Protecting Diversity and Human Dignity
Indigenous peoples are one of the main pillars of human and cultural diversity. They represent the deep roots of human civilization and embody a historical and spiritual heritage that reflects the profound connection between humanity, the land, and nature throughout the ages.
Today, Indigenous peoples constitute an essential part of global human diversity, numbering more than 476 million individuals, representing 6.2% of the world’s population. They belong to over 5,000 distinct groups, living across more than 90 countries, speaking over 4,000 languages, and residing in diverse environments including rainforests, deserts, mountains, coasts, and plains.
Despite this immense cultural and human richness, Indigenous peoples continue to face major challenges related to their rights to land, identity, and natural resources — in addition to social and cultural marginalization that deprives them of fair participation in development and decision-making processes.
International Congress SHIELD believes that protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples is an integral part of the universal human rights system, and that defending their dignity and cultural distinctiveness is, at its core, a defense of human values themselves.
Freedom and equality can only be achieved when the rights of all peoples are protected without discrimination or exclusion.
Recognition of Identity and Human Dignity
Recognizing Indigenous peoples and respecting their cultures and traditions is a fundamental step toward social justice and historical equity.
The organization calls for the protection of Indigenous languages and intangible cultural heritage, supporting their participation in public life, and empowering them to freely express their identity without any form of discrimination or exclusion.
Land, Resources, and the Right to Development
Indigenous peoples maintain a deep spiritual and cultural bond with their lands — the source of life, identity, and continuity.
The organization affirms that ensuring their rights to land and natural resources is essential for achieving justice and sustainable development.
It also calls for their inclusion in shaping environmental and economic policies that affect their lives, ensuring a fair balance between development, environmental preservation, and the protection of natural heritage.
Challenges and Pressures Threatening Identity
Many Indigenous communities face increasing pressures that endanger their cultural and social existence — including deliberate efforts to erase their identity, weaken their languages, and remove their history from collective memory.
These pressures manifest in systemic marginalization, economic exploitation of their lands without consent, and forced demographic and cultural changes that lead to loss of belonging and erosion of cultural heritage.
International Congress SHIELD stresses the importance of adopting fair international policies that protect Indigenous peoples from cultural and economic exclusion, ensuring their effective participation in public life and upholding their right to determine their cultural and human destiny within the framework of justice and equal citizenship.
Protecting Rights and Ensuring Dignity
The organization believes that protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples requires a comprehensive approach combining legislation, humanitarian initiatives, and international oversight.
Key measures include:
- Strengthening national and international laws that guarantee Indigenous peoples’ rights to land, identity, language, and education.
- Involving Indigenous communities in formulating development and environmental policies that concern their regions.
- Protecting human rights defenders from persecution or threats, and ensuring freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
- Launching educational and awareness programs to promote respect for cultural and linguistic diversity.
- Strengthening international partnerships among humanitarian organizations, governments, and Indigenous communities to achieve justice-based and equitable development.
Freedom and Dignity as the Foundations of Justice
The organization affirms that freedom is an inherent human right, and that the dignity of peoples is inseparable from the dignity of individuals.
Through its principles and activities, International Congress SHIELD seeks to promote a culture of peace, tolerance, and mutual respect among nations, and to encourage intercultural dialogue as a means of building a fairer and more equitable world.
The organization also supports defenders of Indigenous rights and works to empower them to participate in international forums, ensuring their voices are heard and their causes represented freely.
Toward a World that Respects Diversity and Preserves Dignity
Protecting Indigenous peoples is not merely a local responsibility, but a global commitment that reflects humanity’s respect for diversity and difference.
International Congress SHIELD believes that achieving global peace and justice begins with recognizing every person’s right to live with dignity and enjoy freedom without fear or discrimination.
The organization reaffirms its commitment to continuing its human rights and humanitarian efforts in defending Indigenous peoples around the world, promoting the universal values of freedom, equality, and justice, to build a world that embraces everyone and safeguards human dignity everywhere.
Issued by the Department of Media and International Relations – International Congress SHIELD