INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA , KUALA LUMPUR , MALAYSIA
29-31 JULY 2008
The Centre for Poverty and Development Studies, Faculty of Economics & Administration, University of Malaya announces the hosting of the International Conference on Indigenous People in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia during 29-31 July 2008. The Conference will focus on contemporary policy, research, issues, interventions and advocacy to address what is widely perceived as the social exclusion, vulnerability and marginalization of indigenous communities in the developed and developing world and to propose programmes and strategies to meet these challenges. The sub-themes – social exclusion, vulnerability and marginalization of indigenous communities – are designed to be sufficiently inclusive and comprehensive to cater to the multidisciplinary and multifarious approaches to the examination of ethnic minorities that a superficial and cursory overview of the research, writing and action pertaining to these communities the world over would reflect.
The basic inspiration for the International Conference on Indigenous People is the Millennium Development Goals which at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) has declared that “Indigenous peoples have the right to benefit from the Millennium Development Goals and from other goals and aspirations contained in the Millennium Declaration to the same extent as all others. Indigenous and tribal peoples are lagging behind other parts of the population in the achievement of the goals in most, if not all, the countries in which they live, and indigenous and tribal women commonly face additional gender-based disadvantages and discrimination.” (UNPFII (2005), Report on the fourth session, E/C.19/2005/9)
UNPFII estimates that indigenous peoples number between 300-370 million and, although this is only 5% of the global population, they comprise 15% of the world's poor and about one third of the estimated 900 million of the extremely poor rural people on our planet (IFAD (2007), Statistics and key facts about indigenous peoples). Access to health, education and other taken-for-granted services shows huge disparities relative to other groups, sectors and communities. Additionally, there are other substantial issues impinging on the increasing exclusion, vulnerability and marginalization of such communities as ethnic and cultural entities whose sustainability is the responsibility of the global community.
Expressions of interest in the submission of serious original and hitherto unpublished papers, writing and research are, therefore, invited on the following broad issues touching on the future of indigenous peoples. Of particular interest to the Conference is research and discussion that underscores the linkages between indigenous communities' value systems and cultures with the sustainability of their natural and environmental resources.
The agenda and structure of the International Conference on Indigenous People will be finalized and centred around the themes identified above and the submissions adjudged acceptable by the conference organizers. Expressions of interest must be formulated in a maximum of one page abstracts in softcopy sent to the organizers by 30 May 2008.
Conference Program (Tentative)