The Kaleka Project — Empowering indigenous communities

Indigenous communities all over the world have developed systems to manage their forests or pastures in balance with nature. They would continue their sustainable practices if it wasn't for external forces that either take the land from them or provoke a change of behaviour. How can indigenous communities be empowered to resist? The Kaleka Project is an attempt to strengthen the indigenous communities on Borneo, Indonesia. The Dayak settlements face a multitude of challenges, external and internal forces, which the project tries to address simultaneously, taking cultural, natural, economic and social aspects into account alike. We introduce the case of the Dayak of Central Kalimantan and focus on two aspects: Legal Empowerment — how can indigenous communities become powerful advocates for their own legal rights? Biodiversity & Heritage — how do we preserve the indigenous crop diversity that sustains traditional practices, a true treasure for all humanity? We invite scholars, activists and those with a genuine interest in the empowerment of indigenous communities to share their views, experiences and ideas. Speakers: Standy Christianto (Borneo Institute); Destano Anugerahnu and Krismelia Y. Panji (Borneo Institute); Cristian Moreno Garcia (Weltweit e.V.).