International Indigenous Fund for development and solidarity
Our priorities
Our priorities include several strategic topics: Udege people and the Bikin river, Indigenous peoples in the Arctic, Indigenous Peoples and Environment, Indigenous solidarity, Human rights advocacy, Financial sustainability of indigenous communities
Udege people and the Bikin river
Udege language revitalization
Preservation of Udege culture and traditional knowledge
Support of the Udege people traditional economy including traditional hunting, fishing and gathering as well as new economic activities including sustainable environmental tourism
Support of Udege youth and women including their project initiatives and experience exchange with relevant stakeholders
Support of the Udege traditional rights on lands, natural resources, and self-determination
Preservation of forest, lands and waters in the Bikin River region and in other territories where Udege people live
Indigenous peoples in the Arctic
Cooperation development with the Arctic region indigenous organizations on self-governance issues, socio-economic development, adaptation and resilience, land rights and access to resources, benefit-sharing, and negotiations;
Joint research with academic institutions on indigenous peoples’ rights, climate change, sustainable development, and other relevant issues;
Partnership with the Arctic Council and its working groups on the development of indigenous peoples;
Analytical work and monitoring of the indigenous rights under the Arctic Council activity.
Indigenous Peoples and Environment
International cooperation and exchange between indigenous peoples facing national parks creation on their traditional lands;
Supporting and consulting Udege people on their engagement for the co-management of the Bikin national park as the first and pilot project in Russia to fulfill the indigenous peoples’ rights;
Assistance for communities’ development programs and project implementation on nature protection, climate change adaptation and resilience, green economy development, and environmental monitoring;
Consulting indigenous peoples under the negotiations with authorities and private sector on the ongoing or planning commercial projects on traditional lands.
Indigenous solidarity
Exchange arrangement between indigenous communities on the issues of culture, sport, youth, environment, and biodiversity.
Training, seminars and international exchange programs, between indigenous peoples of the US, Russia and other countries
Support indigenous peoples’ participation in international events on human rights, environment, climate change, and other relevant topics
Participation in global and international meetings to develop recommendations on indigenous rights, traditional livelihoods, traditional knowledge, and languages.
Expert meetings with broad involvement of academia and traditional knowledge holders for elaborating recommendations for international human rights bodies and other relevant organizations including the UN, and Arctic Council
Human rights advocacy
Advocacy and support to indigenous human rights defenders and leaders on risks from repression and harassment of authorities, military forces, and business;
Conducting training seminars for representatives of indigenous peoples to protect their rights.
Preparing reports on indigenous rights violations
Financial sustainability of indigenous communities
Providing the financial sustainability for indigenous communities through elaboration of new financial instruments using the new IT solutions
Global fundraising for indigenous sustainable development initiatives
Education of indigenous leaders in financial management and fundraising
In recent years, Russia has emerged as a global leader in the production and transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The projects are highly innovative, mighty impressive, and very expensive. However, Russia’s strides in switching to LNG in the Arctic will be hindered by their reliance on heavy fuel oil (HFO). HFO, known also as bunker fuel or […]
In recent weeks, COVID-19 cases in Russia have surged. On October 21, Russian officials announced a record daily death toll of 317, but ruled out a strict lockdown. The pandemic has laid bare and exacerbated the inequalities of societies the world over, and Russia is no exception. Now activists have raised concern for the fate of 250,000 people belonging to […]
Paul Goble Staunton, November 8 — It is easy to forget if one lives in a country where voting in multiple candidate elections have taken place for decades or even centuries how new that idea is in the Russian Federation where the first genuinely competitive voting took place less than 35 years ago in 1987. […]
Open Statement Aborigen Forum is an informal alliance of independent experts, activists, leaders, and community organizations representing indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East. Aborigen Forum expresses extreme concern about the approval of the Arctic zone development strategy through 2035, which, in essence, is an updated state program for national economic development […]