International Day of Indigenous Peoples

On August 9, 2023, a round table dedicated to the International Day of Indigenous Peoples was held in the House of Friendship of the Leningrad Region. Residents of the Leningrad Region, representing the indigenous peoples of Russia, discussed various aspects of international experience in the legal and ethno-cultural spheres, as well as the resolution of the Forum of Indigenous Peoples of Russia recently held in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic.

The head of the regional branch of the NGO “Assembly of Peoples of Russia”, Deputy head of the House of Friendship Elena Ermolina made a welcoming speech. She spoke about the recommendations developed following the results of the round table on the problems of indigenous minorities in the Committee on Nationalities of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

Olga Nyuman, an activist of the Leningrad regional public organization “Vepsian Community”, took part in the 16th session of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in July this year. She stressed the importance of partnership between public, state and commercial organizations to achieve the best results: “Partnership work is a challenge of our time. Only by combining our resources, we will be able to get a good result.”

Vladimir Etoev, Chairman of the Leningrad regional public organization “Vepsian Community”, presented the initiative put forward in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. He stressed that it is important to improve information interaction and cooperation with ethnic and cultural organizations of indigenous minorities.

Dmitry Harakka-Zaitsev, Chairman of the Izhora community “Shoikulla”, stressed the need for active and comprehensive support in the work of NGOs of indigenous peoples from the authorities and the creation of a legislative framework to support the languages and cultures of indigenous peoples.

“The protection and support of indigenous minorities are included in the main strategic objectives of the state national policy, as well as in a number of measures aimed at ensuring their social, cultural and economic development,” Elena Ermolina stressed.