Annual IPAF meeting in Australia
In July 2017, the Gumatj people of East Arnhem Land welcomed the IPAF members to Nhulunbuy (Australia), also referred as Gove, for their annual meeting.
30 August 2017
In July 2017, the Gumatj people of East Arnhem Land welcomed the IPAF members to Nhulunbuy (Australia), also referred as Gove, for their annual meeting. With facilitation from Mark Annandale (University of the Sunshine Coast) and Gina Castelain (Wik Waya and University of the Sunshine Coast), as well as logistics support from the ASI Secretariat, this experience permitted rich discussions with the Gumatj people, contributed to the IPAF members understanding of bauxite mining and generated essential inputs to the ASI Performance Standard.
In addition to its practical outcomes in terms of management of the forum and building of the ASI standards, the meeting also represented an open space for experience sharing and mutual support among representatives of Indigenous Peoples facing various but connected struggles with mining industries and their related facilities.
The meeting gathered 10 participants from Australia, India, Malaysia, Suriname, Switzerland and Thailand (See Annex I). Out of these, six were Indigenous Peoples representatives advocating for communities affected by the exploration, mining and processing of bauxite.
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