[COP28] Voice & Visibility side event at the Indigenous Pavilion
The Voice & Visibility team came together on a panel at the Indigenous Peoples Pavilion at COP28 titled “Championing Indigenous Feminist and Youth Leadership in Climate Change & Environmental Degradation”.
Marisa Hutchinson from IWRAW Asia Pacific opened the discussion with a brief introduction of Voice & Visibility and our progress over the years. She addressed the absence of our collaborator, LILAK (Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights), whose representatives could not attend due to the impacts of a recent earthquake. In her exposition, Hutchinson shed light on LILAK’s critical work and underlined the broader issue at hand: the way extreme weather events and natural disasters can obstruct the participation of the most vulnerable communities in crucial forums like COP. By weaving in these narratives, she underscored the stark reality of climate change — that those who are most affected are often the ones whose voices are most crucial yet frequently unheard in global conversations.
Pratima Gurung, representing the National Indigenous Disabled Women Association-Nepal (NIDWAN), shared the association’s narrative and its specialised focus on the intersection of indigenous issues, gender, and disability within the sphere of environmental degradation. NIDWAN’s work emphasises that the effects of climate change are not uniform; they disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, and hence, tailored solutions are necessary.
Diana A/P Tan Beng Hui, an Orang Asli youth activist from Malaysia, offered a deeply impactful perspective as part of the panel. Her involvement with the project “Weaving Hopes for the Future” with KAMY has been instrumental in bringing to light the unique experiences of her community. Her articulation of the hopes she harbours for the outcomes of COP28 was not just a personal testament but a reflection of the collective aspiration of indigenous youth for meaningful change and recognition. Throughout COP28, Diana has met with various stakeholders to bring stories from Peninsular Malaysia through her reports “Heartbeat Voices from Indigenous Youth of Peninsula Malaysia” and “Orang Jakun & The Climate Crisis”.
The panel discussion provided straightforward, compelling accounts from the ground in Nepal and Malaysia, showcasing the urgent need to integrate indigenous knowledge systems into broader climate change mitigation strategies. These first-hand stories highlighted the resilience of indigenous communities, especially the women who are often leaders in preserving and applying centuries-old ecological knowledge. The discussion called attention to the role of indigenous people and their feminist approaches in developing solutions, emphasising that these communities are not just victims of climate change but active agents of change with valuable insights and contributions to offer.
