International Week of Solidarity with People of Non-Self-Governing Territories

In the UN Charter, a Non-Self-Governing Territory is defined as a Territory “whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government.”

In 1946, several UN Member States identified a number of Territories under their administration that were not self-governing and placed them on a UN list. Countries administering Non-Self-Governing Territories are called administering Powers. As a result of the decolonization process over the years, most of the Territories were removed from the list.

Chapter XI of the UN Charter – the Declaration regarding Non-Self-Governing Territories – provides that Member States administering Territories, which have not attained self-government recognize “that the interests of the inhabitants of these Territories are paramount” and accept as a “sacred trust” the obligation to promote their well-being.

Chapter IX urged the administering Powers concerned to take effective measures to safeguard and guarantee the inalienable rights of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to their natural resources, including land, and to establish and maintain control over the future development of those resources, and requested the Administering Powers to take all necessary steps to protect the property rights of the peoples of those Territories.

Administering Powers, in addition to ensuring the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the peoples, undertake to assist them in developing self-government and democratic political institutions. Administering Powers have an obligation to transmit regularly to the Secretary-General information on the economic, social and educational conditions in the Territories under their administration.

Chapter IX also urged all States, directly and through their action in the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, to provide moral and material assistance to the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories.

To learn more about the history of this UN observance and view the UN’s educational videos on decolonization, visit un.org/en/observances/non-self-governing-week.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. For more information on the Decolonization Alliance, please email lbautista@umcjustice.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com.

Biden and Economic Imperialism | Biden y el imperialismo económico

Biden has been hailed as an antidote to Trump who will “restore America’s place in the world.” Centuries of US imperialism show he actually represents a continuation of neoliberal exploitation and settler colonialism.

A panel of American and global South activists will analyze Biden’s role in upholding US imperialism beyond the military, focusing on his economic policies–including around trade, investment, finance, climate, and food systems–which underpin US empire in profound ways.

Critically assessing the implications of Biden’s first 100 days, this event will engage participants around what’s at stake for our anti-imperialist activism.

We at Regions Refocus invite you to join us with your questions and thoughts, and we welcome messages at team@regionsrefocus.org.

Register here!

Panel:

US Dollar Hegemony and Special Drawing Rights | Hegemonía del dólar estadounidense y los derechos especiales de giro: Francisco Pérez (Center for Popular Economics, USA)

Biden’s Climate Plan and Green Imperialism | El Plan Climático de Biden y el Imperialismo Verde: Max Ajl (Observatory for Food Sovereignty and the Environment, Tunisia)

Agribusiness and US-India Trade Relations | Agronegocios y Relaciones Comerciales EE.UU.-India: Sagari Ramdas (Food Sovereignty Alliance, India)

Extractivism and the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement | El extractivismo y el Tratado entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá: Manuel Pérez-Rocha (Institute for Policy Studies/ Mexican Action Network on Free Trade, Mexico)

COVID-19 Vaccine Justice | Justicia de Vacunas COVID-19: Salimah Valiani (Independent Researcher)

Moderator | Moderador: Camden Goetz (Regions Refocus, USA)

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the Decolonization Alliance, email lbautista@umcjustice.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP.

The Doctrine of Discovery and the Indigenous Ministries of The Episcopal Church

Dear UN partners and participants at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 20^th session, you are cordially invited to a panel discussion with Episcopal Indigenous participants in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 20.

At 2pm EST on Monday, April 26, join via Zoom:

https://zoom.us/j/99063295488?pwd=RERvMEptNTdoVE1tbFVlbTM0TVZxdz09

For more information, contact the Rev. Dr. Bradley S. Hauff, Commissioner for Indigenous Ministries, The Episcopal Church, at bhauff@episcopalchurch.org

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. For more information on the Decolonization Alliance, email lbautista@umcjustice.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com.

River Missionaries, Deforestation, and COVID-19

Rodrigo Pedroso is a Brazilian journalist who reports for CNN. As part of the Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Journalism Fund, his project “River Missionaries: The Catholic Counteroffensive in the Amazon” explores the dynamics and work of Catholic missionaries in an area where evangelical Christians and the theology of prosperity are booming alongside deforestation.

In this conversation, Pedroso will share the stories of parishes struggling to survive and missionaries who serve hard-to-reach villages in the Amazon region. He will be joined by Niyanta Spelman, founder and CEO of Rainforest Partnership, and the two will discuss the role of religious communities in combatting deforestation, as well as how Catholic, Indigenous, and local communities in the Amazon have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The dialogue will be moderated by Rev. Fletcher Harper, executive director of GreenFaith.

This event is part of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs collaboration with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Register here: https://georgetown.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kY_8mGHbTz6K3KNAEX3kYQ

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP.

Identity at the Intersection of Indigeneity and Christianity: An Indigenous Dilemma

You are invited to a virtual side event on the margins of the 20th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues: Identity at the intersection of Indigeneity and Christianity: An Indigenous Dilemma

Indigenous Christians are an important group with a distinct voice that must be represented on the global stage. Reconciliation processes between Christianity and indigeneity have already begun, within churches and with indigenous people at the centre. As Christian networks and organizations, we are hosting this event in an effort to facilitate these difficult conversations in an open forum, giving all participants an opportunity to contribute their stories and lived experiences.

This conversation aims to make room for the voices of Indigenous Christians at the UNPFII and to engage in a dialogue with partners and other stakeholders, fostering mutual respect and enhance collaboration on the most important issues facing indigenous communities today.

Organized by:

Anglican Communion, Lutheran World Federation, United Methodist Church – General Board of Church & Society, the Episcopal Church, and the World Council of Churches

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com.

Return to the Root: Exploring Racism Through Dance

“Return to the Root: Exploring Racism Through Dance” is an online discussion with Mr. Rafael Palacios, the Artistic Director of Afro-Colombian dance company, Sankofa Danzafro, and Dr.Terry-Ann Jones, Lehigh University Director of Africana Studies.

The conversation will be moderated by Mr. Mark Wilson, the Executive Director of Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University. Mr. Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division, Department of Global Communications, will deliver a brief statement. The discussion explores themes of systemic racism, the legacy of slavery throughout African diaspora populations, and how we can participate in this discussion globally through multiple art forms. The discussion will have Spanish interpretation.

Please register here to attend the discussion. Register here to attend the free dance performance by Sankofa Danzafro: The City of Others.

This event is organized by the Outreach Programme on slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, also managed by the Education Outreach Section in the United Nations Department of Global Communications. This year’s theme Ending slavery’s legacy of racism: a global imperative for justice reflects the global movement to end injustices whose roots lie in the slave trade. The theme highlights the importance of educating about the history of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery, to bring about an acknowledgment of slavery’s impact on the modern world, and action to address its long-lasting effects. The theme guides the Outreach Programme’s development of educational outreach and remembrance to mobilize action against prejudice, racism and injustice.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.

Doctrine of Discovery: Dismantling the Church’s Authorization of Supremacy

In 1452, Pope Nicholas V issued Dum Diversas, a Papal Bull (reaffirmed by subsequent popes) which came to be known as the Doctrine of Discovery. This gave church authorization to the global movement of European conquest and colonization, which decimated the Native populations in the Americas. While many countries in Africa and Asia saw significant suffering, Sri Lanka’s colonial exploitation lasted 453 years, one of the longest in history.

European colonialism may have formally ended, but its supremacist mindset has captured us. How shall we dismantle it?

In our final October session, Thursdays with OMNIA will explore this critical question for our time. Please plan to join our global Zoom conversation next Thursday, October 29th at 2:00 p.m. GMT (7:00 a.m. in California, 9:00 a.m. in Chicago, 3:00 p.m. in Nigeria, 7:30 p.m. in Sri Lanka, 8:00 p.m. in Bangladesh.) Please double check your time zone.

We invite your participation and engagement. The conversation will be initiated by two experts on the subject, who are grounded in contextual realities:

Dr. George “Tink” Tinkeris the Emeritus Professor of American Indian Cultures and Religious Traditions at Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado. He is a member of the wazhazhe, Osage Nation. Dr. Tinker is a renowned expert on Native American history, culture and spirituality. He is the author of many books including, American Indian Liberation: A Theology of Sovereignty. (2008)
Dr. Darshi Thoradeniya is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History, at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. She received her Ph.D. in history at the University of Warwick in the UK specializing in the History of Medicine and gender issues. She has published many articles particularly in the area of reproductive rights. The winner of many awards and grants, her research and teaching includes colonialism.

Register here!

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Decolonization Alliance, please email President Bautista at lbautista@umcjustice.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP.

[Cyber Conference] There’s Still Hope and Here’s Why

On Nov. 5, join PEAC Institute and the United Methodist Church-General Board of Church and Society for a cyber conference designed to foster post-election reflections, healing, and mobilization.

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OArdeLrcSaO4A4JHpXdDQA

Background: From Tulsa to Hiroshima, from Auschwitz to the Trail of Tears, the scenes of death and destruction are the same. The root causes of these atrocities are the same too: cultures of violence fueling systems of oppression.

What can the people do to reclaim their rightful democratic power when corrupt governments fail to honor the contracts that ensure we live in a civil society with a sustainable future?

This action-driven conversation, co-sponsored by PEAC Institute and the General Board of Church and Society, will explore the challenge of dismantling cultures of violence. Through both historical and contemporary lenses, we will highlight some of the terrifying consequences we’re facing due to not fixing our culture of violence while also offering examples of nature-based solutions that people are successfully executing today. Speakers from multiple continents will include foreign policy experts, peace activists, and volunteer humanitarians reporting from the field.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Decolonization Alliance, please email President Bautista at lbautista@umcjustice.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com.

Day of Indigenous Unity

Join us on October 12th for a day of storytelling, music, and discussion with Tribal Elders and Indigenous Youth Activists from around the world.

Watch the entire broadcast here: https://www.midheaven.network

October 12th, 2020 marks 528 years since Columbus first arrived on the American continent and sparked half a millennium of genocide, denial of human rights, theft and desecration of sacred land, and destruction of the natural environment. This day has been reclaimed as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the United States, raising awareness of the continued oppression of Native and Indigenous peoples in the continent, and celebrating their contributions to society and the world.

To celebrate US Indigenous Peoples’ Day in this webinar we have invited members of Indigenous Communities from around the world to talk about work as frontline defenders against climate change and the central importance of indigenous knowledge of land management in the fight to limit its effects.

This is the second webinar in our series ‘Building Back Better’ which looks forward to the world after the COVID-19 pandemic and asks what we need to do to create a more peaceful, just, and sustainable future. Alongside zoom and Facebook livestream, this webinar will be broadcast on the Midheaven network as part of their livestream for Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

More information on the Indigenous Climate Summit is available here.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the Decolonization Alliance, please email President Bautista at lbautista@umcjustice.org.

[Virtual] Lessons from the Decolonization Era in Confronting the COVID-19 Crisis

Join members of Post-Colonialisms Today in a live event on 29 July discussing African policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis. As the impacts of the crisis are compounded by neoliberalism and colonialism, panelists will reflect on the immediate post-independence period—including initiatives of Nasser, Nkrumah, Nyerere, etc.—to draw lessons for today guided by a vision for structural transformation of the continent.

Please REGISTER here to watch / Veuillez vous INSCRIRE ici pour regarder: bit.ly/DecolCovid

We will also be holding a discussion group on 30 July and invite you to join with your questions and comments.

Please register for the discussion group here: bit.ly/DiscussDecol

We welcome any questions or comments at postcolonialismstoday@regionsrefocus.org.

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CoNGO Notes: On UN Charter Day, 26 June 2020, the President of CoNGO, Liberato Bautista, issued a presidential statement in which, among other things, he said, “The unfinished agenda of decolonization and corollary issues related to self-determination cry out for attention [at the United Nations].” CoNGO also issued on 12 May 2020, the statement “COVID-19 Recovery: Building Back Better” in which it said: “During a crisis, global cooperation and solidarity are urgently needed, but nationalism, racism, intolerance, xenophobia, and border closures have too often prevailed. Measures to fight the pandemic have led to restrictions of long-established civic rights and democratic structures. An effective global response will require building consensus and strengthening concerted action to mitigate the multiple challenges we all face.” For more information about CoNGO, visit www.ngocongo.org.

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