St. Vincent and the Grenadines is hosting the Inaugural Meeting Network of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Caribbean Region.
This Network of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Caribbean Region was formed as a result of a Seminar that was held in Georgetown, Guyana, on October 9-11, 2017, organized by Impact Justice (funded by the Government of Canada).
Today’s meeting is one of several on the programme of activities of the Garifuna Heritage Foundation to celebrate National Heroes and Heritage Month.
It is being attended by delegates from Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Suriname, and Guyana.
In addressing the opening ceremony of the event at the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) Conference Room, this morning, President of the Garifuna Heritage Foundation, David “Darkie” Williams pointed out that in the Caribbean there has been an ongoing struggle for recognition of indigenous people.
Mr. Williams said the hosting of this meeting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is significant and should not be taken for granted.
The objectives of the meeting are to further develop the network by holding national consultations and evaluations.
In today’s meeting the Network will come up with solutions for Indigenous Peoples of the region to have a stronger voice, strengthen solidarity and have more effective influence on policies that affect them.
