International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

Each year on 9 August, since 1994, the international community has come together to celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, paying tribute to indigenous communities.

Sisters of Mercy Parramatta Congregation recognises the importance of this day in celebrating the unique cultural contributions made by Indigenous Peoples and what we can learn from them about ways of relating to each other and appreciating and caring for the environment.

According to the United Nations, there are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world's population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world's estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.

2017 marks the tenth anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP),.

The Declaration is considered to be 'the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of indigenous peoples. It embodies global consensus on the rights of indigenous peoples and establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for their survival, dignity and well-being. It elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms, as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples.'





More about this year's observance can be found here (PDF)