Indigenous Communities Worldwide Mark International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

Today, indigenous communities around the world are observing the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples with various events and programs aimed at promoting awareness about their rights, identity, culture, and way of life.

In Nepal, a special program has been organized in Khulamanch, Kathmandu, where indigenous communities have gathered to showcase their cultural heritage. The main event is being held at Khulamanch, with various stalls set up to promote indigenous culture.

The United Nations General Assembly declared August 9 as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples in 1994. The date was chosen to commemorate the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations, which took place on August 9, 1982, in Geneva.

According to the UN, there are approximately 470 million indigenous people living in 90 countries around the world, making up around 6% of the global population. Despite their relatively small numbers, indigenous communities are among the poorest in the world, with at least 15% of the world’s poorest people belonging to indigenous communities.

Indigenous communities speak an estimated 7,000 languages, which is the majority of the world’s languages, and represent around 5,000 different cultures. They have preserved their unique cultures, traditions, and knowledge about the relationship between humans and nature for centuries.

Their social, cultural, economic, and political characteristics are distinct from those of the dominant communities in which they live.