18 February, 2013
At the beginning of 2013, indigenous peoples in Guyana are becoming increasingly alarmed over continuing and growing disregard for their legitimate rights by miners and government agencies and gross rights violations which have been endorsed by the judiciary in two recent cases. In 2012, the mining lobby publicly attacked indigenous peoples’ land rights in the Guyanese press and pledged to oppose recognition of customary lands. Meanwhile, the government agency responsible for regulating the mining sector appears to be accelerating the issuance of mining permits and concessions on Amerindian customary lands, despite the fact that these same lands are the subject of legal actions in the courts seeking recognition of traditional ownership rights and/or unresolved village applications for land title and title extensions.
FPP
18 February, 2013
Dear Friends,
Whenever someone remarks that a solution is being frustrated by ‘lack of political will’, I automatically ask myself: whose is the political will and what are the interests pushing for the opposite?
Amerindian Peoples Association of Guyana (APA)
Forest Peoples Programme
11 February, 2013
This urgent communication by FPP and APA has been submitted to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, the UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights, the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights Obligations relating to the Enjoyment of a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, the UN Special Rapporteur on to the
28 January, 2013
PRESS INFORMATION - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Controversial Court decision favours miners over indigenous peoples as country sinks to new low on double standards on human rights and development
On 17 January 2013, the Guyanese High Court ruled in favour of a miner who has a mining concession on titled indigenous lands. The ruling states that miners who obtained mining permits prior to the Amerindian Act of 2006 are not bound by its provisions, and consequently do not have to obtain permission from indigenous villages before carrying out operations on village land.
20 September, 2012
The Guyana Sunday Times Magazine have published an article about the work being carried out by the South Central People’s Development Association (SCPDA), as part of Amerindian Heritage Month.
Click here to read the full article to find out more about SCPDA's work.
11 September, 2012
The South Central People’s Development Association (SCPDA), based in Guyana, have just released their latest newsletter containing information on what the organisation has been working on, and what their plans are for the future.
20 June, 2012
PRESS INFORMATION - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1 June, 2012
Click here to read the latest press statement from APA.
Deforestation in Guyana, 2009
© Marcus Colchester, FPP
View from the rainforest canopy, Guyana, 2008
© FPP