It would be a curious doctrine to propound today that, when the benefit of the common law was first extended to Her Majesty's indigenous subjects in the Antipodes, its first fruits were to strip them of their right to occupy their ancestral lands. - from the Mabo Decision - High Court of Australia
This page will provide links to a number of liberation struggles throughout the world and provide information and links to the indigenous community organisations involved. Countries such as East Timor and Tibet continue to bear the weight of oppressive regimes. Meanwhile the process of internal colonisation in countries like Australia, the U.S., and Canada continues unabated. This results in the systematic disadvantaging of indigenous communities, homeless in their homeland.
Before following some of the links below you might like to take a look at "I am Prepared to Die" Nelson Mandela's statement from the dock at the opening of the defence case in the Rivonia Trial, Pretoria Supreme Court, 20 April 1964. for its eloquent justification of 'violence' when no other choices are left. You might also wish to take a look at "The Real Foreign Debt", for its excellent summary of the debt owed to the "developing" world by the "developed" world.
Some of these links reflect the part of the world we're in and are therefore geared towards Australian organisations. In most cases from there you will be able to find links to organisations closer to (your) home.
This page is under heavy construction so bear with me...I thank you.
Centre for World Indigenous Studies: Links to groups all over the world. Information and research - a great resource - visit it soon.
First Nations: A resource gathering together material from across the world. Representing the diversity of the people of the 'First Nations'.
Survival: International, non-government funded lobby group dedicated to advancing the cause of indigenous people the world over. There is an excellent range of resources at this site, giving details of a range of indigenous struggles with big business, governments, "environmentalists" and more. Take a look.
ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIANS AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERSThe Stolen Generations: This site provides an electronic form on which you can submit an apology to the stolen generation(s) of Aboriginal children. Those of you who follow these things will know that the Canadian Government has apologised to its indigenous people for the forced removal of children (genocide by assimilation). The current Australian Government has refused to make any such apology and deserves to be condemned both at home and abroad. Follow this link and show your support. Amnesty International have just released a report condemning the Australian Governments (lack of) response, to view it click here
Native Title Organisation: From this page you can send a free fax to Australia's Prime Minister 'Little Johnny' Howard. Tell him what you think of the proposed 'Wik' legislation, more information about this is available by following the links at this and other sites listed above.
Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Watch Committee: Aborigines in some Australian States, make up 50% and more of the prison populations. Their suicide and 'suspect' death rates are appalling high.
The previous Federal Government established a Royal Commission into the subject of Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and came up with a set of procedures designed to reduce the death rate. Amongst other things the Royal Commission made the brilliant suggestion that not imprisoning Aboriginal people might make a significant impact on this problem - it's nice to see we're getting our moneys worth.
Aboriginal people are frequently jailed for trivial offences, such as street drinking, abusive language and so on. Recently in the Northern Territory an Aboriginal boy ( around 10 years old) was jailed for - failing to wear a bicyle helmet.
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander WWW Resource Directory: Probably the most comprehensive guide of its kind on the web. Much bigger and better than we could ever hope to provide.
Settlers for Indigenous Sovereignty: These pages are excellent and contain links to a number of important Nyoongar (the Aboriginal people of South West Australia) sites. The Pinjarra Massacre: An account of the massacre of Aboriginal people by settlers (sic). Australian history that many non-Aboriginal people hope will just be forgotten.
After Mabo: What about Aboriginal Sovereignty - Henry Reynolds A discussion of position of Aboriginal people in the post-Mabo era by Australia's leading historian of Aboriginal resistance to European invasion. Provides an excellent overview of the problems still facing Aboriginal people in their on going struggle to assert their traditional and ongoing ownership/guardianship of Australia. Also includes links to replies by other prominent Australian historians and provision for you to make your own contribution.
TIMORGeorge Aditjondro: Prominent academic and critic of the Suharto regime. Find out why the Indonesian 'Secret Service' are so keen to follow this guy's every move...and I mean every move.
East Timorese Youth Resistance Australian based Timorese Youth organisation.
Statement by Rex Rumakiek: Spokesperson for the Free Papua Movement (OPM).
Suharto Resignation not enough: Press statement on Irian Jaya released by Survival.
Demands made by the OPM This post to Native-L provides some background into the conflict and some of the demands being made by the indigenous communities.
Australia Tibet Council This site provides a detailed historical background to the Chinese occupation of Tibet as well as links to similar groups worldwide.
Dalai Lama's Speech: On the 39th Anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising.
Zapatista Net of Autonomy and Liberation
Interview with Subcomandante Marcos of the EZLN: interviewed by American filmmaker Kerry Appel in these clips - in Real Video and Audio - minimum 28.8 modem for video.
More information on the Zapatista: this site is maintained by Stewards Net, who are worth checking out.
Go here for by a speech given by a Stewards Net participant Eric Sommer. It details: The Relationship Between Chiapas, NAFTA, and MAIPosition of the Autonomous Pluriethnic Regions on Zedillo’s Initiative.
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