Tradition can save the modern world
No commentsAt the Bali summit of the UNFCCC, indigenous people called upon the international community to engage in a process of negotiation based on traditional knowledge and experience. Many strong voices of support rose here in a call for collective work to ensure the survival of the global community in all of its varied richness.
The world’s indigenous people do not accept the much-touted target of limiting global temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius. But limited access to financial resources is constraining the efforts of indigenous peoples to implement traditional adaptation measures in modern ways.
Indigenous peoples are a significant community increasingly impacted by climate change. Together, they called upon the UN Secretary General to ensure their rightful representation in the post-Kyoto negotiation process, and to facilitate the development of a responsive and inclusive post-2012 climate change framework. Indigenous and local communities are custodians of the earth’s biodiversity.
There is a need for an executive secretary to the convention on biological diversity. It is essential to recognize and value indigenous peoples, and there must be a global effort to work in close partnership with them. The world can benefit tremendously by drawing on the unique knowledge of its indigenous peoples. They are deserving of special appreciation.
