NEWS 2014
Early 2014
Grants Awarded 2013
THE
CARETAKERS OF ALL
Ogiek Peoples Development Program (Kenya)
In
order to prevent conflict, the Ogiek of Kenya's Mau Forest used to divide
their lands into territories. Each family had its own part of the forest, with
its own name. Here they could collect wild fruits and nuts, hunt, and harvest
honey without overstressing these resources or taking more than their share.
The only boundaries were the forest's rivers, valleys and hills, but they were
respected for the good of the entire ecosystem, of which the Ogiek were an
important part.
“The
Ogiek are the forest, and the forest is the Ogiek people,“ says Peter
Kiplangat Cheruiyot, Program Officer at the Ogiek Peoples' Development Program
(OPDP), a non-profit organization founded by members of the Ogiek community.
OPDP is at the forefront of a battle facing the 20,000 Ogiek living in Kenya—a
battle to stay in the Mau Forest and to preserve their way of life.
In
2005, the Kenyan government announced that everyone living in the forest
“illegally“ must leave. It was not the first eviction the Ogiek had faced—outsiders
have been driving them out of the forest for almost a century to make way for
tea plantations and logging operations. But since 1977 the government has
claimed that the evictions are necessary to preserve the forest. During the
past few decades, destruction of the Mau Forest has accelerated so rapidly
that only three quarters of its vegetation remains intact. As a result, the
government has begun purging the forest of human occupants, including those
who lived there long before the destruction began.
The
Ogiek were left with nowhere else to go and no access to sanitation or clean
water. They were harassed by the police, and their homes, schools and crops
were burned so that they could not return. Armed settlers who lay claim to the
forest attacked them when they tried to defend themselves, and Ogiek activists
have been targeted with special brutality.
Daniel
Kobei, executive director of OPDP, points out that the other groups affected
by the evictions are part of the larger ethnic majority, which draws more
political support in Kenya's ethnically divided government. “They are
politically represented, while the Ogiek do not have political representation,“
he says. “[Our] marginalization is overwhelming in all aspects of life.“
But
there is some hope that things are changing. In 2010, following the unrest
that resulted from the 2007 presidential election, Kenya ratified a new
constitution that ensures rights for minorities and Indigenous peoples,
including a recognition of the rights of hunter-gatherer societies to occupy
traditionally held lands.
“It's
a new dawn to the minorities,“ says Kobei. The new constitution may hold the
key to the future of the Ogiek people.
In
partnership with First Peoples Worldwide, OPDP has organized a series of
workshops and public meetings to educate community members about their
constitutional rights, as well as to make their voices heard on the national
stage.
In
2011, OPDP invited some of Kenya's top constitutional lawyers to lead a
workshop in Nairobi on how the new constitution will affect minorities. OPDP
used a Keepers of the Earth grant from First Peoples Worldwide to cover
transportation and lodging costs for Ogiek leaders to travel to Nairobi, as
well as other organizational costs. The workshop attracted more than 50
participants, including members of the Ogiek as well as other Indigenous
groups. OPDP gathered members of a government task force on reorganizing
Kenya's government to engage with the Ogiek delegation, and even persuaded a
member of Kenya's parliament to attend the workshop.
The
project not only helped educate the Ogiek and other groups about their rights,
it also helped educate Kenya about the Ogiek. National media coverage of the
main workshop, cultivated by OPDP, brought Ogiek issues to the attention of
millions of people all over the country. Kenya's politicians habitually ignore
small, marginalized groups in order to focus on winning the votes of the
majority, but as the plight of the Ogiek becomes more visible, voters
throughout Kenya may side with them. The national attention indicates that
this change is already happening—the struggle of the Ogiek to stay on their
land represents the deepest spirit of Kenya's new constitution, and their
voices are beginning to resonate far beyond the Mau Forest.
First
Peoples Worldwide continues to support OPDP's efforts to empower the Ogiek
community, including follow-up meetings designed to bring the workshop's
insights to those who were unable to attend. In the coming year, a new grant
will help the organization focus on preparing the Ogiek for elections slated
for early 2013. Kobei hopes that, in addition to learning about the potential
consequences of their votes, his fellow Ogiek will be inspired to run for
office so that they can represent their community in Kenya's new government.
Perhaps
the most important result of the workshop and follow-up meetings was that
Ogiek elders gained recognition in their communities through their leadership,
creating a sense of unity amidst the shattering hardships the Ogiek have
endured.
“The
projects led to the realization of solidarity to resist eviction,“ says
Kobei. “Due to the empower[ment of] community members, the act of police
harassment and arrest was brought to an end.“
On
a recent field visit to Tinet in the northern part of Mau Forest, Kobei spoke
with an Ogiek man named Kebenei Julius. “Our lives have serious[ly] changed
since the activities empowered our link with the government for dialogue and
fighting for our rights,“ he said. “The Ogiek are now recognized [more]
than before, including on the decision-making at the district level.“
First
Peoples Worldwide supports the ongoing efforts of OPDP and the Ogiek community,
and is committed to the process of building capacity among Kenya's Indigenous
leaders. If the Ogiek can succeed in protecting their rights, other Indigenous
groups in the region may follow. With a global network of such communities
standing in solidarity, it will be increasingly difficult to deny Indigenous
Peoples their rights.
Like
many of our communities, the Ogiek are not only fighting for themselves, but
for their homeland and all of its living things. Even the name of the Ogiek
means “caretaker of all.“ They are not a threat to the Mau Forest, but if
they continue to defend their right to remain there, they may be able to save
it from destruction.
Source:
http://www.firstpeoples.org/grants/grantees/grantee-2