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A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact: Diana Duarte, Media Coordinator,Phone: +1 212 627 0444,Email:,media@madre.org

Second Forum of Indigenous Women from Wangki: United we Construct our own Worth, Strength, Happiness and Wellness

A Declaration from the Second Forum of Indigenous Women from Wangki held in Waspam, Nicaragua. Representatives from MADRE and our partner organization Wangki Tangni attended.

WASHINGTON

Women from the following communities gathered in Waspam, the capital of
Wangki, from October 1st through the 4th 2009: International Indigenous
Women's Forum/ Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indigenas (IIWF/FIMI),
Tawan Sirpi wina Asla Takanka de Urang, Sih, Rayapura, Kiwastara, Moss,
Auyapura, Andris, Santa Fe, Kwiwitingni, Tee Kiamp, Dikuatara, Klampa,
Planhkira, Sawa, Bumsirpi, Uhri, San Jeronimo, Kisalaya, Asang,
Prinzapolka, Ulwas, Bullsirpi, Rama Cay, Esperanza Rio Coco, La
Esperanza Rio Wawa, Boom, Alamikangban, Francia Sirpi, Kisubila,
Kururia, Cocal- Waspuk, San Alberto, Tuskrutara, Klisnak, Utlamahta,
Desembocadura del Rio grande, Batsilaya, Pacifico Centro y Norte de
Nicaragua, Rancho Escondido, Laguntara, santa Ana, Wiswis, Bullkiamp,
Saupuka, Bilwaskarma, Saklin, Klar, Tuskrusirpi, Wasla, Kum, Naranjal,
El Paraiso, El Carmen, Wiwinak, Bilwi, Buenos Aires, Living Krik,
Mozonte, Sikilta, Leimus, Capri, Polo Lakia Sirpi, Tasba Pain, Miguel
Bikan, Santa Clara, Wisconsin, Mayangna Sauni As, Waspam.

Additionally,
representatives of the following organizations participated in the
Forum: AMICA, IMATWA, WANGKI TANGNI, De Costa a Costa, MADRE,
Movimiento Nidia White, CAIMCA, Foro de Mujeres Indigenas y
Multietnicas de la RAAN, Movimiento Indigena de Nicaragua, Alianza de
Mujeres Indigenas de Mexico y Centroamerica; and Judge Hazel Law from
the Appellate Court of the North Atlantic Autonomous Regions (RAAN).

Representatives
from the Cabinet and Government of the Autonomous Region included the
President of the board of directors, his Committees and Secretaries of
Women, Childhood, Adolescence, Youth, and Family; Health; Education;
Youth Voices Program; and the Gender Fund. The Mayor, Vice Mayor, and
Secretary of the Cabinet from the Municipal Government of Waspam were
also present. Other representatives included the Committee of Women
from the National Police, the Nicaraguan Institute of Women in
Government, and the Office of Registration of Property from RAAN, PNUD,
UNFPA, AECID, MISTAP, AMC, ACTED, Salud sin Limites, Clinica Bilwi,
CEIMM- URACCAN, CADPI, FUPADE, ASB, NITLAPAN, PANA PANA, CARE, Ibis-
Dinamarca, Consejo de Ancianos.

We remember our dreams, aspirations, commitments, and proposals from the First Forum of Indigenous Women of Wangki in 2008.

We
reaffirm the achievements that Indigenous women made in their
commitments by the Nicaraguan Government and the Autonomous Region
through the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against
Women (CEDAW), Cairo Declaration on Human Rights (CAIRO), Committee on
the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Law 28 and
its Regulations, Resolution Regional to create the Forum of Indigenous
Women and the Secretary of Women, the commitments assumed by CRAAN in
the investment in women's health in June 2009, and the government of
RAAN in Rosita in February 2009 in its program working with youth and
adolescents.

At the international level, Indigenous women
achieved: gender policies in the national government and the proper
steps have been given to the regional government in order to achieve
the objective of women's rights in the Region. We analyzed and agreed
on the content of a plan of action in the following themes:
intercultural health, racism and discrimination, traditional forms of
justice, water and drainage, identity, art and culture, climate change,
adaptation of life, organizational strengthening, indications of
wellbeing, and the rights of Indigenous women.

The Wangki
claims the plea of NikiNiki for their daughters and sons to come back
to listen while the girls, boys, adolescents, and youth inherit the
natural and moral poverty that threatens our ancestral territory.

In this effort we agree:

  1. To
    keep working in order to strengthen our organizations and networks so
    our voices, and the voices of our indigenous sisters from RAAS, the
    Pacific, and the Centro Norte are heard in the regional, national and
    international realms, and that our proposals are transformed into laws,
    policies, public programs, and projects that allow for the wellbeing of
    our families and communities.
  2. We demand that government
    authorities, organisms of multilateral cooperation, bilaterals, NGOs,
    and others, implement in good faith the right to an informed and
    established prior consent in international human rights instruments of
    indigenous peoples. This should be an obligatory mechanism of
    consultation for actions taking place in our communities.
  3. Bring
    back the message to each of our communities, our authorities, common
    territories, and local governments of RAAN and the country, that girls,
    boys, adolescents, youth, women, and men, all have the right to live
    without violence, enjoying our individual and collective rights and for
    this we declare a permanent movement for A LIFE WITHOUT VIOLENCE.
  4. Call
    on governments and non-government organizations, organisms of
    multilateral, bilateral, and international cooperation, communal
    authorities and territories, universities, research centers,
    organizations and networks of women and human rights, to unite
    complimentary human resources, technical, material, and financial
    forces, for the return to each community of these agreements and that
    our ACTION PLAN FOR A LIFE WITHOUT VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION becomes
    effective.
  5. We agree to convene ourselves for the Third Forum
    of Indigenous Women in Wangki with the national project of the 1
    through the 4th of October 2010.

Given in the city of Waspam during the four days of October 2009.

MADRE is an international women's human rights organization that partners with community-based women's groups to advance women's human rights, challenge injustice and create social change in contexts of war, conflict, disaster and their aftermath. MADRE advocates for a world in which all people enjoy individual and collective human rights; natural resources are shared equitably and sustainably; women participate effectively in all aspects of society; and all people have a meaningful say in policies that affect their lives. For more information about MADRE, visit www.madre.org.