World Day of Indigenous Peoples

World Day of Indigenous Peoples

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.

In this article, we we look to the Closing the Gap reforms by the Australian Government, the impact of Covid-19 on indigenous peoples and Indigenous spirituality.

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Indigenous spirituality: can it transform injustice into justice?

indigenous“We worship in different languages and cultures, yet all one in Christ. This is an immensely enriching experience,” said Dr Jude Long, principal of Nungalinya College, in Darwin (Northern Territory), Australia, as she explored spirituality with indigenous people from across the world this week. Long helped lead prayers and biblical reflections along with Australian indigenous staff and students at the college as part of a World Council of Churches (WCC) Indigenous Spirituality and Theology Consultation on 27-31 August.
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