Education is the key to empowerment. It is only when one is informed and mobilized that change can take place, which is why conducting meetings, trainings and workshops for indigenous and minority groups in East Africa is a vital component of IIN’s mandate. Indigenous populations in East Africa frequently live in isolated areas and lack the infrastructure to access information easily; therefore we have made it our mission to disseminate relevant information to indigenous communities in our area of operation. Through these sessions, indigenous peoples are able not only to learn more about topics such as environmental conservation, human rights and HIV/AIDS, but they are also able to make connections with other community members and organizations, to network and work together to find solutions to the challenges they face. These are a few of the workshops, trainings and meetings that IIN has recently conducted.
 
International Women’s Day

IIN organizes annual International Women’s Day events in Kenya. Each year on March 8, IIN endeavors to celebrate this day in a different area of Kenya in order to bring information and awareness to different communities on that day. On March 7 2007, IIN held workshops focusing on women’s rights in Isiolo, which were attended by women from Turkana, Borana, Somali and Rendille communities. During these workshops, they discussed ways of addressing violence against women, including female genital mutilation (FGM); forced and early marriages; HIV/AIDS and reproductive health; and women’s rights to land and education. On March 8th, the workshop participants marched through the town of Isiolo with signs in order to celebrate the day and raise awareness of women’s rights.

Women’s Rights and Conflict Resolution

In March 2007, a training workshop on women’s rights and conflict resolution was held in Kapsewor, Marakwet District, for the inhabitants of Cherangany/Embobut forest. Discussions, group work, electronic documentation and presentations were used to empower women to become active participants in the public domain, to take up leadership roles in the community, to have the opportunity to choose their own paths in life and to be able to bring about peace in the community. During the workshop, connections were made between women’s rights, environmental conservation and conflict resolution. It was acknowledged that a holistic approach is needed, and that in order to maintain peace in the community, gender equality and environmental conservation are necessary. Recommendations were made for practical ways to fund women’s projects and maintain healthy rivers and forests.

Resource Mobilization Workshop

With the support of the Technical Secretariat of the International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forest, IIN held a resource mobilization training workshop in April 2006. The workshop was attended by leaders from the East Africa region, who participated in proposal-writing, fundraising and grassroots mobilization. The training involved practical exercises, such as discussing how to write a proposal and making drafts. The participants were also able to develop the skills and ideas necessary to approach potential partners and to acquire funding. Participants recommended that IIN hold annual resource mobilization workshops to educate more people about the skills that were learned.

HIV/AIDS Training for Women

With the support of MADRE, IIN has been conducting HIV/AIDS training workshops with pastoralist women since 2004. Trainings have already taken place with women from Samburu, Marsabit, Isiolo and Kajiado in Kenya. These trainings are done to assess the level of HIV/AIDS awareness in indigenous communities, to work with women to spread awareness, and to find strategies to fight HIV in their communities. During the trainings, women share their experiences of how certain traditional practices such as FGM and polygamy can further the spread of HIV, and how to opt out of these practices if they so choose. The women attend lectures by HIV/AIDS specialists, learn about the symptoms of HIV/AIDS and how it spreads, and work in groups to come up with recommendations for further action. Educating women about HIV/AIDS can help empower them to take action against this health crisis.

Ramsar Convention Preparatory Meetings

In November 2005, IIN hosted preparatory meetings for the 9th Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The meetings were held in Kampala, Uganda, and were attended by representatives from Indigenous communities from all over East Africa. The purpose of the meetings was to inform Indigenous peoples about Ramsar, to prepare them for the convention, and to discuss how Indigenous peoples could make an impact and actively participate in the conferences. Discussions focused on the role of Indigenous peoples in wetland management and conservation. As a result of this meeting, Indigenous representatives were able to make a unified statement to the Ramsar COP9 Final Plenary, raising the concerns of research and documentation, participation of Indigenous peoples, recognition of traditional and cultural rights, and legislation and policy making in regards to wetlands.

Human Rights Training for Women

Along with our sister organization MADRE, IIN has helped conduct human rights trainings for women in Kenya. In 2005, trainings took place in Archer’s Post, Samburu; Logologo, Marsabit; and Namayiana and Oloshooibor, Kajiado. Many pastoralist women live in cultures that traditionally do not respect the human rights of women. They do not have the right to own property or to make decisions independently of their husbands, and are unaware of their rights to bodily integrity, self-determination, and so on. These trainings were conducted in order to spread awareness of human rights and to give women and children a voice. They focused on education about women’s rights and about instruments such as the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

East African Hunter-Gatherer Meetings

In November 2005, IIN held meetings for the hunter-gatherers of East Africa in Dol Dol, Kenya. These meetings were held in order to help isolated communities make connections and discuss common issues. The hunter-gatherer communities of East Africa face common challenges of loss of land and culture, poverty, lack of education and health care, unemployment, and environmental degradation. At the meetings, these groups were able to formulate recommendations and action plans in order to address these challenges.