Aims and objectives

Shinai is a grass-roots organisation that supports indigenous peoples in the rainforests of South East Peru (who are) dealing with the rapid social and environmental changes associated with their first direct interactions with national society. We also work to safeguard the interests of those currently avoiding any such interaction.

We aim to ensure that these peoples have the space and security to negotiate these changes in their own time and on their own terms. Through capacity building we will help them to make informed and independent decisions about their future without undermining the opportunity of future generations to retain the values, language and environment of their people.

Aims and objectives

  1. Aspire for the recognition and respect of these peoples rights by the Peruvian state in accordance with international standards, exemplified at their minimum in the UN Draft Declaration on Indigenous Rights, by:
    • bringing these issues, particularly those regarding peoples living in voluntary isolation, to the forefront of public debate.
    • contributing our experiences to the development of national laws and policies.
  2. Build the capacity of the communities we work with to:
    • manage and control their own resources, without compromising the well-being of future generations.
    • obtain, shape and control the basic services they are entitled to from the state as both indigenous people and Peruvian citizens, such as health care, bi-lingual education and systems of territorial control.make independent and informed decisions about their future.communicate decisions about their future to external institutions.

    by:

      • raising awareness of and promoting reflection upon social and environmental changes in their lives through extended periods in the field.
      • coordinating visits to other communities dealing with consequences of permanent contact with national society, such as large-scale extractive industries and the potential loss of language.
      • helping communities develop and implement their own models of resource management, healthcare, education and territorial control.
      • equipping communities with the tools and skills to bridge the geographical, cultural and linguistic obstacles to communication with external institutions.
  3. Help these peoples gain secure tenure over the lands and resources fundamental to:
    • maintaining their physical and spiritual well-being, without undermining that of neighbouring peoples.
    • protecting these resources from illegal exploitation
    • providing them with the incentives to manage these resources sustainably.
    by:
      • providing a forum in which the people we work with can present their desires for land and resources directly to decision makers.
      • facilitating a dialogue amongst decision makers and indigenous peoples representatives to identify and overcome the legal and political challenges to realising these claims to land and resources.
      • using participatory techniques to help these peoples produce their own territorial maps that communicate the historical, economic and cultural significance of their lands.
  4. Ensure that the Peruvian state recognises and acts upon its responsibility to protect the short-term well-being of these people by:
    • raising awareness of decision makers and those who influence them about local situations and circumstances.
    • coordinating with relevant indigenous organisations to pressure the appropriate government departments.
    • communicating the grievances of the communities we work with.
    This responsibility includes:
      • The protection of the territory and resources of these people and respecting the choice to avoid any direct interactions with national society.
      • The consultation of indigenous people prior to permitting the exploration or exploitation of sub-soil resources.
      • The provision of appropriate first-aid and healthcare services.
  5. Challenge prevailing attitudes and behaviour which lead to the discrimination and disempowerment of indigenous peoples by:
    • raising public awareness of indigenous perspectives at a local, national and international level.
    • highlighting the implications of individual choices and global processes for indigenous peoples and their environment.
  6. Ensure that the people we work with have a say in decisions, policies and developments that affect them both directly and indirectly by:
    • informing them of the processes that may affect their lives.
    • communicating their concerns to decision makers and those that influence them.
Última modificación: July 06 2006 15:34:56.