To all the Brothers & Sisters who supported the Indigenous Peoples Caucus in Geneva at the IWG
Thank you for your constant support. This is a follow up and continuation of the work to be done after the IWG/Geneva - with an initial step towards some organizing of the following year online. Because the technology is very new to most of us, we should all take some time this year to focus on assisting our brothers and sisters in the struggle with access enablement and the tools required or provide some access to communications technology. We've already begun receiving reports from some delegates and will post a final report hopefully in January.
There are many follow ups to the conference, one of them being final reports. There are numerous magazines, news sources, etc waiting for this final information and also our Indigenous Brothers and Sisters who supported us. Among other work generated by the UN- IWG activity online reports. So, I'm disseminating this information to everyone along with projects which came up in Geneva as a Netwarrior Follow-Up Activity Report.
I. Calendar for the rest of 96 - 1997
We have been asked to come up with as compresensive of a calendar as possible from the different regions. There is a need to be as effective as possible when planning the strategies during the year and it is paramount to take everyones' calendars into consideration. We will save, time, money and strategies. So if you would please send us your regional or local conference calendars relative to the issues and concerns of the "Indigenous Peoples Movement" we will post it on the NetWarriors site and everyone will have the information to utilize effectively as possible for their people and region.
This may possibly generate supportive activity for your calendars and regions also. It will also grow the web site on our collective issues.
Everyone should check the site now and then to see if there's something new added regarding the calendar. We'll send out immediate notice if Netwarriors is going to be reporting on an action or activity. The guestbook will continue to be used by browsers and we'll upload their comments so anyone who chooses to communicate with them can. There's also a natural evolution the page will go through if we continue to report on activities of Indigenous Global Caucus'. That will be organized by issue/concern example: Environment - Rights - Biodiversity
II. Indigenous Journalism & Media
There are some points to raise from the Geneva work and work/potentials generated by it:
a. The Center For Human Rights is looking at hosting a conference/workshop in 1997 on Indigenous Journalism and they are looking at Bolivia. They've asked that we assist in coordinating the Indigenous Journalists of the regions and provide them with a questionaire to help assess the need and the agenda of the conference. If you are an Indigenous Journalist please send a note and I'll send you the materials within the week.
b. There are media sources reqeusting articles and interviews on the draft declaration and the issues raised in Geneva. All delegates who wish to contribute to these requests please send in your name and contact information.
c. BBC will be doing a documentary in the Pacific Island/Rim region. They would like to film and interview at 4 different conference locations: February - August of 1997. The idea presented was/is:
"... programmes will be about indigenous peoples. The programme needs to have a strong observational element - we need 'actuality' to provide a context and focus for interviews. I am writing now to ask for your help in identifying some focal points for the programme..."
Anyone in the Pacific region wishing to invite the BBC to a conference _at their expence_ please let us know so that we can pass your information on to them.
d. A student wants help with:
"I have been receiving the press releases and updates that have gone out through e-mail, but I wanted to talk to or correspond with folks who were at the session for their comments on how the session went, why they think the session turned out as it did, and what they think the future holds for the Draft Declaration and indigenous peoples' international poliltical struggles. The article is due on the 20th of November (and, as I said, is short, so any information or suggestions you could pass onto me would be greatly appreciated..."Qualifications:
"...Anthropology at Cornell University and I'm writing a short article for *Native Americas* magazine, a publication of the American Indian Program here that is read by Native leaders and activists and thoseinterested in indigenous rights and issues..."
Anyone interested in working this this young man, please let us know.
e. Final Reports
There are other several other news sources wanting a final report. Rather than writing one independently to satisfy the need, I've been responding and letting them know that we'll send out a collective Report. Basically gathering as many final reports as possible from delegations etc to be presented as the final end. Everyone is requested to send us the final report from their delegation.
Also, there are organizational and national reports being made. Anyone wishing to disseminate that information, I'm sure that media would be very interested in hearing what the response was on the homefront. Your follow through on any of this is appreciated. We'll never finalize any reports as we know our struggle is ongoing. However, we'll need to profide some conclusion very shortly. So you are encouraged to assist.
f. Translations
We need translator's - We also thank those who helped us with the Spanish translations during the session.
g. UNPO Monitor
The UNPO Monitor final versions should be on it's way electronically this week, I HOPE! In Spanish and English and notice will be sent to everyone on the list to check in at the NetWarriors site.
The site as it currently stands is on the Draft Declaration... we will be making the Draft an aspect of the site. We will continue to GROW that aspect with what is mentioned above, excepting the Calendar which will very naturally lead into other aspects and further strategies on the Draft in 97 + follow-through into 98 and on - however ALWAYS: by, for and in support of Indigenous/Native/First Peoples etc.
a. NETWARRIORS WORK/CONTRIBUTIONS
1 Technical Volunteers
i. Anyone wishing to make technical contributions to the site are welcomed. For example, we might want to have some creative/strategic CGI scripts focusing on how to facilitate direct cyber action on crisis and deadly conflict issues. Post Card type scripts set up to be mailed directly/effectively to the source/rapporteurs/presidents/press etc. Graphics and all that is also appreciated. But Crisis and Direct Action is the focus.
ii. We would like to build our electronic press list, it is a good one, but we can always improve... please send media lists to be added.
iii. We also need a NETWARRIOR FAX TEAM for crisis press and actions... so if you want to volunteer to be on the fax team contact to coordinate and set up your media & political action list. Perhaps we can do it by locals then the cost would be down, so if we get a few people in the many locals the impact of this type of coordination and initiative will be helpfu We'll provide the contacts and facts...
2 Tahiti Nuclear Testing - Abolition 2000 and Monitoring
While Abolition 2000 is not an Indigenous organization, they are coordinating with HITITAU who is hosting A GLOBAL NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE in January where the: health reports, EIS reports, site visits and the receiving of Testimonies of the Indigenous Peoples will be taken and recorded in plenary discussions and work groups. They have invited the NetWarrior team to come and monitor and provide the direct communications as it goes on like we did in Geneva.
Received news today (Dec 1 that the French government is harrassing Gabby Tetiarahi the leader of HITITAU for the list of workers they have interviewed in preparation for this conference. We need to be able to monitor this event - it has a strong impact not only on the pacific region but also the euro/neo-libral issue. (much involved here
So - to coordinate properly with this list, we invite you to be online with the issues brought out by our Indigenous Sisters and Brothers in TAHITI this January. Your comments and solidarity statemenst will be invited. Anyone is welcome to join this conference as a participant if it is your area of work or ability to affect and help on some level. Send a note we'll get you the information.
We invite a technical discussion through e-mail to prepare for this event. The French government owns the phone company and it is very expensive for locals per minute to call their neighbors, so this presents difficulties in dissemination of the information and efficient coordinating. There are ways around this if you have information on those ends of the technology please feel free to send your advice and recommendations.
We've added the delegates from Geneva to the list and others have been invited or requested to it by friends, associates and concerned individuals. As mentioned earlier this is not a list to post messages to. We will invite postings during report periods as we bridge the cyber world with the direct actions of Indigenous events and actions. The other lists that we have working with us: Native-L, Sovereign-L, some news groups and some indivduals... have all the right software to host the other messages. So this is not an attempt to be a list, rather an attempt to accomplish some direct action with a very powerful list.
Anyone wishing to be a part of the NetWarrior team please write. We do need help.
To the Delegates of Geneva and the Brothers and Sisters online with us, may we continue in the dignity, strength and beauty of our ancestors... endless honor to & upon each of you and your relations from the beginning of before time to forever.
pau