INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS WOMENS FORUM FORO INTERNACIONAL DE MUJERES INDGENAS

HONORING INDIGENOUS WOMENS VISION AND CREATIVITY FIMI LEADERSHIP AWARD 2013 CEREMONY 24 MAY 2013 7 PM TO 9 PM INDIGENOUS WOMENS GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SCHOOL

Indigenous Womens leadership Indigenous women desire to no longer be viewed as vulnerable victims, and be hailed as women with the ability and power to take control of their destiny. We play a role that goes beyond being mere cultural reproducers; we are protagonists and catalyzers of sociocultural change within and beyond the realm of our peoples. Indigenous women are guarantors of rights who seek integral, holistic and relevant leadership building in a social, environmental and economically changing context. We can contribute our experiences and wisdom not just to improving our peoples but to global equilibrium as well. It is time to understand that indigenous womens and girls leadership building also supports intercultural citizenship of the world of which we are a part. Indigenous womens empowerment is intimately linked to speaking out, taking up the specific demands of women and proposing them in a public space, thus breaking the silence and openly and publically participating in and contributing to the construction of ones own political spaces and paradigms. This construction of power, which it is referred to as empowerment, is a phenomenon that transports women, in this case, indigenous women, to a new space, where vulnerability is shed and they begin to be recognized as persons who are guarantors of rights, with access to spaces and resources for achieving their own integral development and who, hence, contribute to the integral development of the collective of indigenous peoples. Occasionally, it is mistakenly assumed that there is only one path, when in fact there are many different paths that indigenous women have traveled to gain access to spaces of communal, local, regional and international participation. These paths are related to the different social and cultural contexts that in turn define a set of factors that influence and shape the crucial role that indigenous women play in the struggle of indigenous peoples and
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in their own demands as women.

FIMI Leadership Award FIMI through its Capacity Building Program is developing the Global Leadership School of Indigenous Women (GLS) with a global plan of action. The general objective is to strengthen capacities of indigenous women leaders from different parts of the world, particularly in the use of international instruments on Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples Rights and Indigenous Womens Rights, and advocacy strategies to promote and sustain social change. In this context, FIMI would like to honor two indigenous women, an elder and a young, who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and who has made a meaningful impact on their communities, countries or at international level defending their own rights. FIMI wants to celebrate indigenous women who have implemented creative ways to address pressing social issues, demonstrating courage, creativity and vision. Their stories will be in deep profiled being a legacy for future generation. Their experiences will inspire or empower women at the Global Leadership School of Indigenous Women to assume leadership. This award recognizes and celebrates the important contributions made by indigenous women throughout the world. FIMI pays respect to our elders, whose wisdom continues to inform and guide our determination and advocate for womens and indigenous peoples rights. FIMI also would like to ignite the passion of indigenous youth across the globe. Indigenous youth carry the hope of the indigenous movement, maintaining harmony with natural resources through traditional knowledge and safeguarding indigenous culture and identity that has been passed on from generation to generation.

Venue and date Friday 24 May 2013 Deutsches Haus Columbia University 420 West 116th Street New York, NY 10027 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Interpretation English/ Spanish will be provided
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FIMI Leadership Award Ceremony Master of Ceremony Otilia Lux de Coti (10 min.) Welcoming words: Director of the Institute for the Study of Human Rights (ISHR) (10 min) Spiritual prayer (5min) Awards announcement: Tarcila Rivera Zea FIMI president (5 min) Video Screening (7 min) Awardee words Myrna Cunningham (10 min) Awards announcement: Lucy Mulenkei FIMI vice-president TBC (5 min) Video Screening (7 min) Awardee words Mphatheleni Makaulule (10 min) Indigenous Women Performance (5 min) Indigenous Women voices GLS (Africa) (5 min) GLS (Asia) (5 min) GLS (Lac) (5 min) Strengthening dialogues Questions and Answers (15 min) Moderator: Elsa Stamatopoulou Indigenous Art Craft Sale Moderator: Agnes Leina and Otilia Lux de Coti (15 min)
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Honoring reception