Note to Correspondents

‘Indigenous Peoples and Food Sovereignty’ Exhibition Opens at United Nations

An exhibition entitled “Indigenous Peoples and Food Sovereignty” will open with a cultural event and reception on Tuesday, 8 May, at 6:15 p.m. in the Main Gallery of the Visitors Lobby, marking the eleventh session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, at Headquarters, from 7 to 18 May.

This exhibition presents indigenous peoples’ right to food sovereignty, a concept defined as the right of indigenous peoples to determine their own policies and strategies for the sustainable production, distribution and consumption of food, according to their cultures and traditional systems.  The exhibition showcases artworks, photographs and films, which convey the concept of food sovereignty and how it is closely linked to other rights, including food security, self-determination, maintenance of cultural identity, health and well-being.

The Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues reached out to partner organizations and United Nations agencies asking for submissions of works relating to indigenous peoples’ right to food and food sovereignty.  Exhibitors represent at least 21 indigenous communities in 19 countries.

Also on display is “The Art of Balgo Hills — A Celebration of Contemporary Indigenous Culture”, a collection of 26 contemporary paintings and etchings.  This collection offers vivid illustration of the deep and profound connection between the environment of Balgo Hills, in Western Australia, and the culture of its indigenous people.  The artists of Balgo Hills draw upon their cultural experience to depict the engagement between the local landscapes and communities.  Balgo presents a range of stories that demonstrate the strong connection of Aboriginal people with their traditions and the ways in which those are maintained and celebrated today.  The Balgo artworks are presented by the Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations.

The exhibition and cultural event are organized by the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Public Information and the NGO Committee on the United Nations International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.  The exhibit is on display in the North-East Gallery and will remain on view until the end of June.

For more information on the Forum’s eleventh session, please contact Sonia Smallacombe, tel.: +1 917 367 5066; e-mail: smallacombe@un.org.

For more information on United Nations exhibits, please contact Jan Arnesen, tel.: +1 212 9638531, e-mail: arnesen@un.org; or Liza Wichmann, tel.: +1 212 963 0089, e-mail: wichmann@un.org; or visit the website:  http://visit.un.org.

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For information media • not an official record