MADRE Statements

Second Forum of Indigenous Women from Wangki: United we Construct our own Worth, Strength, Happiness and Wellness

Posted on: Friday, October 9, 2009

Keywords: Nicaragua, Latin America & Caribbean, Indigenous Rights, Combating Violence Against Women

A Declaration from the Second Forum of Indigenous Women from Wangki held in Waspam, Nicaragua. Representatives from MADRE and our partner organization Wangki Tangni attended.

Women gathered for the International Indigenous Women's Forum - c. Wangki Tangni

Women from the following communities gathered in Waspam, the capital of Wangki, from October 1st through the 4th 2009: International Indigenous Women’s Forum/ Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indígenas (IIWF/FIMI), Tawan Sirpi wina Asla Takanka de Urang, Sih, Rayapura, Kiwastara, Moss, Auyapura, Andris, Santa Fe, Kwiwitingni, Tee Kiamp, Dikuatara, Klampa, Planhkira, Sawa, Bumsirpi, Uhri, San Jerónimo, Kisalaya, Asang, Prinzapolka, Ulwas, Bullsirpi, Rama Cay, Esperanza Rio Coco, La Esperanza Rio Wawa, Boom, Alamikangban, Francia Sirpi, Kisubila, Kururia, Cocal- Waspuk, San Alberto, Tuskrutara, Klisnak, Utlamahta, Desembocadura del Rio grande, Batsilaya, Pacifico Centro y Norte de Nicaragua, Rancho Escondido, Laguntara, santa Ana, Wiswis, Bullkiamp, Saupuka, Bilwaskarma, Saklin, Klar, Tuskrusirpi, Wasla, Kum, Naranjal, El Paraíso, El Carmen, Wiwinak, Bilwi, Buenos Aires, Living Krik, Mozonte, Sikilta, Leimus, Capri, Polo Lakia Sirpi, Tasba Pain, Miguel Bikan, Santa Clara, Wisconsin, Mayangna Sauni As, Waspam.

Additionally, representatives of the following organizations participated in the Forum: AMICA, IMATWA, WANGKI TANGNI, De Costa a Costa, MADRE, Movimiento Nidia White, CAIMCA, Foro de Mujeres Indígenas y Multiétnicas de la RAAN, Movimiento Indígena de Nicaragua, Alianza de Mujeres Indígenas de México y Centroamérica; and Judge Hazel Law from the Appellate Court of the North Atlantic Autonomous Regions (RAAN).

Representatives from the Cabinet and Government of the Autonomous Region included the President of the board of directors, his Committees and Secretaries of Women, Childhood, Adolescence, Youth, and Family; Health; Education; Youth Voices Program; and the Gender Fund. The Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Secretary of the Cabinet from the Municipal Government of Waspam were also present. Other representatives included the Committee of Women from the National Police, the Nicaraguan Institute of Women in Government, and the Office of Registration of Property from RAAN, PNUD, UNFPA, AECID, MISTAP, AMC, ACTED, Salud sin Limites, Clínica Bilwi, CEIMM- URACCAN, CADPI, FUPADE, ASB, NITLAPAN, PANA PANA, CARE, Ibis- Dinamarca, Consejo de Ancianos.

We remember our dreams, aspirations, commitments, and proposals from the First Forum of Indigenous Women of Wangki in 2008.

Women gathered for the International Indigenous Women's Forum - c. Wangki Tangni

We reaffirm the achievements that Indigenous women made in their commitments by the Nicaraguan Government and the Autonomous Region through the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Cairo Declaration on Human Rights (CAIRO), Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Law 28 and its Regulations, Resolution Regional to create the Forum of Indigenous Women and the Secretary of Women, the commitments assumed by CRAAN in the investment in women’s health in June 2009, and the government of RAAN in Rosita in February 2009 in its program working with youth and adolescents.

At the international level, Indigenous women achieved: gender policies in the national government and the proper steps have been given to the regional government in order to achieve the objective of women’s rights in the Region. We analyzed and agreed on the content of a plan of action in the following themes: intercultural health, racism and discrimination, traditional forms of justice, water and drainage, identity, art and culture, climate change, adaptation of life, organizational strengthening, indications of wellbeing, and the rights of Indigenous women.

The Wangki claims the plea of NikiNiki for their daughters and sons to come back to listen while the girls, boys, adolescents, and youth inherit the natural and moral poverty that threatens our ancestral territory.

In this effort we agree:

To keep working in order to strengthen our organizations and networks so our voices, and the voices of our indigenous sisters from RAAS, the Pacific, and the Centro Norte are heard in the regional, national and international realms, and that our proposals are transformed into laws, policies, public programs, and projects that allow for the wellbeing of our families and communities.
We demand that government authorities, organisms of multilateral cooperation, bilaterals, NGOs, and others, implement in good faith the right to an informed and established prior consent in international human rights instruments of indigenous peoples. This should be an obligatory mechanism of consultation for actions taking place in our communities.
Bring back the message to each of our communities, our authorities, common territories, and local governments of RAAN and the country, that girls, boys, adolescents, youth, women, and men, all have the right to live without violence, enjoying our individual and collective rights and for this we declare a permanent movement for A LIFE WITHOUT VIOLENCE.
Call on governments and non-government organizations, organisms of multilateral, bilateral, and international cooperation, communal authorities and territories, universities, research centers, organizations and networks of women and human rights, to unite complimentary human resources, technical, material, and financial forces, for the return to each community of these agreements and that our ACTION PLAN FOR A LIFE WITHOUT VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION becomes effective.
We agree to convene ourselves for the Third Forum of Indigenous Women in Wangki with the national project of the 1 through the 4th of October 2010.

Given in the city of Waspam during the four days of October 2009.

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