Latest update March 29th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 27, 2022 News
Kaieteur News – Indigenous leaders are calling on government to ensure that they are involved in draft Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) discussions to mitigate any impacts that may arise. The community is adamant that government must also assist through budget allocations to ensure that work continues in protecting the general rights of Amerindians.
A missive from the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) stated that over 30 Indigenous leaders and representatives from across Guyana had recently participated in a five-day workshop focusing on the Draft Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 and revision of the Amerindian Act.
One of the key recommendations from the consultations was to have allocations in the next national budget to cater for revision work to continue. The APA said that two budgets have passed, and no allocations were made for Indigenous groups to continue work as to how the strategy impacts the Amerindian Act and whether it is strong enough to guarantee the rights of the nation’s First People.
APA said that, “the government continues to finalise policy development in mining, forestry, and the larger Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which encompasses general policy, programme and project development. Unfortunately, there has not been much opportunity for effective participation and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in these developments.”
Acknowledging hindrances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the APA said that these hindrances, “did not prevent policymakers from making critical national decisions impacting Indigenous Peoples despite several concerns raised, including the ineffectiveness of the Amerindian Act 2006 to respond to the rights issues and needs of Indigenous Peoples in Guyana.”
In its recommendation document, the APA noted that, “The Government must always respect our rights to consultation, participation, and free, prior, and informed consent (“FPIC”) as well as our rights to lands, territories, and resources. We consider that our rights to consultation, participation, and FPIC, have already been violated, because the Government has published this Draft LCDS since October 2021 but is only now thinking about consultations with indigenous peoples. We have a right to be consulted and provide inputs at the very inception of any strategy being considered for national development.”
Apart from funds to ascertain the effects of LCDS on Amerindian rights, Indigenous groups also want government to allocate funds to villages to prepare for land titling, including mapping work and completion of inter-village boundary agreements. This funding should also support the training of technical persons to support communities in these processes and, “… expedite the land titling process. There should be a maximum of a one-year time period to investigate and decide upon land title/extension applications,” the first peoples’ Association insisted.
The recent workshop was set for groups to understand and analyse the government’s draft Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and how it impacts the rights of Indigenous Peoples and opportunities for the mitigation of these impacts. And to build the capacity of resource persons from the regions and representatives of various Indigenous Peoples’ organisations in understanding what effective legislation for Indigenous Peoples could look like.
The workshop also took into account summary recommendations made in favour of the revision of the Amerindian Act and what ideal legislation can contain for effective protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Guyana. The workshop is also the latest step the Indigenous Peoples’ organisations have taken towards having the Amerindian Act revised.
In March 2017, the APA and the National Toshaos Council (NTC) jointly jumpstarted a national revision process of the Amerindian Act 2006 by having a three-day activity in which several indigenous grassroots organisations participated and agreed that the revision of the Act is critical in order to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“Between 2017 and now, there has been continuous work among Indigenous Peoples organisations and District Councils, including the APA, towards the revision of the Act.” In December 2020, a joint- strategy meeting was convened to discuss collective actions to develop a proposal on engaging the new government on the next steps in the revision of the Act. However, the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, though invited, did not attend the event, the APA missive disclosed.
Amerindian representatives will, nonetheless, impart workshop findings and recommendations back to their villages. “This will prepare villages and district councils to participate effectively in policy development and project implementation and monitoring, ensuring that the right to Free, Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC) is respected through any developmental process.” The Indigenous People are nonetheless looking forward to a response from government based on the recent recommendations made.
The recent workshop was facilitated by the APA with funding from the International and Tenure Facility and NORAD. Additional technical support was provided by the Forest Peoples Programme and the Rainforest Foundation US.
Participants involved the Upper Mazaruni District Council, the South Rupununi District Council, the Moruca District Council, North Pakaraimas District Council (NPDC) Region Eight; North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), Kanuku Mountain Community Resource Group (KMCRG), the National Toshaos Council and other Indigenous resource persons.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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