The Forum shall enable the IP culture bearers to share their experience, lessons, aspirations, and potential approaches in dealing with the interrelated issues and concerns that affect the sustainable development of their ancestral terretories, including the adverse effects of climate change, extractive industries and the erosion of indigenous knowledge systems and governance, based on their cultural and traditional understandings. Likewise, the forum is a mechanism to strengthen the voices of the Indigenous Peoples Leaders and Leaders as they dialogue with local and national decision-and-policy makers.
The Forum is concieved not as one time event but as a foundation and focal point upon which a longer term process of engagement and discussion can be launched and sustained. This can one be viable if back-up by a Legislative action focused on intellectual property Rigths and safe guarding the IP Cultural Properties.
This project is pursued to provide a platform for the Indigenous Peoples to: share, consolidate and draw lessons from the experiences of the Indigenous Peoples on their collective actions for cultural survival including their positive responses to climate-change (mitigation and adaptation; Analyse, discuss and recognize the successful cases of the Partnership of the Local Government and Indigenous People's Counclis towards the sustainable protection and development as well as in the affermative action to reward the Indigenous Peoples' initiatives in safeguarding the environment from the perspective of the cultures, worls views, and traditional knowledge including rights-based approaches.
The summit will raise public awareness on Indigenous Peoples community initiatives in dealing with Intellectual Property Rights, Revitalization of Indigenous Knowledge and climate-change mitigation, adaption and resilience.
Forum schedules
Forum Proper: IP delegates pursue cultural action agenda
As indigenous people converge for a three-day Dayaw festival forum , cultural sustainability issues unite IP leaders and tribal masters leading to the realization of the declaration of significant cultural agenda.
These three significant cultural agenda cited are interconnected themes on challenges for sustainability acted upon to become Dayaw resolutions namely: on issue of natural resource management , on expanding and sustaining the Schools Living Tradition (SLT) , and on recognition of IP right to self –determination.
With the concerted efforts of the tribal masters, Dayaw declaration outlined doable proposals for change urging the National Commission for the Culture and Arts (NCCA) to initiate the inclusion of the Dayaw resolution in the IP summit . The mandates call on NCCA to initiate a round table conference with the NCIP, NCCA , DILG , DOT , DTI , and NEDA to finalize an update culture –and- development agenda ; second is that the NEDA regional office have to initiate the inclusion the Dayaw resolution as part of the agenda in the RDC meetings and work out mechanisms towards expanding the support from the private sector and multi –lateral donors for IP-focused and co-initiatives development programs and projects ; lastly IP leaders to pursue cultural exchange programs among IP communities focused on the reinvigoration of Indigenous Knowledge System Program (IKSP) and the recognition of their respective cultural matters.
“ This forum serves as a milestone for our voices to be heard , “ expressed Prof. Joycie D. A legre , Commissioner for Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts and Dayaw festival chairperson , as she vows full support for the Dayaw cultural agenda.
Part of the forum was the awareness and protection of IP’s cultural rights through legal consultations brought by team of lawyers embarked on the program Legal Development for the Arts ,Heritage and Indigenous Cultural Rights (LAHI) by NCCA and ASKI Foundation Inc. wherein legal matters on ancestral domains intellectual property rights and safeguarding the cultural properties were clarified.
The gathering draws support from the line agencies and graced by national figures namely: Ma. Cynthia C. Lazo , Director , Tourism Planning and Promotions DOT ; and Gov.Victor Tangco of Capiz. photo and text by Elena C. Magalona
The Dayaw Resolultion
From the Series of Forum which is an integral component of the Dayaw Festival, a Dayaw resolution was made which will be presented this October 13, 2011 to the National Indigenous Peoples Summit in Manila, Philippines. The Following are the doable action proposals:
o On natural resource management
§ IP community should actively pursue community-managed and area-based natural resource program and project in consonance of their IKSP and tradition and in synergy with culturally appropriate and environmentally-sound principles, technologies and methodologies.
§ IP community should actively oppose the establishment or continuing presence of massive extractive industries in their respective territories, such as illegal mining, logging, and fishing activities
§ The right to self-determination of IPs should be upheld by all and any “community action” to stop, apprehend and/or impose fines based on customary law – on illegal mining, logging, and fishing activities should be actively supported and implemented by the LGUs.
o On Expanding and Sustaining the SLTs
§ Encourage IP community to locate and establish at least 2 SLTs in their respective territories, following the principles of self-help, self-sustaining
§ Ensure the active engagement of IP councils in the local development councils towards the inclusion of the SLT program in the respective LGU development plans and in the annual investment plans.
§ Mainstream the SLT program in the ADSDPP and/or for the funding of the ADSDPP process either through the LGU local development fund from other sources, such as microfinance in accordance to Islamic and non-Islamic laws.
§ Fostering of identities of young IPs through scholarships
o On Reinvigorating Cultural Identities of the Younger Generation
§ Encourage IP communities to seek support for the expansion of “scholarship programs” for IP youth and children
§ Pursue the recognition of IP youth in the NYC in order to implement a culturally-sensitive and socially-responsive IP youth development and institutional processes within the commission
§ In cooperation with the private sector and LGUs, IP communities should expand the opportunities for the IP youth to undertake skills training program focusing on traditional arts and crafts including other culturally-appropriate forms and/or channels of expressions and communication including the new media.
§ Together with DepEd, IP community leaders shall work for the institutionalization of IP-focused curriculum, including the review of test and evaluation instruments to become IP-focused and IP-sensitive, in all IP territories across the country based on the positive experiences of various Educational Reforms such as the IPE-BEAM-PRIME and other programs which are proven successful.
o On Recognition of IP Right to Self-determination
§ Pursue the “institutional reform” within the NCIP to raise the levels of the agency’s institutional capability and sufficient funding support and thus ensure the:
· full-implementation and enforcement of IPRA
· mandatory representation of the IPs in Legislative Bodies
· rightful observance and timely enforcement of the FPIC provision of the law
· Fast-track the process of certification and issuance of CADT and resolving conflicting claims (e.g. boundary conflicts)
· establishment of “social enterprise” projects in IP communities
· holding of regularized IP regional assemblies
· expanding the effective mechanisms for the recognition and protection of community property rights
· installation of effective mechanisms for the recognition of the IP justice system and the timely protection of IPs in situation of conflict and injustice, together with the DoJ, CHR, and other government instrumentalities
§ support the institutional linkages and strengthen the program complementation between the NCIP, NCCA, and the DILG (through the issuance of an administrative memo from the office of the president)
§ expand the opportunities for qualified IP professionals who desire to join the public service sector and appoint qualified IP professionals in government agencies
§ pursue the effective interventions on peace and development including the urgent resumption of “peace process” with the participation and engagement of the IPs
§ lobby for the immediate enactment of an IPRA in the ARMM and thereby the creation of an NCIP within the autonomous region.
Note: NCIP, NCCA, DILG, DOT, DTI, and NEDA affirmed and agreed upon to respond to the three proposals.
