International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
Since 1995, August 9 is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Who are they? There is no concurrent definition of the term, but indigenous peoples are ethnic groups practicing unique traditions, retaining social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Check out this great UN fact sheet for more.
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People is an opportunity to highlight the challenges facing indigenous peoples, and the importance of preserving their cultural heritage and identity.
This year’s theme is “Bridging the gap: implementing the rights of indigenous peoples”.
The theme aims to highlight the importance of implementing the rights of indigenous peoples through policies and programmes at both the national and international level working together towards this common goal with Governments, the United Nations system, indigenous peoples and other stakeholders.
