La finalidad de este estudio es presentar la participación de los pueblos indígenas y las comunidades locales en el discurso de los mercados de carbono como una propuesta de solución emergente al cambio climático. En el estudio participaron seis países de Asia, África y Latinoamérica y comprendió investigación de fuentes de información (documental), consultas con las comunidades indígenas e interacciones con las autoridades del país. Mediante la investigación documental se compilaron los antecedentes del informe, incluida la situación de la actividad en torno a los mercados de carbono.

This study seeks to present the engagement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the carbon markets discourse as an emerging solution to climate change. It involved six countries from Asia, Africa, and Central America. The scoping study was comprised of desktop research and consultations with indigenous communities and interactions with authorities at the country level. Desktop research was conducted to inform the background of the report, including the state of activity around carbon markets.

Cette étude vise à présenter l’engagement des peuples autochtones et des communautés locales dans le discours sur les marchés du carbone en tant que solution émergente au changement climatique. Elle a porté sur six pays d’Asie, d’Afrique et d’Amérique centrale. L’étude exploratoire a consisté en des recherches documentaires, des consultations avec les communautés autochtones et des interactions avec les autorités au niveau national. Des recherches documentaires ont été menées afin de documenter rapport, notamment l’état de l’activité autour des marchés du carbone.

The CHT Accord, signed on 2.12.1997, was meant to end armed violence in the CHT. It was welcomed by indigenous peoples in CHT as an opportunity to claim their rights as indigenous peoples and citizens of Bangladesh. Indigenous civil society leaders came together with NGO donors from Germany. They requested capacity-building and professionalisation to the extent of being in a position to access funds for their future activities. Given the trauma inflicted by the violent conflict, there was fear and mistrust against members and institutions of the mainland community. Therefore, involving experienced Bangladeshi NGOs in leading such a process was impossible. Donors had to think out of the box and go an extra mile in managing challenging funding procedures in order to support the post-Accord activities. Eventually it was decided to work with an international organization. This organization was considered to be neutral and given their focus on indigenous peoples worldwide, “like-minded”. This introduced Maleya Foundation to the international community of indigenous activists.

Transitional justice is an approach to address systematic and pervasive human rights violations. The Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) interprets Transitional Justice as that which “covers the full range of processes and mechanisms associated with a society’s attempt to come to terms with a legacy of large-scale past conflict, repression, violations, and abuses, to ensure accountability, serve justice, and achieve reconciliation”.2 In Asia, the peace negotiation between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been viewed as a model for transitional justice in Southern Philippines. After decades of holding the peace process, both parties came up with the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and established the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with a transitional government known as the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). 

Ang transisyonal na proseso para sa katarungan (transitional justice process o TJP) ay isang pamamaraan para matugunan ang mga laganap at sistematikong paglabag ng karapatang pantao. Sa paliwanag ng Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), ang transitional justice ay “sumasaklaw sa mga proseso at mekanismo nakatipon sa pagtangka ng ating lipunan na pakitungohan ang kanyang pinamanang kaso ng mga pakikidigma, paghahadlang, paglalabag at pag-aabuso; masigurado ang pananagutan; maihain ng katarungan; at magkaroon ng rekonsilyasyon.”2 Sa Asia, ang negosasyon para sa kapayapaan sa pagitan ng Gobyerno ng Pilipinas (GPH) at ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) ay tinitingnan na isang modelo ng transitional justice process sa Timog Pilipinas. Matapos ng dekadang paghawak ng negosasyong pangkapayapaan, ang dalawang lupon ay nakalabas ng Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) at nakapagtatag ng Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) na may kasamang transisyonal na gobyerno na mas kilala bilang Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). 

Through time, the ever-growing multi-ethnic city populace has engulfed the Ibaloi clans. Likewise, the Ibaloi language has become increasingly limited in use, and the trend is towards the decline in the transmission of the language from one generation to the next. Ibaloi speakers have voluntarily or unwittingly shifted to English, Filipino, and Ilokano. Many families have chosen not to teach their native language to their children. Thus, we are now confronted with the endangered status of the Ibaloi language in Baguio City, though it is hoped that the language has retained its vitality in other Ibaloi towns such as Kabayan, Itogon, Tuba, etc.

This book also contributes to the bigger initiative of partner communities in the Philippine Traditional Knowledge Network to document, promote, and revitalize traditional knowledge. The ageold wisdom nurtured through generations is an invaluable body of knowledge, which can benefit humankind.

This paper aims to increase appreciation for the Pidlisan tribe’s indigenous knowledge systems, practices and innovations on rice land ecosystems as habitat and production site; serve as a reference in advancing Indigenous peoples’ education; and contribute to advocacy work for the promotion, revival and strengthening of indigenous knowledge and innovations within the holistic perspective of Indigenous peoples.

The three country studies in this volume reflect the disempowerment of indigenous women, resulting from intersecting factors over time and space in heterogenous societies in a part of South Asia. The complex barrier created by overlaying sheets of colonial oppression and discrimination, patriarchy and feudalism...has yet to be addressed substantially if we are to achieve the goals set in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the present Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The stories that emerge reveal that in various indigenous communities, indigenous women are hurdling barriers in arenas beyond their traditional domestic domain. Although still marginalized and burdened by multiple work, indigenous women are proving that they can actively engage in their community’s economic and political development, rather than remain passive receivers of programs and policies.

Traditional forest management practices are increasingly recognized in formal forestry regimes. But in some developing countries, the laws are either silent or oppose them. Three country case studies (Cambodia, Thailand, and Fiji) have been commissioned by Tebtebba Foundation (Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Research and Education) to look into policies on forests and indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge and practices on sustainable forest management. This regional research is part of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Capacity Building Program on REDD+ for Forest Dependent Indigenous Peoples in East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia Region Project.

The research project had the following objectives: 1) Conduct in-depth study of distinct and existing traditional knowledge and practices on forest and forest management of indigenous peoples and the customary laws and institutions that govern these taking into account gender differentiated roles, access to resources, land, benefits and decision making; 2) Study government policies and programs that reinforce and/or hinder/weaken the practice and transfer of traditional forest management of indigenous peoples; and 3) Generate policy recommendations towards the strengthening of indigenous knowledge systems and traditional forest management practices in REDD+ implementation.

In the second part of the research, the country case studies point to a series of proposals and recommendations that can help improve the quality of indigenous peoples’ engagement, national level coordination of different climate funds, compliance with Green Climate Fund policies and due consideration of indigenous peoples’ perspectives in country programming.

This guide seeks to offer therefore an analysis of how some key institutions taking a lead on Results-Based Payments (RBP) and Finance work with respect to REDD+. The guide will also unpack some of the critical and still outstanding matters, such as the issues of carbon rights and non-carbon benefits.

The important element that emerges from this publication is the importance of gathering the knowledge and experience that emerge from the small projects financed by the Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF) of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The IPAF finances small projects up to US$50,000. This may seem small, but feedback from indigenous peoples who took advantage from the IPAF funded projects tell us that from their perspective this support is considerable at the community level. What matters most to the communities and their organizations is not simply the money they receive through the awarded IPAF grants, rather the power transferred to them in the process to make their own decisions at community and family level with the available resources. Moreover, we have learned that the IPAF small projects are an important tool for women's role in decision-making.

The communities are adopting innovations, such as the use drone mapping and land use of the Jawatn territory in Indonesia, which is contributing to Village Regulation on the Protection and Management of Customary Forest. This is a preparatory step to their application for the formal recognition of Mondi customary forest in accordance with the Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation.

This publication is in itself innovative in showing how the projects financed through the IPAF are contributing to the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly Article 23, whereby Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programmes through their own institutions.

"Closing the gap between the recognition of indigenous peoples' rights at the international and national levels and the actual implementation on the ground remains my main pre-occupation."

- Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples

"She has practiced in her mandate the right to consult with her indigenous sisters and brothers from different socio-cultural regions of the world on the subjects to which she has referred in her reports; and has assured the presence of indigenous women and youth in these consultations."

- Ms. Myrna Cuningham Kain, President, Fondo para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas de América Latina y El Caribe (FILAC)

"The issues Ms. Tauli-Corpuz analyzes, whether shedding light on the challenges or outlining good examples, invite us all to re-think critically about where our world is going and where indigenous peoples’ stewardship could actually provide answers for all." 

- Ms. Elsa Stamatopoulou, Director, Indigenous Peoples' Rights Program Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University

- Chief Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper
Onondaga and Seneca Nations, Iroquois Confederacy