PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO BILINGUAL INSTRUCTION

[Harold F. Schiffman]

PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO PROVIDING BETTER EDUCATION FOR INDIGENOUS
PEOPLES, WITH EMPHASIS ON BILINGUAL INSTRUCTION, PERMANENT FORUM TOLD
(2005-05-21)

Speakers stressed the importance of quality education in pulling
indigenous people out of poverty and preserving their cultures and
knowledge systems, as the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues continued
its fourth session today.

Quoting a World Bank report, a senior official of that institution said
education had been cited as the number one way to improve the livelihoods
of indigenous peoples in Latin America. Educational level alone would not
result in higher incomes, however, unless it was accompanied by a higher
quality of schooling in many indigenous communities.

Priority, he said, should be placed on providing more and better education
for indigenous peoples, with emphasis on implementing bilingual education
programmes and providing nutritional head start programmes for children.
Data collection methods should be improved to locate and identify
indigenous peoples, and clear performance goals should be established to
hold providers accountable.

Bringing together some 1,500 indigenous leaders, activists and
representatives, this years Forum is focusing on indigenous people and the
Millennium Development Goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and
achieving universal primary education. It aims to draw up recommendations
for the United Nations system in the areas of economic and social
development, environment, health, human rights, culture and education.

A representative of Organizacin Indgena Aymara Taypi Ceqe also underscored
the importance of quality primary education, describing education as the
key to development. Moreover, since education must be in tune with
development needs, emphasis must be placed on developing quality education
within indigenous groups so that they could develop the skills to enter
the information technologies era.

Other participants emphasized the need for indigenous educational systems
to preserve the languages and knowledge systems of their peoples. A
representative of the Indigenous Youth Caucus warned that indigenous
peoples would be faced with assimilation into dominant societies, losing
their identities and cultures, without such systems. He urged United
Nations agencies to cooperate on developing curricula on indigenous
cultures, and to adopt long-term policies allowing indigenous
representatives to take full part in educational decision-making
processes.

Similarly, a representative of the North America Caucus described
indigenous languages as key resources for knowledge, and instruments for
passing on traditional knowledge to indigenous children. She noted that
over 70 per cent of indigenous languages were spoken by the grandparent
generation in North America. At such a rate of decline, 90 per cent of the
worlds languages would be lost by the end of the century. According to
another participant, the representative of the Movement for the Survival
of the Ogoni People, culture would die without language, while language
would die without culture.

Also today, Jos Antonio OCampo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and
Social Affairs and Coordinator of the Second International Decade of the
Worlds Indigenous Peoples, briefed the Forum on the newly inaugurated
Second Decade. He said a comprehensive programme of action for the Second
Decade should be drawn up, addressing key developmental concerns of
indigenous peoples and focusing on indigenous participation in development
processes.

He added that two themes had been proposed for the decade -- one focused
on partnerships and the other on adopting a human rights approach to
development centred on identity. The first priority of the Second Decade
was to finalize negotiations on the draft Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples and adopt it. He had proposed the holding of high-level
dialogues to unlock major difficulties on the declaration, and progress
with other activities for the Second Decade.

Also speaking today were the representatives of Indonesia, Guyana, and
Mexico. Speaking on behalf of indigenous organization were the
representatives of the Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal
Peoples, India; Yamassee Native Americans She-Clan; Newa Day Darbo;
Asociacin Nacional Indgena Salvadorea; and the United Association of Khmer
Kampuchea Krom Buddhist Monks.

In addition, representatives spoke for the Consejo Indio de Sud America; ;
International Indian Treaty Council/Indigenous Environmental Network ;
World Council of Churches (FAIRA); Conservation International ; Habitat
Pro Association/Pueblo Kechuade Tauria, Peru; Indigenous Organizations
from Chile/Corporacin de Mujeres Mapuche Aukinko Zomo; and African Caucus.


The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues met today to continue its
discussion on universal primary education under the thematic approach of
language, cultural perspective and traditional knowledge. (For background

A representative of the Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal
Peoples, India, said prior and free consent of tribal peoples was
important in making decisions that affected indigenous people. Regarding
education among indigenous peoples in her country, the dropout rate ranged
from 70 to 80 per cent because the teachers were not indigenous. Also,
national school textbooks failed to reflect the rich contribution
indigenous tribal peoples had given to Indias culture. To improve the
situation and counter the negative effects of globalization through
education, education among indigenous peoples should emphasize: the
training and appointment of indigenous teachers; education of female
children; the reinforcement of cultural traditions and features;
sensitizing the general population to the contributions of indigenous
peoples; and empowerment of indigenous peoples so they could look after
their own affairs.

Indonesias representative said literacy was an absolute necessity in a
knowledge-based global world. A healthy and educated population was a
national asset. Twenty per cent of the national budget in his country went
into providing education at the grass-roots level through a compulsory
education programme. The long-term benefits of achieving the Millennium
Development Goal of achieving universal primary education made the cost
worthwhile. Implicit in the notion of universal primary education was the
need to bring all peoples into the mainstream. Indonesia made every effort
to reach all its indigenous groups. A system of decentralized
community-based education management was improving educational
opportunities for all. Special attention was given to remote tribal
communities, and steps were being taken to protect the intellectual
property rights of Indonesias indigenous peoples.

A representative of the Yamassee Native Americans She-Clan called for the
establishment of field offices to facilitate interaction and cooperation
between indigenous groups and the national Government. The offices should
be furnished with a database containing information on languages, cultural
features and native knowledge of the peoples within the area, he said.
Also, local media should report on indigenous cultural issues and in
indigenous languages.

The representative of Guyana said poverty eradication was one of the
principle goals of her countrys development policy. A disproportionate
number of indigenous people suffered from poverty, and measures were being
taken to assist them within Guyanas poverty-reduction programme. The
programme, however, was hampered by the countrys substantial foreign debt
and declining levels of trade, and the rate of poverty among indigenous
groups was still unacceptably high. Efforts to assist indigenous peoples
were further impeded by their dispersed settlements, difficult terrain in
their territories, and the high cost of implementing poverty-reduction
projects.

She stressed that education among indigenous peoples was vital in
attaining individual aspirations and national development. The country
already provided bilingual lessons using the five indigenous languages,
and education content was being reviewed. Due to the shortage of qualified
indigenous teachers, teacher-training programmes had been initiated in
some regions.

A representative of the Newa Day Darbo said Nepals promise for universal
education had never been translated into practice. Private sector
educational institutions had become a new sector for profit and money
grabbing, creating a new gap between the haves and have-nots in the
country. The Government was ignoring its prime obligation to implement an
educational programme for all, according to the Second Millennium Goal.
Moreover, the ongoing Maoist insurgency had badly disrupted the
educational system, as students and teachers were often forced to join the
insurgents.

The representative of Mexico said his Government followed a holistic
approach to development, and coordinated with indigenous peoples through
consultation. An Advisory Council was made up of advisors from 60
indigenous groups around the country. Educational reform would be based on
the needs and idiosyncrasies of indigenous peoples, taking into account
their views. Mexico had recognized indigenous links as an integral part of
its national culture.

A representative of the Asociacin Nacional Indgena Salvadorea said the
Government of El Salvador had failed to recognize her group as indigenous
people, and several of its schools had been closed. She had come to the
Forum to inform it that the people of her organization were, indeed,
suffering from abuse.

HARRY ANTHONY PATRINOS, Senior Education Economist of the Human
Development Department for Latin America and the Caribbean Region, the
World Bank, said a report had been issued on the relation between poverty
and education among the indigenous peoples of Latin America. Education was
the number one way to improve the poverty level, but improving the
education level among indigenous people had not translated into
improvements in income. That was found to be a result of the poor quality
of schooling among indigenous people.

To improve the situation, he said the priority should be placed on
providing more and better education for indigenous peoples. Emphasis
should also be placed on implementing bilingual education programmes
already developed and on providing head start programmes for children to
make sure they were healthy to learn. Data collection methods should be
improved to identify indigenous peoples, and clear performance goals
should be set to hold providers accountable. Finally, local groups must be
given responsibility for implementing measures, and parents must be
brought into the process.

A representative of Organizacin Indgena Aymara Taypi Ceqe of Bolivia said
education was the key to development for all countries. Quality primary
universal education was a prerequisite. The literacy rate among indigenous
peoples in his country had been raised through educational reforms, such
as bilingual education programmes. However, since education must be in
tune with development needs, the emphasis must now be placed on developing
the leadership and quality control within indigenous groups to enable them
to enter into the information technologies era. That meant promoting a
multicultural, multisectoral approach that promoted the rights of all
peoples.

A representative of United Association of Khmer Kampuchea Krom Buddhist
Monks called on the Government of Viet Nam to stop its persecution of his
group. He said the Governments treatment of his people was inhumane,
depriving them not only of cultural rights but of basic freedoms. They
were denied access to social services and higher education. The temple had
been turned into a military camp. The statement was an appeal to the
United Nations system and to the world community to intervene on the
groups behalf.

A representative of the Consejo Indio de Sud America said his people must
take control of their educational system from the Canadian Government. The
right to self-determination was critical to indigenous people, and
education, and traditional knowledge and wisdom -- regarding the
relationship with Mother Earth -- must be taught in traditional ways.
Until educational institutions understood that, State education would
continue to be irrelevant to indigenous peoples. It was a fundamental
right that all people should be allowed to teach their children within
their own knowledge systems, free from State interference.

A representative of the Indigenous Youth Caucus stressed the need for
indigenous educational systems to preserve the languages and knowledge
systems of their peoples. Without such systems, indigenous peoples would
be faced with assimilation into the dominant society, losing their
identities and cultures. He recommended that United Nations agencies
cooperate to develop curricula on indigenous cultures, and adopt long-term
policies allowing indigenous representatives to take full part in
decision-making processes. Moreover, Government should adopt educational
programmes pertaining to indigenous history, with attention paid to
treaties.

A representative of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People said
language was the expression of cultural identity. Without language,
culture would die, and without culture, language would die. The
educational policies of previous colonizers were based on domestication
and assimilation. Nigerias national language policy considered it to be in
the interest of indigenous peoples to learn one of the three mainstream
languages. He recommended that Government promote bilingual education for
indigenous peoples.

A representative of the North American Caucus stressed the importance of
indigenous languages in achieving the Millennium Goal of universal primary
education. Languages were key resources of knowledge, and instrumental in
passing on traditional knowledge to indigenous children. In North America,
over 70 per cent of indigenous languages were spoken by the grandparent
generation. At the present rate of decline, 90 per cent of the worlds
languages would be lost by the end of the century. The Forum should
support declaration of a United Nations international year for languages
in 2007; further funding from States and agencies for language
revitalization programmes; and the establishment of an international fund
for language work.

JOS ANTONIO OCAMPO, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social
Affairs and Coordinator of the Second Decade of the Worlds Indigenous
Peoples, briefed the Forum on the newly inaugurated Second Decade. He
called propitious the fact that the Second Decade was beginning in a year
of stocktaking for Member States and the United Nations system. The
coinciding of 2015 as the end for the Decade and as the target date for
achieving the Millennium Development Goals was also significant.

He said a comprehensive Programme of Action for the Second Decade should
be drawn up. It should address the key concerns of indigenous peoples in
the area of development and should focus on the integration of the
indigenous perspective into development plans and the participation of
indigenous peoples in development processes. It should also account for
the development of specific indicators and methods for collecting
disaggregated data beyond national aggregates.

Two themes had been proposed for the Decade, he continued. One was the
concept of partnership and the other the adoption of a human rights
approach to development centred on the concept of identity. Key objectives
and activities could centre on: standard-setting, monitoring and strategic
implementation at the international and regional levels; strengthening of
work at the national level; and capacity-building.

The first priority of the Second Decade, he went on, was to finalize
negotiations on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
and to adopt it early in the Decade. The Programme of Action could
incorporate the Forums work in its mandated areas, and the Forum could
monitor Second Decade activities. Focal points at the country level could
be designated among United Nations bodies already established. They could
follow up implementation of the Forums recommendations and the Decades
objectives, with governments promoting national focal points. Finally,
technical resources could be provided so that national information systems
could carry out the task of systemizing data collection and processing.

Forum members asked Jos Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary-General for
Economic and Social Affairs, how the Second Decade for Indigenous People
could be translated into reality, and when the declaration on the rights
of indigenous people would be finished and adopted at the country level.
One member stressed the importance of raising political awareness of the
declaration so that indigenous viewpoints could be known and accepted.

Members also pointed out that governments during the first Decade for
Indigenous Peoples had not really attempted to implement its
recommendations, stressing that resources should be made available to
indigenous people for that purpose.

They also stressed the need to instruct United Nations agencies to assist
indigenous peoples in overcoming specific problems, and to instruct Member
States about activities to be carried out over the Second Decade. Several
also questioned Mr. Ocampo on the availability of disaggregated data on
indigenous peoples.

Responding, Mr. OCAMPO said he hoped a decision on the declaration would
be made early in the Second Decade. He had proposed the holding of
high-level dialogues to unlock major difficulties and advance other
activities for the Second Decade.

He said it was also vital to raise awareness about the Decades goals to
mobilize strong political commitment around them. In order to make
progress, Decade programmes should be carried out through a tripartite
arrangement, which brought together governments, indigenous peoples and
United Nations staff in each country. The United Nations could support
Decade activities, but joint efforts with indigenous peoples would be
needed to bring them about. Standard-setting efforts would legitimize
programmes, ensuring that they took on a high profile in each country.

Regarding disaggregated data, he said he expected to have more ready soon.



A representative of the International Indian Treaty Council/Indigenous
Environmental Network said her group was involved with the environmental
concerns of indigenous and traditional peoples. That included situations
where mercury poisoning resulted from actions by extractive industries and
caused not only environmental harm that impacted negatively on the
economy, but also severe learning and behavioural disabilities in the
population. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) should expand
its umbrella of protections to reverse the development of such situations.
A legally binding instrument should ban the creation of such hazards.
Agencies must make funds available for affected indigenous peoples to hire
their own environmental analysts.



A delegate of the World Council of Churches (FAIRA) said indigenous
languages were on the verge of dying out, as they were in Australia. The
Council had represented indigenous peoples issues since the 1980s, but it
had not yet addressed the question of the language that was an integral
part of the right to identity and self-determination. The Forum should
designate 2006 as the international year of indigenous languages. All
governments should recognize the right of indigenous peoples to their
language, and all States with indigenous populations should take steps to
affirm the global need to protect global lingual diversity.

A spokesperson for Conservation International said the goal of her
organization was to ensure that the earths natural heritage was protected
in areas known as hot spots. Those were endangered sites based on the
premise that indigenous traditional peoples relied on healthy ecosystems
for their livelihoods and for passing down traditional knowledge. National
governments often did not recognize indigenous peoples rights and allowed
situations to occur such as environmental degradation or loss of water
access. The condition must be addressed under the framework of the
Millennium Development Goals by building partnerships between traditional
peoples, governments and conservation groups. A broader dialogue must be
built both to protect the earths biodiversity and indigenous peoples
rights. The Forum should advise governments on the need to respect those
rights and should promote the dialogue. It should develop a programme of
action on the issue and should facilitate the transfer of information.

A speaker for Habitat Pro Association/Pueblo Kechuade Tauria, Peru, said
native languages such as Kechua were in danger of dying out. That must not
be allowed to happen because the cultural identity was also in danger.
Language was not just a way of communicating, but a way of thinking about
the world. The Kechua-formulated concepts carried dimensions the Spanish
language did not. Perus Government saw bilingual education as a purely
economic matter, but the indigenous peoples must be entrusted and
empowered to educate their children and pass down their knowledge to
future generations. The Government needed to train bilingual teachers as a
priority.



A representative of Indigenous Organizations from Chile/Corporacin de
Mujeres Mapuche Aukinko Zomo said the situation of indigenous peoples in
the country had not changed despite repeated calls from United Nations
entities, such



as the Special Rapporteur, for the Government to improve its approach. The
Government would not promote bilingual education, and it would not take
steps to ensure that rights to cultural identity were respected. Language
was fundamental to education among indigenous people. Since the Government
would not respect the right to exercise language and thereby facilitate
education, indigenous peoples in Chile should be given their own
territory. The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals should be
the basis on which the Forum got governments to make changes.



A speaker for the African Caucus said there was no national policy to
promote education for either adults or children among the indigenous
groups in the Caucus. In fact, the entire educational environment was
handicapped by conditions such as dilapidated buildings, underpaid
teachers and lack of textbooks. Recommendations included the involvement
of indigenous parents in the education of their children according to
their culture and lifestyle. In the case of nomadic peoples, for example,
mobile schools needed to be provided. Elders must also be involved in
planning the educational curriculum. More effort must be made to fund
programmes that promoted education reform, including in related areas such
as improving health and living conditions. Emphasis should be equally
placed on building capacity and promoting respect for culture.


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