Indigenous peoples
July 18, 2012
A new report on minorities and indigenous people by the London-based human rights group, Minority Rights Group International (MRG), warns that the global 'intensification' in the exploitation of natural resources is leading to mounting conflicts for the world's 370 million indigenous people. Meanwhile, as Brazil prepares to host soccer's World Cup in two years' time, members of Amazonian tribes are complaining of the destruction of their historic sites to make way for football facilities - and car parks. And the search for new mineral resources has displaced native peoples in China, Cambodia, Canada, and elsewhere.
The world's estimated 370 million native peoples are often the most marginalized members of society, with the least access to education, health, politics, and economic opportunity. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, what lies ahead for them?