Pawankafund

About Us

Ixil women weavers Pawanka Exchange Meeting Guatemala 2018

Pawanka Fund is an Indigenous-Led striving to support and empower Indigenous peoples around the globe. It was created as the Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Learning Fund in September 2014 in the midst of the United Nations World Conference on Indigenous peoples. “Pawanka” is a Miskitu word meaning “growing and strengthening”



Pawanka responds to the needs of indigenous peoples building relationships of trust, networking and promoting articulation between local and global processes. We provide direct support to community led organizations for the recovery and revitalization of indigenous knowledge and learning systems in seven sociocultural regions of the world including North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Arctic, Pacific, and Russia.

The Fund does not make an open call for proposals and the members of the Guiding Committee work closely with local indigenous organizations and institutions to support their initiatives in the spirit of partnership and solidarity.

Indigenous organizations and institutions supported by the Pawanka Fund had expressed their sincere appreciation and have described this solidarity as “empowering”, “strengthening”, and “conserving” among others. Based on the positive outcomes of this Partnership, the Guiding Committee and its donor-partners shall encourage more donor institutions to be part of the Pawanka Fund.

Dr. Myrna Cunningham serves as the Chair of the Guiding Committee which is the collective decision making body of the Fund.

0

Initiatives / Grant

(w/ continued support)

0

Calls for proposals

ISSUED

89%

Budget goes directly to

indigenous peoples

0

Countries with Pawanka

Grants Funded

Updated April 2023

Our vision

Our vision is to support Indigenous Peoples to sustain their strong connection to their land, territories, and resources and enhance their cultures, knowledge and sustainable practices while upholding their dignity, rights and wellbeing, particularly those of women, youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities.


Our mission

Our mission is to strengthen Indigenous Peoples self-determined development through effective and strategic grant making that revitalizes Indigenous ways of knowing and learning; promotes the rights and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples, encourages management investments at scale and practices intercultural philanthropy that transforms power relations through ancestral and spiritual values and relationships between all beings

 

Our guiding principles

The PAWANKA FUND upholds principles of solidarity, reciprocity, complementarity; promotes a holistic approach, intercultural and gender relations; and respects the self-determination and free prior and informed consent
of indigenous peoples.

Holistic
Approach
Pawanka Fund is developed respecting the holistic approach of Indigenous Peoples. The Guiding Committee ensures that the activities supported contribute to maintaining, sustaining, and building on the inter-relationship between peoples and land, territories, and nature supporting the balance and harmony of nature and human beings. The Fund seeks to strengthen, protect and enhance distinct cultural institutions, Indigenous philosophies and worldviews, and customary laws and governance systems that are the basis of traditional knowledge.

Complementarity
The principle of complementarity (when each part adds something to the other or, helps to make the other better) between women and men, elders, youth and children guides our work, especially in the recognition of the value of partnerships between human being who are committed to the rights of Indigenous peoples. This grantmaking initiative must strengthen complementary relations between individuals and between peoples from different geographical regions including urban and rural areas.

Reciprocity
For Indigenous peoples, reciprocity is not only an exchange of goods it is a way of building relationships among persons and between other beings of the cosmos as animals, plants, stars, and spiritual beings. Reciprocity means balance between human, natural and spiritual beings. As Indigenous Peoples, we have a common understanding that humankind is the guardian of Mother Earth and to live in balance it is necessary to take care of Mother Earth who gives and sustains life.
Intercultural and gender relations
Global exchange and bridge-building among different cultures and peoples of various regions enrich the work and increase the capacity of all women and men towards progressive social change both in local communities and at an international level. The full diversity of Indigenous Peoples of the world represent needs to be considered including those peoples living in marginalized rural zones, in urban areas, migrants and persons with disabilities.

Self-determination
In the context of the Indigenous Peoples’ rights, self-determination refers to the right as Indigenous Peoples to freely determine their political status and pursue social, cultural, political and economic development. It also refers to the right that Indigenous women and men have in freely determining their lives by holding elections and making decisions.
The free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) relates to the right that Indigenous Peoples have to fully participate in decisions about the processes that directly or indirectly affect their lives. FPIC implies that there should not be coercion, intimidation or manipulation; that there is a respect the time requirements of a consensus processes, and that accurate information is shared in ways that Indigenous Peoples can access (appropriate translation). Participatory processes at all levels of planning and implementation need to include youth participation and elders to ensure intergenerational transfer of knowledge and experience. A full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples guarantees the sustainability and continuity of the initiatives.

How we work

In Pawanka, we are determined to provide direct support to community led organizations and networks, to have a truly geographical scope and to establish long-term partnerships in ways that are culturally appropriate. We strive to strengthen learning and documentation processes to identify and share different Indigenous Peoples’ ways of knowing, innovation practices and learning.

Our grants reach into seven socio cultural regions of the world and grants range from 10,000 to 50,000 USD in a multiyear. We provide direct support to community led organizations to support the recovery and revitalization of indigenous knowledge and practices.

The life cycle of a grant begins with a cultural due diligence process anchored by a diverse governance body. We go to great lengths to ensure that the application process is accessible and feasible. When it is necessary, we provide technical assistance to fulfill the legal and administrative requirements. The initiatives and projects supported 

by the Pawanka Fund are designed and implemented by our local partners based on their needs and priorities following a holistic approach that addresses different elements of Indigenous Peoples’ wellbeing.

From the time of its establishment, Pawanka Fund has been evolving a unique monitoring, evaluation and learning process-framed as a mutual learning experience where both the partner organizations and the Fund enrich each other. Our Cultural Due Diligence is a method comprised of eight cultural criteria defined by the Guiding Committee as key indicators to guide endorsement, selection, mentoring, monitoring, evaluation, and the learning processes.

Our local partners have the opportunity to get to know each other, exchange their knowledge and practices, and strengthen a networks of solidarity and mutual support. We systematize and preserve all the information generated to preserve and transmit knowledge to new generations.

DESCARGA

Our guiding committee

Myrna

Cunningham Kain (CHAIR)

Centro para la Autonomía y Desarollo de los Pueblos
Indígenas (CADPI)

Nicaragua

Joan

Carling

Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)

Philippines

Namaka

Rawlins

Mokuola Honua Center for Indigenous Language Excellence

Hawai’i

Teresa

Zapeta

Foro Internacional
de Mujeres Indígenas
(FIMI)

Guatemala

Hussein

Isack

Kivulini Trust

Kenya

Rukka

Sombolinggi

The Aliansi
Masyarakat Adat
Nusantara (AMAN)

Indonesia

Vicky

Tauli - Corpuz

Tebtebba Foundation, and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Philippines

Melissa

Nelson

The Cultural Conservancy

United States

Gunn-Britt

Retter

Saami Council

Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia

Staff

Carla

Bush

Operation and
Program Director

Nicaragua

Emma

Pineda

Program Officer for
Latin America and
North America

México

Luchie

Marana

Program Officer
for Asia

Asia

Nidia

Bustillos

Program Officer
Actic, Eurasia and
Pacific Region

Bolivia

Edna

Kaptoyo

Grantmaking and
Partnerships
Officer

Kenya

Juan David

Burbano

Communications
Officer

Colombia

Jacque

Macharia

Program Officer
for Africa and
Eurasia

Africa

Maria José

Salinas

Monitoring and
Evaluation Officer

Bolivia

Ruben

Tituaña

Program Officer
for Latin America
and the Caribbean

Ecuador