UNPFII23: Recommended Events

The following is a curated list of UNPFII23 side events and parallel events that are recommended by JCoR and our Religious community at the United Nations in New York. Please check back as this page will continue to be updated as UNPFII approaches.

 

Rising Indigenous Youth Voices In Pursuit of Self-Determination
17 April 2024, 9:30AM-11:00AM (New York time)

Virtual event held via Zoom
 
Sponsor: Amazon Subcommittee of the NGO Mining Working Group
 
The NGO Mining Working Group and its Amazon Subcommittee will host a collaborative side event that invites youth to share their journeys of pursuing self-determination about the themes of Indigenous rights and sovereignty, land, and environmental conservation. In the hopes of contributing to the enhancement of the agency of Indigenous youth and young adults, we would like to hold space for the voices of young leaders to speak to their tribal sovereignty and rights about the challenges faced in their respective contexts. As environmental issues continue to be considered by UN experts, global agents have slowly begun to recognize that Indigenous peoples’ wisdom is fundamental to the wider discussion. This discussion will also welcome the treatment of such emerging acknowledgments and how they intersect with youth concerns, and how we can ensure greater coherence and protections for Indigenous peoples and their lands in the context of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
 
Flyer: View in English
 
Registration not required. Click here to join via Zoom: https://bit.ly/PFIIYOUTH

Flyer for CRNGO event "Healing Ourselves and the Planet"Healing ourselves and the planet: interfaith, indigenous and embodied approaches to climate action
18 April 2024, 2:00PM-3:30PM (New York time)

Virtual event held via Zoom
 
Sponsor: Committee of Religious NGOs and AHAM Education
 
We are Mother Earth and Mother Earth is us. When we are disconnected from this relationship and out of balance with Nature, we tend to turn to polarized, fear-based, anxiety-driven action causing intentional and unintentional harm to ourselves, each other, and our planet. This session features AHAM Education’s documentary short Healing People Heal the Planet and a mindful reflection of how we might access “eco-affinity” through faith, indigenous wisdom, or other embodied practices. Together we explore how this ‘inter-being’ in relationship to humanity and the planet can serve as a catalyst for sustainable, nature-positive, nonviolent, and transformative outcomes for a common future. 
 
A panel of BIPOC, indigenous, and faith leaders from the Americas will guide our experience to bravely lead change from the inside out in our respective worlds of influence.
 
Flyer: View in English
Concept note: View in English
 

Image of flyer for UNPFII parallel event "Youth: Holding Our Identity"Youth: Holding Our Identity
18 April 2024, 5:00PM-6:30PM (New York time)

Virtual event held via Zoom
 
Sponsor: GLUNN: Grail and United for Equity and Ending Racism (UFER)
 
The articles contained in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People are clear, yet the reality of the challenges of today’s society are complex. New generations must remember the history of their sacred “stolen lands” becoming a product to be bought, sold, and exploited. A history resulting in efforts to erase Indigenous culture, language, environmental stewardship, and deep spirituality.
 
In this panel young women from Ecuador and Mexico will share their stories of finding creative ways to connect with their heritage, and, honor their Ancestors while actively engaging in today’s world. They will describe ways of opening pathways for themselves while at the same time keeping in mind the impact on the next “seven generations.”
 
***Interpretation in English and Spanish***
 
Flyer: View in English
 

Flyer for UNPFII parallel event "The North-South Conversation"The North-South Conversation
19 April 2024, 9:30AM-11:30AM (New York time)

In-person event held at the lower-level of the Salvation Army (221 E 52nd Street, NYC)
 
Sponsor: NGO Mining Working Group, REPAM, PUAM, and Conselho Indigenista Missionário
 
Join us for  powerful dialogue between three distinguished panelists – hailing from Brazil, West Papua, and Peru – on the topic of enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination within the context of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
 
***Interpretation in Portuguese and Spanish***
 
Flyer: View in English
 
RSVP using the following form (limited seating): https://forms.gle/xk5YYdoDQZGiR5ko8

Flyer for UNPFII parallel event titled Indigenous Voices on Self-DeterminationIndigenous Voices on Self-Determination: Indigenous Youth and Elder Perspectives on Self-Determination
19 April 2024, 1:15PM-2:30PM (New York time)

Virtual event held via Zoom
 
Sponsor: Indigenous Health and Education Subcommittee of the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous People, Sunray Meditation Society, and the Mining Working Group Subcommittee on the Amazon
 
Please join us for an historic panel discussion bringing together Indigenous leaders from Turtle Island/North America and Asia who will speak of their experiences on self-determination and sovereignty, this year’s theme of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, what it means to their communities, cultures and existence as Indigenous peoples.
 
Flyer: View in English
 

Flyer for the UNPFII parallel event "Tools to Engage in Policy Change & Testimony"Tools to Engage in Policy Change & Testimony
22 April 2024, 1:00PM-2:30PM (New York time)

Virtual event held via Zoom
 
Sponsor: Mining Working Group Subcommittee on the Amazon and Native American Budget & Policy Institute
 
A wide variety of barriers impede self-determination. This 90-minute workshop will give participants the opportunity to develop policy solutions, documentation, and delivery practices to support their respective agendas. The workshop will also provide participants with tools to engage in policy change and testimony. This workshop is a means to integrate a human rights framework into land policy, healthy policy, and educate and introduce social protections.
 
Flyer: View in English