By Karma Rinji Sherpa, Station Manager, Radio Kairan 96.4 FM, Ramechhap, Nepal

Radio Kairan, a beacon of community radio in a remote village of Ramechhap district, Nepal, has successfully addressed a major challenge: updating outdated equipment that was hindering quality broadcasting. With support from the Cultural Survival Indigenous Community Media Fund, the station has been revitalized, allowing it to effectively serve listeners in their mother tongues of Sunuwar, Tamang, Sherpa, as well as Nepali.

By Feza Christine, reporter at UPADE Radio Communautaire d'Itombwe (RCI)

In the mining regions of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, the allure of easy money has created a breeding ground for sexual exploitation, especially targeting young Indigenous girls. The influx of cash from mining activities has led to a surge in predatory behavior, with miners and mining company employees using their newfound wealth to lure vulnerable girls into exploitative relationships.

By Pardo Mwetaminwa, UPADE Coordinator

A surge in foreign mining operations in the Fizi territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo is causing growing hardship for local communities, particularly the Indigenous Batwa People. Traditionally reliant on farming, the Batwa are being displaced from their lands without adequate compensation or consultation.

Por Colectivo Informativo Mapuche Mapuexpress

Durante 2024, en el Colectivo Informativo Mapuche Mapuexpress llevamos a cabo el proyecto “Comunicación y Resistencias contra las amenazas mineras en la Fütawillimapu: Choyipe taiñ newen mapu: Que renazca nuestra fuerza de la Tierra”, apoyados por la Consultora Alerce de Osorno y financiados por Cultural Survival.

24th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) 21 April - 2 May 2025 - Statement

Item 5 (g) Thematic dialogue on the financing of Indigenous Peoples’ work and participation across the multilateral and regional system

Intervention by SIRGE Coalition, Cultural Survival, Tallgrass Institute, Batani Foundation, Earthworks and Society for Threatened Peoples

This is an urgent letter from Domingo Antun, leader of the Shuar Arutam Maikuaints Peoples in Ecuador. The Maikuaints are facing imminent displacement as Solaris Resources, a transnational mining corporation, advances operations on Shuar ancestral territory without tribal consent. This is not merely a land dispute but an existential crisis for a people whose spiritual, cultural, and physical identity is inextricably bound to these lands and waters.

On April 21-May 5, 2025, the 24th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York. The annual session is the third-largest meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York. It brings more than 2,000 Indigenous Peoples’ representatives, Member States, UN agencies, and other stakeholders together every year to discuss and cover Indigenous issues.

On April 21-May 5, 2025, the 24th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York. This year’s session theme will focus on "Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within United Nations Member States and the United Nations system, including identifying good practices and addressing challenges.”

Cultural Survival's community includes people from all walks of life, with beautiful stories to tell of your own about why you decided to become an advocate for Indigenous Peoples' rights. Sharing these stories further connects our community, provides much-needed solidarity and validation to our staff and partners on the ground, and helps us inspire others to join our movement. We are excited to spotlight members and former interns of our community and highlight your contributions and perspectives through our Cultural Survival Spotlight series. 

OPEN LETTER TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AUTHORITIES
Barra Velha / Bahia – Brazil, March 21, 2025
 

To the authorities of the Federative Republic of Brazil,
To the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,
To the United Nations Human Rights Council,
To the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
To international organizations, the media, and global civil society:

By Lucas Kasosi (Maasai, CS Intern)

If cities had ghosts, Nairobi would be haunted by the whispers of those it displaced. Beneath its glass towers and frantic highways lies a past rarely acknowledged: a history of forced removals, treaties signed under duress, and land slipping through Maasai hands like water.

Each year, on March 24, the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims is observed.