Tomorrow, August 9, is the annual commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The theme this year is “Indigenous Youth as Agents of Change for Self-determination.”

There are two events that the public can tune into on Zoom:

1) At 8am and 8pm EST, The Pawanka Fund presents "Indigenous Voices of the Present and Future,” an invitation to a global conversation with Indigenous young people from the seven socio-cultural regions about activities being carried out for the care, protection, and preservation of Mother Earth. The event will have language interpretation from English to French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Here is the link to register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0oce2rqTwsH9Sd7mZrxbdUeyC_Yt7LKKQX#/registration

This will be a unique opportunity to know what young people are doing for the care of Mother Earth. Further details can be found in the concept note here.

2) From 9:00 – 10:30am EST, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs presents “Indigenous Youth as Agents of Change for Self-determination,” featuring a traditional ceremony, messages by the Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, and a dialogue with several Indigenous speakers. Speakers will share their expertise and experience from their Indigenous Peoples’ communities in the role of Indigenous youth in exercising self-determination in the context of climate action and the green transition; mobilizing for justice; and intergenerational connections. Interpretation will be available in English and Spanish.

Here is the link to register: https://tinyurl.com/Indigenous23

A program can be found here.

Invited speakers:

    Traditional Opening Ceremony - conducted by Mr Joe Baker (Lenape)

    Video message by Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth

    Message by Mr Dario Jose Mejía Montalvo, UNPFII Chairperson

Panel members:

    Ms Josefa Tauli (Ibaloi-Kankanaey Igorot)

    Ms Autumn Adams (Yakama)

    Mr Luis Acosta (Nasa)

    Moderator: Ms Aminatu Gambo Samira (Mbororo-Fulani)

    Commentary on youth engagement: Ms Rosa-Máren Juuso (Saami)

    Closing remarks by Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations, Her Excellency Leonor Zalabata Torres (Arhuaco)

For more information, click here.