Dialogue Between Nations -- Kari-Oca

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES EARTH CHARTER
KARI-OCA CONFERENCE MAY 25-30, 1992
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION

56. The vital circles are in a continuous interrelation in such a way that the change of one of its elements affects the whole.

57. Climatic changes affect Indigenous Peoples and all humanity. In addition, ecological systems and their rhythms are affected which contribute to the deterioration of our quality of life and increase our dependency.

58. The forests are being destroyed in the name of development and economical gains without considering the destruction of ecological balance. These activities do not benefit human beings, animals, birds and fish. The logging concessions and incentives to the timber, cattle and mining industries affecting the ecosystems and the natural resources should be cancelled.

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz
Igorot

Video (English): Victoria Tauli-Corpuz in the Kari-Oca Press Conference
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz en la Rueda de Prensa de Kari-Oca

English Transcription:

Good morning all members of the press. I am going to talk in biodiversity. As you all know the biodiversity convention is already finished and as Indigenous Peoples we would like to have a say on how this convention is and how it is going to affect us.

First point, the indigenous peoples who have maintained biodiversity have never been included in the negotiations of these biodiversity conventions. The real custodians of the genetic resources of this world have not been considered and have not been involved in this negotiation. In the convention it affirms the important role of indigenous peoples in preserving biodiversity. In the subsequent portion it doesn't mention anything about the role or the control and access of indigenous peoples over this biodiversity. We think that the convention has failed the right of Indigenous Peoples to have control and access over this.

We fear that biodiversity again will once more be appropriated by us by the transnational corporations and government in collaboration with government for more profit. As it is they already talk of biodiversity as a commodity as an economic resource, which is going to be negotiated between the countries for we are and the transnational corporations or even environmental organizations are interested to preserve this biodiversity. We already have the experiences of being dislocated from our territories because the environmental groups and transnational corporations have discovered this rich biodiversity and for them to be able to protect these they have to offence off Indigenous Peoples from these traditional territories where they have lived for centuries.

So in this context we don't think that the biodiversity convention is going to be of any help to the Indigenous Peoples. In fact, we believe that this is one instrument which is going to further this enfranchise us our control over this biodiversity, our control over our ancestral lands our traditional territories and our control over our own sustainable economic models which we have maintained through all these years.

Thank you very much.

Victoria Tauli Corpuz
Cordillera, Philippines

59. We value the efforts of protection of the biodiversity but we reject to be included as part of an inert diversity which pretends to be maintained for scientific and folkloric purposes.

60. The Indigenous Peoples strategies should be kept in a reference framework for the formulation and application of national policies on environment and diversity.

English

CARTA DE LA TIERRA DE LOS PUEBLOS INDIGENAS
CONFERENCIA DE KARI-OCA, 25 A 30 DE MAYO DE 1992
BIODIVERSIDAD Y CONSERVACION

56. Los círculos vitales están en contínua interrelación, de manera que un cambio en uno de sus elemenos afecta el todo.

57. Los cambios climáticos afectan a los pueblos indígenas y a toda la humanidad. Además, los sistemas ecológicos y sus ritmos se ven afectados lo cual contribuye al deterioro de nuestra calidad de vida y aumenta nuestra dependencia.

58. Los bosques están siendo destruidos en nombre del desarrollo y de las ganancias económicas sin considerar la destrucción del equilibrio ecológico. Estas actividades no representan beneficio alguno para los seres humanos, los animales, los pájaros y los peces. Deberán cancelarse las concesiones madereras y los incentivos a las industrias de la madera, el ganado y la minería que afectan los ecosistemas y los recursos naturales.

59. Valoramos los esfuerzos para la protección de la biodiversidad, pero rechazamos el ser incluídos como parte de una diversidad inerte que pretende mantenerse para efectos científicos y folclóricos.

60. Las estrategias de los pueblos indígenas deberán mantenerse como marco de referencia para la formulació y la aplicación de políticas nacionales sobre ambiente y biodiversidad.

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