Forum Conference 2009: violent conflicts, cease fires and peace accords through the lens of indigenous peoples

This is the report for the 10th annual Forum for Development Cooperation with Indigenous Peoples in Norway, which addressed the human consequences of violent conflicts through the lens of Indigenous peoples. The conference was to take a step toward ending violence and promoting peace and reconciliation.

The paper highlights a number of issues raised during the conference, including:

• the war on terror has reinforced the tendency to focus on security issues, and this has exacerbated tensions worldwide, and the widespread circulation of small arms has contributed substantially to the violence
• one reason for conflicts between indigenous and their governments or other groups is the failure of nation-states to recognise the rights of indigenous peoples
• some of the most difficult problems facing indigenous peoples have been the policies of governments that are aimed at settling non-indigenous peoples on indigenous land 
• impunity for those who violate the rights of indigenous peoples, corruption and poor governance were problems facing indigenous people in some cases.
  

• regarding peaceful ways to resolve conflicts, the golden symbol is DDRI – disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration
• concerning demilitarisation in endogenous regions, if outside governments are to reduce or stop completely their support of militaries and militias, this will facilitate the process of peace-building
• indigenous peoples have to be in positions where they can influence governments, international agencies, and non-government organisations regarding indigenous peoples’ human rights
• it is important to monitor, document, and report on cases of suspected human rights violations involving indigenous peoples; in this respect, ensuring that there are open channels of communication with endogenous people is very important.