, data sovereignty, and culturally grounded innovation are key to ensuring AI empowers their communities.

This International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples will put a spotlight on this through its theme, Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures.

Spread the word! Let’s leave no one behind.

VIRTUAL COMMEMORATION: https://social.desa.un.org/…/indigeno…/events/IDWIP-2025

Celebrating the World’s Indigenous Peoples on this Day August 9th, 2023

(Photo courtesy of Ganta Srinivas, Pexels)

Today is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples and we join Forest Peoples Programme in showcasing Indigenous contributions to biodiversity conservation through the Transformative Pathways website.

The Transformative Pathways website, launched on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, is a platform to evidence Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ work safeguarding biodiversity across the globe.
The Transformative Pathways website, in close collaboration with Local Biodiversity Outlooks, is also a repository of information to ensure Indigenous voices are heard in global biodiversity policy.

Find out about the project on the NEW website.

Statement on Nat’l Roads Dev. Project, Kalimantan, Indonesia: Delivered to the Asia Dev. Bank (ADB) by Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI October 14th, 2021

While recently visiting Tewksbury, MA, Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI had the privilege and opportunity to have a conversation with Fr. Lucien Bouchard, OMI who spent over 25 years on the island of Borneo (Kalimantan) where the Oblates have maintained a missionary presence since 1977.

(Click here to read more about Fr. Lucien Bouchard, OMI)

Their discussion informed this written statement, which Fr. Séamus delivered to a session of the Asia Development Bank meeting here in Washington., DC on October 13, 2021.

Top 25 Wins for Indigenous Peoples in the Last 5 Years August 13th, 2021

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed on August 9 each year to promote and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples around the world. The date commemorates the first United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations meeting in Geneva in 1982. This year’s theme is “Leaving No One Behind: Indigenous Peoples and the call for a social contract.”

As we celebrate indigenous peoples, Cultural Survival is taking a look back at some of the top 25 wins for Indigenous Peoples over the last 5 years. From historic land back cases to strong Indigenous women in power, there has been great progress to celebrate.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE.

Aug 9 is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples August 9th, 2021

Struggle for survival is ongoing says Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI

“Indigenous communities living in the punjis are struggling hard for survival as they are facing repeated attacks by outsiders, said Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI, coordinator of the Indigenous Environment Movement of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) in Sylhet division.”

“Bangladesh Adivasi Forum central committee General Secretary Sanjeeb Drong said such violence against punji people has been going on for years. “But the problem is yet to be resolved.”

The communities remain under threat of eviction even when the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed today with the slogan “Leaving No One Behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contract”.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE.

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