Peace for Everyone, Peace for the Forgotten People

I refuse to accept the view that humankind is so tragically bound by the starless midnight of racism and war and that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

Such words by Martin Luther King, Jr., despite being powerful and ambitious, regrettably do not reflect our sad reality. Do not get me wrong - I am not trying to say that we should give up on peace, rather that we must understand that it is never going to be easy. Look around you and notice the absence of peace all over the world. The recent Ukraine war, the apartheid regime forced upon Palestinians, and the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict are all good examples of such conflicts threatening world peace. Despite the fact that most of the countries around the world are parties to the United Nations Charter that provides for the peaceful settlement of disputes, despite the prohibition of the use of force except in cases of self-defence, and despite the efforts of the United Nations Security Council, world peace has never become a reality.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, this article aims to address conflicts that are normally not in the spotlight, and call for peace for everyone without discrimination. Peace for the forgotten people. You might be wondering now what I mean by “The forgotten people”. I am using this term to refer to Indigenous peoples. You might still be wondering who these indigenous peoples are - which is totally fair, since not all of us are aware of their stories and that is exactly why I choose to refer to them as the forgotten people.

It is worth noting that the term “Indigenous peoples” has no universally accepted definition under international law. However, in simple words, and without using sophisticated legal terms, indigenous peoples are tribal peoples whose social, cultural, and economic conditions distinguish them from the community of the country they live in. It is estimated that there are more than 370 million indigenous peoples around the world living in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Some examples of indigenous groups are the Saami people in the Nordic countries and the Inuit people in Canada.

Given their unique and distinct character, and the richness of their untouched lands, indigenous peoples have been suffering from severe injustices throughout history. These injustices include, but are not limited to, forced evictions and forced assimilation. The aforementioned injustice violates their basic human rights including their right to life. Given the gravity and complexity of the situation, some binding and non-binding instruments have been adopted in order to protect the rights of these vulnerable groups. A good example of such instruments is the legally binding International Labour Organization convention on indigenous and tribal peoples. It is worth noting that the adoption of such instruments did not really end indigenous peoples' suffering where states continue violating their rights to this day, by searching for and exploiting the natural resources within their territories without their consent, and without even sharing the benefits with them.

Peace for indigenous peoples could also help us combat environmental degradation in general, specifically in areas of special interest. In the Amazon rainforest for example, studies show that levels of pollution and deforestation in indigenous territories are substantially lower than areas under government control. Accordingly, protecting the rights of indigenous peoples not only maintains a peaceful life for these vulnerable groups, but could also be a factor in facilitating peace between humankind and mother earth.

Based on the foregoing, this article does call for peace for indigenous peoples, not only as distinct peoples, but also as individuals entitled to all human rights enjoyed by others under national and international law. However, the question remains: Would states outweigh the rights of indigenous peoples over economical interests?