Opportunity for All KKF to Volunteer in United Nations Initiative:

Sign Up to Serve on a KKF Working Group Based on Passions & Purpose

By Joshua Cooper

UN Human Rights Adviser

Posted at: kkfyc.org

The United Nations is an important international institution focusing on peace, development and human rights. Underneath the umbrella of the United Nations, there are dozens of specialized agencies, programs and funds with various acronyms acting on behalf of the citizens of the world to improve the individual lives and collective well-being of the member states.

One of the most essential functions of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UN PFII) is to mainstream indigenous peoples’ rights across the United Nations. Every year, specific specialized agencies, programs and funds appear before the 16 member body to share their developments in assisting indigenous peoples in the promotion and protection of basic human rights.

In the previous 8th session in May 2009, the UN PFII adopted a new procedure with a more intense review of UN specialized agencies, programs and funds with delegations of these important institutions bringing high level as well as broad section of their staff to present their work as well as answer questions posed by indigenous peoples.

For five years, the KKF has participated in the annual session held at the UN headquarters in New York. Many of the youth have listened intently to the statements suggesting positive direction that the administrative agencies have undertaken on behalf of the UN. Some have even gathered business cards to obtain contact information. However, even fewer have ever engaged in follow-up activities to explore potential partnerships into projects and proposals to be implemented to improve the lives of indigenous peoples living in Kampuchea Krom.

KKF must take the next step as a global movement to protect and promote human rights of indigenous peoples at the grassroots level in Kampuchea Krom through UNIFEM, UNICEF, UNDP, WHO, UNESCO, UNEP, UNFPA, HCR, WIPO and OHCHR. Figure out what your passion is and most importantly coordinate campaigns together with fellow KKF members. The focus of our initiative to create working groups of volunteers consisting of youth and elders around specialized agencies, programs and funds is to allow KKF members to organize together around common interests to spearhead initiatives through the international institutions.

Based on specific interests such as women, children, development, health, education, culture, environment, population, refugees, intellectual property, and human rights, KKF members will organize small units of volunteers to meet together to follow-up on the reports provided by the UN specialized agencies, programs and funds.

Please contact Serey Chau or Joshua Cooper to immediately sign-up to serve on these working groups. From there, meetings will be set up via telecommunication to create campaigns that will be throughout the year with an intensification for initiatives around the annual UN PFII meeting.

If you are not certain about the various UN specialized agencies, programs and funds please participate in the world puzzle published in this issue. There are many international institutions that allow for each volunteer member of the working group to get involved in creating creative campaigns to ensure KKF involvement on international issues.

The Working Groups on the various UN specialized agencies, programs and funds will allow for KKF to coordinate to the next level of advanced preparation. KKF Working Groups can be in contact with the international institution before the annual UN PFII. KKF WG could also agree to do a parallel session with the international institutions during the PFII where there is a sharing of perspectives on important issues facing indigenous peoples. KKF WG can also propose recommendations to the UN PFII for future actions by the international institutions. Finally, KKF WG can establish an opportunity for coordinated campaigns together to make a difference in the daily lives of Khmers Kampuchea Krom.

The KKF WG represents an advancement in grassroots organizing to defend the human rights of indigenous peoples. KKF WG recognizes an opportunity to elevate the engagement to improve the daily conditions in Kampuchea Krom. It will depend on how KKF members sign-up to serve in these important initiatives.