By Glenn Smith

In Taiwan, 'Oppose Meiliwan' has been the battle cry of a wide-ranging coalition of eco-activists, Indigenous rights groups and everyday citizens for more than a decade. Meiliwan, which means 'beautiful bay', comes from the Chinese name for the Miramar Resort Village, a five-star beachside property development at the tiny seaside hamlet of Shanyuan (杉原) ten miles north of Taitung City.

By Stephanie Hon

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child reviewed Colombia on January 21, 2015. The Colombian Development Plan for the next four years were structured around the key pillars of peace, equity, and education, and Colombia has increased its investment in children from $1.3 billion in 2011 to $2 billion in 2014. Despite these improvements, Colombia is still challenged with addressing inequalities among regions and groups, particularly in regards to Indigenous Peoples.

The state of Peru is in the process of launching the bidding process for the largest oil concession in the country, Lot 192, which expires this year, while affected Indigenous communities are still waiting for their demands to clean up contaminated areas from the previous 44 years of exploitation.

By Hauʻolihiwahiwa Moniz

Impelled to promote a higher ethical standard for the university seven student leaders at Harvard have filed a lawsuit against the university for shirking its responsibilities to its students, to the public, and to future generations.

Taseko Mines, the Canadian mining company who has made two failed attempts to launch a gold and copper mine in Tsilhqot’in First Nation Territory in British Colombia, has been granted an extension of an environmental assessment certificate to build an open-pit mine capable of producing 70,000 tons of ore per day over 20 years.

By  First Peoples Worldwide

By Emily Sanders

Despite the reputation held by Canada for its comparatively respectful human rights practices, the country’s recent actions in Indigenous territories both at home and abroad has caused Vancouver businesses to gain notoriety in Latin America as the worst in the extractive industry. Both in terms of environmental degradation and human rights violations, the Canadian government has failed to prevent the corrupt behaviors of its extractive industries —the result of lacking policy standards and enforcement on the part of the Canadian government.

Reposted from Pretty Good Productions

By Tom Miller

This Land is for All of We: A Small Rama Community in Bangkukuk, Nicaragua, Speaks Out About the Grand Canal Project

"Photo by Greg Westfall"

By Madeline McGill

The Maasai are one of the most well known Indigenous people in Africa. Their colorful dress and unique cultural customs make them a landmark of Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania. With their population estimates numbering well over a million between the two countries, they maintain a sizable cultural identity amidst their ancestral lands.

 By Madeline McGill

Further complications between extraction industries and Indigenous Peoples have been unveiled in a new report published by First Peoples Worldwide. The report, The Indigenous Rights Risk Report: How Violating Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Increases Industry Risks, found that U.S. extractive companies expose shareholders to tangible risks in neglecting the rights of the Nation’s Indigenous Peoples.