By Jeannette KAZERA, Organization Coordinator

In the Fizi territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the illegal and unregulated exploitation of transition minerals such as cobalt, lithium, copper, gold, and cassiterite has long threatened the environment and human rights of local Indigenous communities. To combat this, the Union of Indigenous Women for Integral Development (UFAPDI), funded by Cultural Survival, launched a project to strengthen Indigenous leadership and empower communities through media. 

By Victoria Nolasco, Executive Director

In the face of a massive mining threat, a new generation of Indigenous youth in Mindanao is using citizen journalism as a powerful tool of resistance and cultural preservation. Through a project supported by Cultural Survival and led by Mindanao Climate Justice, young advocates are receiving the training and tools needed to tell their own stories and challenge dominant narratives about their communities.

By Hendro Karundeng, Kelung Contributor, Tontemboan Tribe, Minahasa Nation

In the misty hills of Kolongan, a group of young Minahasan men and women gathered with a shared purpose: to reclaim their ancestral stories and traditions through the power of writing and media. This marked the beginning of “Mapantik ne Kelung” (The Writing of the Shield). The name evokes a powerful image of a kelung (shield), a tool once used by ancient Minahasan warriors, now wielded in a new kind of battle—one fought not with steel, but with words and images.

La comunidad Seque Jahuira perteneciente a la Nación Aymara de Bolivia, ubicada en el municipio de Viacha, inició en el 2024 una lucha decidida con 23 ingenios mineros instalados en su territorio. Estas plantas se encargan de lixiviar residuos mineros traídos de otras regiones del país. Las actividades mineras ocasionaron una devastación ecológica en toda región cercana a la comunidad Seque Jahuira, contaminando agua, suelo, provocando muerte de animales, afectación en la producción agrícola y ocasionando desplazamientos forzados.

Por Ñani Pinto, de Avispa Midia

By Rikson, 94.1FM Mars FM

By Xiting Tong (CS Intern)

“We who have the spiritual strength and relied on our land as a source of life are now selling our wealth and allowing them to be devastated in the name of progress…So what kind of progress is this?” asked the resident of the Jequitinhonha Valley, questioning the false promise of lithium mining corporations.

Cultural Survival expresa su profunda preocupación e indignación frente a la continua criminalización y violaciones de los derechos de las personas Indígenas defensoras en Bolivia. La comunidad quechua Totoral Chico en Bolivia rechazó una consulta falsa de parte de una empresa minera la Salvada Sociedad Colectiva que ya se encuentra operando en su territorio. Ahora, los líderes están siendo amenazados y criminalizados. ¡Todas las miradas fijas en Bolivia!

Por Diana Pastor (Maya K'iche') Equipo de CS