About us

About Zo Indigenous Forum (ZIF):

The Zo Indigenous Forum (ZIF) is a human rights-based organization that was established in 2009 in Mizoram, Northeast India, with the primary goal of safeguarding and promoting the social, economic, and cultural rights of the Zo Indigenous Peoples. ZIF conducts awareness-raising and educational initiatives to promote human rights, including the preservation of traditional knowledge and the recognition of indigenous languages. The organization is also focused on empowering indigenous women, children, and youth, and engages in advocacy at local, national, regional, and United Nations levels.

ZIF's mission is to provide informed support to grassroots and community-based groups and organizations, promoting civil society and democratic participation for sustainable development based on principles of equity, justice, and respect for human rights, with a particular focus on women, children, and young people. The organization's key objectives include promoting self-determination and sustainable development for Indigenous Peoples over their land, territory, and resources, while respecting human rights-based approaches to development.

 

Contact us at zoindigenous[at]gmail[dot]com

Membership:

Zo Indigenous Forum is a member of the following organisations:

 

The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP):

The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) is a regional organization founded in 1988 by indigenous peoples’ movements. AIPP is committed to the cause of promoting and defending indigenous peoples’ rights and human rights and articulating issues of relevance to indigenous peoples. At present, AIPP has 48 members from 14 countries in Asia with 18 indigenous peoples’ national alliances/networks (national formations), 30 local and  sub-national organizations. Of this number, 16 are ethnic based organizations, six (6) indigenous women and four (4) are indigenous youth organizations and one (1) organization of indigenous persons with disabilities.

 

Web: https://aippnet.org/

Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders (IPHRD):
The Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders (IPHRD) Network was initiated in July 30, 2010 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with the objective to establish a platform for solidarity, coordination and support among indigenous human rights defenders and their organizations in Asia. The Network seeks to assist indigenous human rights defenders in Asia to promote and lobby the rights of indigenous peoples at national, regional and international human rights mechanisms and procedures effectively and collectively with other indigenous human rights defenders and organizations.

web: http://iphrdefenders.net/

Together 2030:

Together 2030Together 2030 is a global, action-oriented initiative aiming to generate and share knowledge on the implementation and accountability of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and project the voices of different civil society and stakeholders around the world on the challenges and opportunities of implementing this Agenda.

web: http://www.together2030.org/

Kaladan Movement:

Kaladan Movement is an alliance of civil-society organizations concerned about the human rights, social, economic, and environmental impacts of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project for local residents. We urge the governments of Burma and India to ensure that the Kaladan project is developed with full local public consultation and participation; to ensure that the benefi ts of the project go to the least advantaged members of the local communities; and to ensure full transparency and accountability for all stakeholders involved in the project.

The core members of the Kaladan Movement are the Arakan Rivers Network (ARN), the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) and the Zo Indigenous Forum (ZIF).

web: www.kaladanmovement.org

Land Rights Now:

Collective land rights are an essential condition for Indigenous Peoples and local communities to enjoy human rights, and uphold cultural diversity. The reality is that even just speaking out to defend land and environmental rights puts people in danger of being forced from their homes, threatened and even killed. We envision a world where all women and men, peoples and communities have the right to shape their own destiny without fear or intimidation.

Web: http://www.landrightsnow.org/

The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB):

The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) is a collection of representatives from indigenous governments, indigenous non-governmental organizations and indigenous scholars and activists that rganize around the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other important international environmental meetings to help coordinate indigenous strategies at these meetings, provide advice to the government parties, and influence the interpretations of government obligations to recognize and respect indigenous rights to the knowledge and resources.

Web: https://iifb-indigenous.org/

Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN)
APRRN was formed in 2008 at a regional conference on refugee rights, held in Malaysia, in which representatives of 70 civil society organisations from 14 countries determined the need for a coordinating entity to convene collaborative action to advance refugee rights across the Asia Pacific region. It is a growing network of over 200 active civil society organisations and individuals from 28 countries.

Web: https://aprrn.org/


Asia Pacific Network of Environment Defenders (APNED)

Environment defenders seek to uphold the right to a safe, and sustainable environment as well as their continuing access and control of shared resources for survival, yet they are under attack. It is in this context that the Asia Pacific Network of Environment Defenders (APNED) was formed in 2018.  It is a civil society-led mechanism, gathers, consolidates and sets up mechanisms to monitor cases of human rights violations among environmental defenders in the Asia Pacific region. APNED is a campaign network of individuals, civil society groups, and people’s organizations in the Asia Pacific region.

Web: https://apned.net/

Civicus

CIVICUS is an international non-profit organization that works to strengthen civil society and citizen action around the world. The organization was established in 1993 and is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. CIVICUS works to promote a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world by supporting civil society organizations and citizen action. The organization provides a wide range of resources and services to help civil society organizations become more effective and influential, including capacity building, networking, research and advocacy. 

Web: https://www.civicus.org

 

Participation in Important meetings

United Nations Meeting

• United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
• Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)
• Human Rights Council (HRC)
• Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
• Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
• Forum on Business and Human Rights (BHR)
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of the Parties (COP)

International Financial Institution

• Asia Regional Consultation for Indigenous peoples on the World Bank Safeguard Review
• Consultative meeting on Review and Update of the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies
• ADB Regional Workshop on Country Safeguard Systems
• ADB Safeguard Policy Review