Grant name: Indigenous Youth Research on The State of Indigenous Health in Indonesia
Local partner: Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN)
Country: Indonesia
Background and objective
The world is experiencing upheavals caused by economic, social, political, cultural, environmental, and ecological crises, which are directly linked to a model of human and environmental exploitation that have led to a loss of indigenous territories. These territories are often subject to large scale natural resource extraction which in turn destroy delicate ecosystems. The vast myriad of rivers, watersheds, landforms, vegetation and climatic zones have worked together for thousands of years to shape and form indigenous lands and food systems. In recent years, indigenous communities have witnessed a drastic decline in the health and integrity of their cultures, ecosystems, social structures, and knowledge systems.
To reverse this alarming trend, this project focuses on strengthening indigenous institutions by engaging the indigenous youth to maintain the integrity of territories, natural resources, culture, arts, and customary law. This process does not only protect indigenous knowledge, but also reinforces the rich history and body of knowledge that has led to the development of indigenous knowledge systems.
From 14 indigenous youth involve directly to the initiative, 12 were well trained and able to completed the whole agendas. Data on the situation of the food system in 6 communities were collected, compiled, reviewed and analyzed. The result of the data collection and analysis has written into a book titled:“Kedaulatan Pangan untuk Pemulihan Kehidupan Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (Food Sovereignty for Restoring the Livelihood of the Archipelago Indigenous Peoples).”A monitoring tool on indigenous food system is available.
Local partner information
The Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN) is a representative organization that consists of a Central Governing Body with 21 Regional/Provincial Chapters, 116 Local Chapters, 3 Wing Organizations, 2 Autonomous Bodies and 3 Economic Institutions. It represents 17 million individuals from 2,2366 indigenous communities across Indonesia. AMAN’s mission is to empower, advocate, and mobilize indigenous peoples of the Indonesian archipelago to protect collective rights, and preserve their cultures and environments for current and future generations.
