INDIGENOUS WOMEN'S ART DESIGNS

International Organizations (in the United Nations System)

The Secretariat's Web Site is interesting for the follow up on article 8 (j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity that deals with traditional and indigenous knowledge. The site also provides the document issued on 24-28 November 1997, Workshop on Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity, Madrid (Spain), CBD Secretariat (COP Decisions III/14). Some internet links related to traditional and indigenous knowledge are presently under construction but will be available soon. The site is mostly in English and there is very little material in Spanish and French.

UNESCO was established on November 16, 1945, it has its headquarters in Paris, France and 60 field offices and units in different parts of the world. The main objective of UNESCO is to contribute to peace and security in the world promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture and communication. UNESCO performs the following functions: prospective tudies, the advancement, transfer and sharing of knowledge: relying primarily on research, training and teaching activities, standard-setting action, the preparation and adoption of international instruments and statutory recommendations and exchange of specialized information. This site informs you of UNESCO's activities, publications and provide legal instruments and documents related to the protection of cultural property. The site is bilingual, English and French.

This site lists all United Nations documents and submissions available in the Fourth World Documentation Project archives. The site is in English.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is an intergovernmental organization with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. WIPO is responsible for the promotion and protection of intellectual property throughout the world through cooperation among States, and for the administration of various multilateral treaties dealing with legal and administrative aspects of intellectual property. This site offers access to publications, documents current and forth coming and past events, activities of the organization and provides links to industrial property offices, Directory of National and Regional Industrial Property Offices, Directory of National Copyright Administrations, Arbitration and Mediation Center. The site is in English, French and Spanish.

Indigenous Organizations (or related to Indigenous Issues)

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission is the principal Commonwealth agency operating in the field of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs in Australia. It is the primary policy-making body and is responsible for administering a diverse range of Commonwealth programs for Australian Indigenous . This site contains a section on Cultural Information where you can find papers and publications related to cultural industry and tourism industry strategies. Links to documents related to intellectual property such as, Proposals For The Recognition and Protection of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property. The site is in English.

This site is a cooperative production of NativeWeb, First Nations, Rainbow Walker Music, NativeTech, Lac Courte Oreilles Hydro and Index of Native American Resources on the Internet. This site is a place where debate over where to draw the "line in the sand" on issues of cultural property, Native American sovereignty, Native American identity, ethnic stereotypes, the commodification of Native American culture, and all related issues, can take place. It provides texts and material related to cultural property issues and is subdivided into the following subsections: Intellectual Property, The Cultures, the Languages and the Minds, Real Property, The Land, the Bones, the Artifacts, Archaeology & Anthropology and their interface with Native Peoples Codes of Ethics. It is also possible to find legal resources such as: cultural heritage protection and copyright issues. The site is in English.

This site refers to links related to indigenous issues in Latin America and at the international level. It provides links to topics such as indigenous knowledge, human rights and environment. This site is in English, however it provides links to sites where information in Spanish can be found.

The Center for World Indigenous Studies (CWIS) is an independent, non-profit research and education organization. The Center fosters better understanding between peoples through the publication and distribution of literature written and voiced by leading contributors from Fourth World nations. The Fourth World Documentation Project online archive contains full text documents from nations in the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, Melanesia and the Pacific. It also provides access to bilateral treaties and accords, multilateral and international instruments, agreements between indian nations and local governments and treaty related documents It is an online library of texts on native struggles within the international community. The site is in English.

Relevant information on indigenous knowledge (IK), scattered throughout the Internet, is searched, indexed and made available on the Indigenous Knowledge pages. This homepage was created and is maintained by the Centre for International Research and Advisory Networks (CIRAN), which aims to facilitate and improve the exchange of information within the international IK Network . CIRAN also provides the IK network with a journal and newsletter, the Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, which is also available online. Some will be curious about the history and the making of the IK pages and about the techniques used. This can be read in background of the IK pages. The resources offer an overview and a short description of specific subjects, regions or countries. This site is in English.

doCip is a Swiss NGO linking indigenous peoples and the United Nations. It is a non-profit organization established in 1978 at the request of indigenous representatives to the United Nations. doCip is a service organization supporting indigenous representatives working within the UN system. They have a good documentation centre. The following information can be found at this site: (1)The statements of Indigenous and government representatives as well as experts studies, reports, and other instruments of the Working Group on Indigenous Peoples (since its establishment in 1982), Sub-Commission for the Protection of Minorities Commission on Human Rights and Working Group of the Commission on the Draft Declaration (established in 1995); (2) A general collection of indigenous documents and of those relating to indigenous issues; (3) A collection of periodicals; (4) A collection of working documents (guide books, manuals, lists of reference, etc.) and of books dealing with indigenous issues. This site is in English, French and Spanish.

The Indigenous Peoples Coalition Against Biopiracy is a coalition committed to protect Indigenous Peoples' biological resources from exploitation. The IPBC is a project of the Enowkin Centre in Penticton, British Columbia, with a field office and staff located on the Pyramid Lake Reservation in Nixon, Nevada. The IPBC Web Site is provided as a resource to tribal governments, organizations and individuals to share current information on the issue of biopiracy, and what can be done about it. This site is in English.

The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) is an organization of Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America and the Pacific working for the sovereignty and self-Determination of Indigenous Peoples and the recognition and protection of indigenous rights, traditional cultures and sacred lands. This site is in English.

IWGIA is a human rights organization that works with and for Indigenous Peoples. It was founded in 1968 in response to massacres against some of the Indigenous Peoples of Paraguay, but the organization works with Indigenous Peoples all over the world. IWGIA works internationally and independently, and the main aim is to support Indigenous Peoples in their struggle to obtain self-determination. On their Web Site, there are several links to related sites and publications dealing with Indigenous issues. This site is in English.

The Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) is an NGO that represents the 125,000 Inuit of Russia (Chukotka), United States of America (Alaska), Canada, and Denmark (Greenland). Formed in 1977, the ICC holds NGO status within the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and represents the Inuit in the international arena of environmental and social initiatives. On their Web Site you can find the following document: Recommendations on the Integration of Two Ways of Knowing: Traditional Indigenous Knowledge and Scientific Knowledge, from the Seminar on the Documentation and Application of Indigenous Knowledge, Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada, November 15-17, 1996. This site is in English.

The Native Law Centre's mission is to assist in the development of Aboriginal knowledge, law and legal systems in Canada in ways to preserve and sustain Aboriginal and treaty rights. The Centre provides assistance to those who are formulating Aboriginal policy and justice in Canada and around the world by conducting educational programs, research, and publication. It is involved with the struggles of Indigenous Peoples to protect their heritage, culture, and rights in the United Nations and in international trade. On this site it is possible to get a copy of The Rights of Indigenous Peoples in International Law: An Annotated Bibliography and the Discussion paper on indigenous knowledge and intellectual property: Scoping the definitions and issues, which aims to be a first step to understanding the vast scope and range of issues and opportunities associated with protecting and controlling indigenous knowledge within the existing legal regimes. The Centre works extensively on issues related to the protection of intellectual property rights. The site is in English.

The purpose of this site is to provide a cyber-place for Earth's Indigenous Peoples. Within it is a section on Indigenous Peoples' law and legal issues, which is dedicated to information about law and legal issues related to indigenous peoples of the world. The site is organized under the following subcategories: Cases & Controversies, Government Documents and Sources, International Documents and Sources. There is also a section called "Organizations" which is organized under the following subcategories: Aboriginal & Indigenous Nations, Academic, Foundations, Government and Human Rights Native American. This site is in English.

RAFI is an international non-governmental organization headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada) with affiliate offices in Pittsboro, North Carolina (USA). RAFI is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable improvement of agricultural biodiversity, and to the socially responsible development of technologies useful to rural societies. RAFI is concerned about the loss of genetic diversity - especially in agriculture - and about the impact of intellectual property rights on agriculture and world food security. On their Web site, you can find many publications on this topic in English, French and Spanish.

The South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) exists to ensure that the struggles of Latin America's Indigenous Peoples for self-determination and respect are heard in the US and internationally, and to support Indigenous Peoples' efforts to organize.
El Centro por los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas de Meso y Sudamérica (SAIIC) es una organización que trabaja por el reconocimeinto de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas y actúa como un centro de información internacional.
Their offices in Oakland house an extensive multi-lingual reference library of periodicals, audio-visual resources, and books on indigenous issues. Abya Yala News is the SAIIC's quarterly journal, a unique source of news and analysis relating to indigenous issues in Meso and South America from Indigenous Peoples' perspectives. Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity is the SAIIC's latest publication and focuses on biodiversity, bioprospecting, intellectual property rights, and other key issues affecting Indigenous Peoples' knowledge and resources. The site is in English and Spanish.

UNPO is an international organization created by nations and peoples around the world, who are not represented as such in the world´s principal international organizations, such as the United Nations. UNPO tries to offer an international forum for Indigenous Peoples who currently struggle to preserve their cultural identities, protect their basic human and economic rights and safeguard the natural environment. This site provide links for researching indigenous rights under international law, gives access to UNPO follow up of the United Nations´ Working Group on Indigenous Populations and to many organizations working for Indigenous Peoples' rights. The site is in English.

Organizations for Protection of Cultural Patrimony

- International Council of Museums, Conseil International des Musées (CIM), Maison de l'Unesco, 1 rue Miollis, F-75732 Paris, CEDEX 15, France. Telephone: (33 1) 47 34 05 00, Fax: (33 1) 43 06 78 62.

This organization promotes cooperation between museums, protects their interests and supports education, knowledge and comprehension among peoples.

- Inter-governmental Committee for the promotion of the return of cultural goods to their place of origin or their restitution in case of illegal appropriation. Comité intergouvernemental pour la promotion du retour de biens culturels à leurs pays d'origine ou de leur restitution en cas d'appropriation illégale, Unesco, Place de Fontenoy 7, F-75352 Paris 07 SP, France. Telephone: (33- 1) 45 68 44 01, Fax: (33-1) 42 73 01 78.

This organization offers its services to act as mediator upon request of a State. It organizes inventories of cultural goods in collaboration with the International Council of Museums and UNESCO national commissions. Finally, this organization ensures that States make an inventory of their cultural property.

Organizations for Fair Trade

Peoplink is a non-profit organization spanning cultures, continents and classes. It trains and equips grassroots Partner Organizations to use digital cameras and the Internet to market their products. Through this Web site, talented artists in remote communities all over the world enrich the public with intimate insights into their work and their lives. This provides access to an electronic catalog, a global gallery and to an electronic magazine. The site is in English.

The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is an association of fair trade wholesalers, retailers, and producers whose members are committed to providing fair wages and good employment opportunities to economically disadvantaged artisans and farmers worldwide. FTF directly links low-income producers with consumer markets and educates consumers about the importance of purchasing fairly traded products that support living wages and safe and healthy conditions for workers in the Third World. FTF also acts as a clearinghouse for information on fair trade and provides resources and networking opportunities to its members. This Web site gives access to materials such as principles and practices, Why Fair Trade ?, The Role of Fair Trade in the Global Economy, Fair Trade Facts, International Fair Trade Initiatives, Stories of Hope, Shopping Fair Trade (FTF retail stores and catalogues), FTF Wholesalers, Producers, and Allied Organizations, Consumer's Guide to Buying Fairly Traded Products, Fair Trade in the News and Trade Membership Information and Criteria. This site is in English.

International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT) is a federation of producers and "alternative" trading organizations (ATOs). In IFAT, producers of handicrafts and food products from the developing countries come together directly with buyers and managers of ATOs as friends and partners in a spirit of mutual trust. They cast aside the traditional trading system of middlemen and create an "alternative" way of doing business that is beneficial and fair. The present members of IFAT fit into three categories: importing ATOs in the North, exporting ATOs in the South, and producers. On this web site, you can find information on their current projects: programs and activities of the organization, fair trade: definitions and links, Code of Practice (in English and Spanish). The site is in English but there is some information in Spanish.

Prepared by Love Saint-Fleur

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