We are one

Aug 15

"Nature has taught us that human equality should exist without discrimination. Discrimination arises from the spirits of the gods of ambition, and of the avarice which pits brother against brother. For our mother, the Earth, we are one."

This shot of an Emberá woman I photographed in the Panamanian rainforest helps communicate the theme for the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, which occurred on Friday 9 August. This year’s theme: Protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact.

The Emberá benefit from Panama's proactive, advanced legal framework for the promotion and protection indigenous peoples and their rights. In particular, a system of indigenous regions provides considerable protection for indigenous rights, especially in terms of land and territory, participation and self-governance, and health and education.

Indigenous Peoples represent around six per cent of the world's population, and their knowledge and traditions are believed to help solve many of today’s challenges in the areas of climate action and biodiversity. As keepers of knowledge that help safeguard some of the most biodiverse areas of our planet, and as guardians of the environment, their survival is our survival.

#StoryOfThePeople #WorldInFocus #GlobalCulture #PeopleInCulture #EthnicPortraits #HumanElement #CulturalDiversity #Anthropology #CulturalAnthropology #HumanCondition #PeoplePhotography #FacesOfTheWorld #HumanConnection #Ethnography #PortraitOfHumanity #buddha34

Featured

In praise of the matriarch …

This year’s World Elephant Day celebrates the matriarch, the ‘elder stateswoman’ of the herd. They hold a pivotal role in elephant society, guiding their family groups to vital resources and shaping their responses to potential threats. A matriarch’s ability to make sound decisions, especially during stressful times, significantly enhances the group’s chances of survival.

Time will tell …

Older persons in Myanmar are caught in a terrible cycle of targeted violence and arbitrary detention. They are not incidental victims but are being deliberately singled out - be it for perceived political affiliations or simple their inherent vulnerabilities making them easy targets. Mobility issues, health conditions, and cultural ties make them unable or unwilling to flee - where would / could they go? - turning them into prime targets for military persecution ... or worse…

We are one

Will all be well ...?

Word of the moment: "Kasiyanna" - an indigenous term meaning "all will be well", an affirmation that balance will soon be achieved. To indigenous peoples, the global coronavirus pandemic is a reflection of an imbalance in the world; to resolve it is to restore balance.

Time for tea

I was lucky enough to visit tea plantations in Kenya some years ago and this was one of my favourite images from the trip - a local worker was gathering up handfuls of freshly picked teal leaves and she paused to allow to take this shot of her handing the 'green gold'.

Crispin Zeeman