Without their land they will continue to suffer hunger and malnutrition. Not only their right to their land is at stake, but their right to feed themselves, to house themselves, to earn a living and to have a say in their own futures is threatened. This story is not just about a small village in the Philippines. It is a story told by indigenous people in every country that Community Aid Abroad works. Without their land, indigenous people are denied their livelihood and their identity.
Many people rely on their land to earn a living and maintain their culture and community.
Unrestricted access to their traditional land is essential for their spiritual and cultural lives as well as meeting their material needs. That's why Access to Land has been selected as the first advocacy theme for the Community Aid Abroad Basic Rights Campaign. It is the natural starting point for many people when running a campaign on rights because without land many communities are denied the rights that most of us take for granted. Legislation to protect India's dwindling forest resources has denied access to the very communities who are best placed to protect them. These communities rely on the jungle not only for firewood, but also for non-timber products they gather and sell to help supplement their income.