Protecting Indigenous Rights
Dominant narratives about the development agenda often fail to consider the needs and desires of indigenous communities, who face disproportionate threats to their rights and cultural traditions as a result of land grabs, climate change, and pressures to adopt “modern” farming practices and ways of life. The Christensen Fund takes a holistic approach to supporting indigenous communities in regions around the world in their efforts to maintain a connection to their lands, preserve their languages and cultural practices, and pursue legal and political channels to protect their human rights.
From 2013-2015, Silence Speaks collaborated with Christensen and its regional partners in the Rift Valley region of Africa, Northwestern Mexico, and Central Asia, on a series of storytelling and participatory media workshops with local indigenous leaders. The goal of the project was two-fold: to build the capacity of participants for sharing their own stories; and to garner increased coverage by local media of the challenges faced by indigenous communities. Our approach varied from country to country, taking into consideration the specific political, cultural, and linguistic contexts as well as the desires expressed by participants for technical skill-building. In each workshop, we led storytellers through the process of sharing and recording their own narratives, taking and selecting photos and video clips, and assisting with the editing of these materials into short digital videos. In some workshops, we also provided training on photography, audio recording, and photo ethics, to enable participants to continue documenting stories within their communities.View selected examples below and find more on our Silence Speaks Storytelling YouTube Channel.
