International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples 2021: As per the United Nations, there are around 476 million indigenous people living in 90 countries. This estimate accounts for 6.2 percent of the global population. Amongst them, while numerous indigenous groups are self-governing there are some who still find themselves under the ultimate control of an authoritative body.
Many indigenous communities are very often driven out of their lands, confronted with poverty and at times even subjected to marginalisation. A lot needs to be done before such groups with their unique heritage get wiped out from the pages of time.
Declared on 23rd December 1994 by the United Nations General Assembly, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People aims at creating awareness and encouraging the protection and promotion of the rights of indigenous people. Observed on 9th August every year, the day commemorates the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982.
The need of the hour is to establish inclusion and participation of indigenous people in the constitution of a system that will provide both social and economic benefits. From this demand comes the 2021 theme, “Leaving no one behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contract.”
But what is a social contract? A Social contract is an unwritten agreement aimed at creating equal opportunities and socio-economic benefits for societies. A new social contract must be framed in such a way that it helps foster equal opportunities and ensures the rights, dignity and freedoms of all.
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