This page is being updated regularly.
After 14 months and 14 events in 4 countries the If Not Us Then Who? global roadshow culminated in Paris for a very special screening and an 8 day exhibition at Point Ephemere.
Bringing together indigenous partners from Indonesia, Central America, Amazon basin and Congo basin and more than 20 organisations it was our most ambitious series of events yet. The aim was to highlight the role indigenous peoples play in protecting the world’s forest and complement the work and messages at the indigenous pavilion at the COP21 venue. We wanted to bring these messages to the people of Paris.
There were presentations, powerful speeches film screenings, debates, market days and of course, painting, music, singing and dancing (often impromptu).
“It makes me very proud to be here presenting in front of all of you. And I am very grateful for everybody who has brought this message, not only in words but in the film that you have just seen, about what happened in my community. This has helped us and continues to help us to have you all here. For me, this is very important because when my father was killed I thought that I was all alone. But then I realized that outside of my country that there were people that were interested in us as indigenous peoples.”
Diana Rios, Saweto, Peru
“Last week I attended one of the many COP21 side events going on in Paris, and was left feeling more inspired than ever. ‘Our Planet, Our Future, Our Fight,’ was an amazing evening put on by the advocacy group, ‘If Not Us, Then Who’ to celebrate indigenous peoples and forests. Hearing her tell her story that night brought me to tears. For the first time in my life, I felt like what I’m fighting for truly matters.”
Natalie Prolman, Stand4Trees
We’ll be adding more anecdotes as they come in.
People who visited If Not Us Then Who in Paris also took a photo in our interactive booth.
We are currently conducting a survey on our events in Paris. We will share the results here.
Add your voice by completing the short survey: http://goo.gl/forms/ES4clDyVoY
Other videos were created while we were in Paris.
Mina and Rukka met Anggun; watch her interview here.
New Internationalist also made a video about AG and his mural he created during the exhibition.
In the press:
- En RDC, le combat des villageois de Bayéria pour la sauvegarde de leur forêt – Le Monde Afrique: http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/video/2015/12/03/en-rdc-le-combat-des-villageois-de-bayeria-pour-la-sauvegarde-de-leur-foret_4823483_3212.html
- Our Planet, Our Future, Our Fight – Global Citizen: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/our-planet-our-future-our-fight/
We are curating these at the moment. Come back later to see more.
The Green Generation at the Green School Bali performed their fantastic music: Noble Matieral. You can watch a performance here:
“The final night speeches and music were a perfect antidote to the frustration of COP21”
“The openness, each and every person is welcome to come discover a struggle they might not be aware of, learn more about how to make a difference and share their own stories. There is no elitism, we are shown that we are all part of the change, it’s not just politics.”
“Event enabled us to make some interesting new connections. Only drawback was distance of the venue”
“Last week I attended one of the many COP21 side events going on in Paris, and was left feeling more inspired than ever. ‘Our Planet, Our Future, Our Fight,’ was an amazing evening put on by the advocacy group, ‘If Not Us, Then Who’ to celebrate indigenous peoples and forests. Hearing her tell her story that night brought me to tears. For the first time in my life, I felt like what I’m fighting for truly matters.
I can’t think of something more important to do with my voice than to share her story with all of you. I had the privilege to spend time with Diana that night and to get to know the team at ‘If Not Us, Then Who.’”
”
It was so great to hear different languages, different colors, different clothes. It was so strong to listen to those who are fighting at the other side of the world, all these lives committed to make Earth a better place. If not us then who? There is no better words. Personally, all the films, the images, the testimonies broadened my brain, my thought, at the same time made me happy and sad because there is so much to do yet.
Finally, this event made me more sure about one thing : no one can tell best that the people who are over there, on the front line, we must let them speak, hear their voice and make them a major key to the global fight against warming and for climate.”
Feedback survey, 74% of respondents said it had increased their awareness of the role indigenous peoples play in protecting forests, 93% said they would attend a similar event again. 78% of our event partners who responded said they would be interested in a future similar partnership.17 respondents to date.