Еvery 9th of August commemorates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, chosen in recognition of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations held in Geneva in 1982.
There are an estimated 476 million indigenous peoples in the world living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world's population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.
Indigenous Peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment. They have retained social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Despite their cultural differences, indigenous peoples from around the world share common problems related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples.
The international community now recognizes that special measures are required to protect their rights and maintain their distinct cultures and way of life. In order to raise awareness of the needs of these population groups, every 9 August commemorates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
The support of indigenous minorities in the territories of presence is traditionally an important area of activity of Norilsk Nickel.
Since 2020, the company has been implementing a five-year program to support and develop the ethnic groups of Taimyr.
The total amount of financing is more than two billion rubles. In 2022, at the request of local communities, the program was expanded and about 100 million rubles were allocated for additional activities.
Within the framework of numerous support programs for representatives of the indigenous ethnic group developed by Norilsk Nickel, houses are being built in the villages of Taimyr, rural houses of culture are being erected, schools are provided with access to stable Internet, students' education is subsidized.
The company also carries out serious work to preserve the heritage of indigenous peoples, such as folklore festivals, master classes in choreography, decorative and applied arts, books on the history and culture of peoples, traditional economic activities.
Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished
