Background
POINT (Promotion of Indigenous and Nature Together) was established in March 2012. It is started as a response to the lack of organization led by “Indigenous Peoples” working for Indigenous Peoples’ issues in Myanmar. In the past, only the religious organizations are the strong civil society working for its related indigenous people’s needs of humanitarian and development assistance to some extent. Therefore, the organization POINT was formed in order to fill the gap of promoting the rights of indigenous peoples along with increased awareness on environmental related knowledge.
After 2010 election, with the new government’s development plan for the country, most of indigenous peoples’ land once the civil war areas are marked for special economic zones, mega dam, mono cropping such as rubber plantation, Gold Mining, Coal, High way road, Deep Sea Port, etc. Thus, indigenous communities are those who will have either positive or negative impacts from the development projects that come alone with peace process in Myanmar. Hence, POINT is working together with indigenous communities so as to fulfill rapidly for the awareness raising to Indigenous communities on UNDRIP and FPIC and other right based approach to development mechanism as well as to advocate and raise the concern of people to the government in relation to sustainable development and natural resource management.
Mission
“Indigenous Peoples in Myanmar have rights on their existence and their roles on sustainable development initiatives is recognized and ensured at national, regional and international level.”
Objectives
- Promotion of awareness on the rights of IPs in Myanmar
- Advocating the right based approach to Development specifically for IPs in Myanmar,
- Engaging in sustainable development initiatives to promoting natural environment of indigenous territories
- Collaborate with IPs’ movements at national, regional and international levels.
