Indigenous Peoples' Rights

The ELCB*, a member church of the UEM, hosted a workshop in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. The topic was the rights of indigenous peoples (IPs).

About 71,000 people in Botswana belong to an IP. The largest are the Khwe, also called San, with 66,000 members, followed by the Nama (2,600) and the Balalal (2,150). Together they make up 3% of Botswana's population. Their cultural achievements and traditional way of life are an important potential for the Botswana society and beyond.

The problem: "We are not involved in development programs. We are not asked what we need, but others decide above our heads. During the Corona pandemic, they brought us disinfectants even though we needed other things," says Keikabile Mogodu, executive director of the Botswana Khwedom Council, a social organization that advocates for Khwe human rights. IPs are being systematically robbed of land, whether for diamond mining, wildlife reserve designation or tourism projects. The Botswana Khwedom Council and other organizations are taking action against this. They demand the participation of indigenous peoples in all decision-making processes relevant to them and, above all, their constitutional recognition in Botswana.

The workshop participants from the three UEM regions Asia, Africa and Germany learned a lot about the rights of IPs as guaranteed by the United Nations. They visited indigenous communities in Botswana and exchanged views on the situation of IPs in their respective home countries. In the end, they are convinced: the culture and spirituality of indigenous communities must be seen and respected, also in the churches. When it comes to their land, their way of life, their livelihoods, they must have a say. The participants of the workshop see the role of the UEM and its members in creating awareness for this, but also in working together with them in a concrete ways.

*ELCB = Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana