UNESCO to gather input for international Indigenous media study at IMC24
NORMAN, Okla. – The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) welcomes The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to the 2024 Indigenous Media Conference (IMC) July 25-27 at the Omni Hotel in Oklahoma City.
UNESCO will convene a special session, Media for Indigenous Peoples: Towards a Global Response for the Implementation of Article 16 of UNDRIP, on Jul. 25, 2024 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CST.
This special session follows a 2023 recommendation by the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and recent resolutions adopted by the United Nations and the Human Rights Council.
Information gathered during the special session will contribute to the preparation of a study on the right of Indigenous Peoples to the media contained in Article 16 the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
The study will explore the impact of the media on Indigenous Peoples and in fulfilling a broader societal mandate in building democratic, inclusive, and peaceful societies. The study will assess the socio-cultural, legal, political, and economic factors that influence the development of media established by Indigenous Peoples and the capacity of mainstream media to reflect the full diversity of Indigenous Peoples. The study will offer a set of strategic recommendations for action.
The main objective of the special session is to provide valuable input to the preparation of the study, particularly the analysis of the findings of the literature review, the application of the methodological framework and the launch of the global survey for data collection, and the elaboration of strategic recommendations in line with the provisions of Article 16 of the UNDRIP. The findings will be integrated into the final study for the presentation at the annual session of the Permanent Forum in 2025.
Speakers include:
- Ms Irmgarda Kasinskaite-Buddeberg, Advisor for Communication and Information, UNESCO
- Ms Jodi Rave Spotted Bear, Board Member, Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA), USA
- Ms Karla Grant (Western Arrernte), Presenter, Journalist and Executive Producer, National Indigenous Television, Australia
- Ms Connie Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist, Indigenous journalist named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of the year, Canada
- Mr Frank Blanquet, Yucatec Maya, Award-winning Content Producer, Director of Television for First Nations Experience, USA
About UNESCO:
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay. “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed” – UNESCO Constitution, 1945. More information: www.unesco.org / https://www.unesco.org/en/media-pluralism-diversity/media-diversity
About IJA:
The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) empowers members representing tribal, nonprofit, freelance and mainstream media professionals in promoting accurate coverage of Indigenous communities, supporting newsroom diversity and defending challenges to free press, speech and expression. IJA addresses these challenges by fostering the development of new talent and activating a powerful membership. IJA is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
For more than 40 years, Indigenous journalists have worked to support and sustain IJA. Originally formed as the Native American Press Association in 1983, the name changed in 1990, to be more inclusive of broadcast journalists. The organization has grown from just a handful of reporters to a membership including Indigenous journalists, supporters, associates, educators and partners across the United States and Canada.
In 2023, the membership voted to change the organization’s name from the Native American Journalists Association to the Indigenous Journalists Association. This change recognizes the need to develop relationships, contacts, and cooperation across international borders and reflects a desire to align terminology with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
