“I got more insights about social media and these are very important tools to reach our communities. I am very motivated to implement the things I learned.”

Gilliamo Orban, Communications Officer of De Vereniging van Inheemse Dorpshoofden in Suriname (VIDS), expressed his thoughts during the last session of the Training-Workshop on Enhancing the Use of Social Media for Advocacy. Conducted virtually for four three-hour sessions last March 2022, the training-workshop aimed to strengthen communications and advocacy works at various levels of both ELATIA and Indigenous Navigator partners in amplifying their different self-determined and sustainable development programs and activities while pursuing better visibility of indigenous peoples in various social media platforms.

The training focused on the basic elements and principles of creating contents for social media such as news articles, picture quotes, videos, photos, as well as delivering these messages. “One of the key reasons that video performs so well on social media is because it’s an easy way to tell a story. Before you start creating content, first, you must have a plan on how you will go about your social media videos,” Paul Micheal Nera, Publication and IT staff of Tebtebba, said as he provided tips on shooting videos and taking pictures. In addition, Doris Borna Mae Esteban, Communications Staff of Tebtebba, shared about the effective delivery of advocacy-related messages and news updates via the different social media platforms.

Participants had hands-on application on the elements and principles as well as the different tools of creating contents asynchronously. The participants’ outputs were reviewed and commented on by the trainers and presented on the last session for further discussion.

Ronnie Balong, Advocacy Staff and Community Development Worker of Silingang Dapit sa Sidlakang Mindanao (SILDAP) in the Philippines, said during the last session that planning is the most difficult part in creating and editing videos as he critiqued his own video output. He also advised the other participants to have more patience in creating their social media contents.

At the culmination of the training, Elie Chansa, the Information and Communications Officer of PINGO’s Forum in Tanzania, stressed that the training filled in the space of communicating for indigenous peoples to the world. “I think this training has been a great eye-opener to us, telling us that we have a part to do – we have a great burden to do for our community and for the world. We are the connectors of the communities and the world. We bridge the gap,” he said.

On the other hand, Luis Edpis, Community Organizer of the Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Programme of Tebtebba, was very optimistic during the last session. He said he needed to practice more on developing social media audio-visual materials. “Someday, I hope I can also make my own video,” he said.

The training was made possible with support the from Brot fur die Welt and the Christensen Fund through the International Work Group on Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). About 24 participants from all over the world participated in the said online event. The Strategic Communications and Knowledge Management Department staff of Tebtebba, in collaboration with the Indigenous Navigator and ELATIA Indigenous Peoples Training Institute, conducted the said training.

 *Some participants’ faces have been blurred to maintain their privacy.

“Communications must be enhanced because all of the problems we mentioned stem from miscommunication.”

Anne Samante of the Mainyoito Pastoralists Integrated Development Organization (MPIDO) emphasized the need to improve communication and coordination efforts between and among the different consortium members and partners of the Indigenous Navigator (IN) initiative. In her presentation during the virtual IN coordination meeting, held on 28 March 2022, she stressed that “Communication gaps must be addressed because dialogues can yield very good results,” as she cited how the many good practices and initiatives of indigenous peoples’ are often underreported or misappropriated.

“Strengthening communications work is important as this is one way to reach out to the different partners and really get a sense of what we are doing to achieve this initiative,” pointed out Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Tebtebba executive director and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as she welcomed the participants in the said meeting. “These [community efforts and generated reports] are the things that we are going to communicate to the outside world and among ourselves,” she added.

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Tebtebba executive director and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Meanwhile, Carla Madsian of the Vereniging van Inheemse Dorpshoofden in Suriname (VIDS) posited that the “continuous generation of reports [can] be used by relevant stakeholders [including the government]” specifically in their development of policies and projects that impact indigenous peoples. “[It would also be beneficial] to establish a communications network among all indigenous peoples in Suriname,” she said, noting that the challenge for such an endeavor would be the internet difficulties experienced in the area, among others.

Other presenters similarly provided updates with regard to the IN initiative in their respective countries and offered recommendations in terms of amplifying communications work as the shift to online advocacy work was spurred on by the travel and face-to-face limitations imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic which, in turn, heavily affected operations especially because most development efforts were previously formulated and implemented in direct and continuous on-site consultation with indigenous community leaders and members.

Maribeth Bugtong-Biano, training coordinator of the Elatia Training Institute, also shared a summary of the Workshop-Training on Social Media for Advocacy that occurred on 16, 18, 23, and 25 March 2022, an event that was conducted for both Elatia and IN partners through the facilitation of Tebtebba and the Elatia Training Institute with support from the Christensen Fund through International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). “It’s very heart-warming to know that some of the participants [in the workshop-training] have learned to use for the first time some of the tools in creating content,” she enthused, enlisting the key takeaways from the said event such as the “(1) Appreciation of the significant roles of indigenous peoples as communicators, (2) Acquired knowledge and skills on using some tools, e.g. Canva, in creating contents for advocacy and information through social media, and (3) Enhanced capacities on creating and delivering contents or messages in social media.”

Maribeth Bugtong-Biano, training coordinator of the Elatia Training Institute

“We still have five years to do IN work but we do not have the resources that we should have—we only have minimal,” mentioned Helen Tugendhat of IWGIA. She, however, agreed that “communication between and from [the consortium members and partners] is really important to gather the materials [and updates]” regarding all the efforts being done in focus indigenous communities. She asserted that the said inputs presented during the meeting has, indeed, set the next steps of the initiative. “This, then, is a period of planning to further prepare for the work that we are already doing anyway,” she encouraged.

Joined in by 78 indigenous leaders from all over the globe, the coordination meeting was facilitated by Tebtebba for the IN communications arm with support from the Christensen Fund through IWGIA.

Initiated by and for indigenous peoples, the Indigenous Navigator is both a framework and a relevant set of tools, to monitor how indigenous peoples’ rights are respected, protected,  and  fulfilled and how the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are achieved. It is piloted with the support of the European Union by a consortium composed of IWGIA, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), Danish Institute of Human Rights (DIHR), and Tebtebba as the steering committee and 14 indigenous peoples’ organizations from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and the Caribbean..

“Social media is critical. As Indigenous Peoples, we use social media to further promote our identity-our culture, our lands and territories, and other resources. We also use it to encourage and fight for the recognition of our rights and our inclusion in the different decision-making processes. We use social media to inform, collaborate and empower.”

Jimrex Calatan from the Strategic Communications and Knowledge Management Department (SCKMD) of Tebtebba shared on the role of social media in advocacy of indigenous peoples' rights during the first day of the Social Media Advocacy Training-Workshop organized by ELATIA Training Institute and the Indigenous Navigator through Tebtebba on March 16, 2022.

Jimrex Calatan, Communications Staff, SCKMD

“Let’s strive to enhance our skills and exchange knowledge” said Maribeth Bugtong-Biano, the coordinator of ELATIA Training Institute as she welcomed the participants. The four-day training-workshop aims to strengthen communications and advocacy work at various levels of ELATIA and Indigenous Navigator partners in amplifying their various development programs and activities while allowing more visibility of Indigenous Peoples in different online platforms.

Maribeth Bugtong-Biano, Coordinator, ELATIA Training Institute

“The world is in crisis right now. We are in a multiple global crisis, and that is why we as Indigenous Peoples need to be political actors.” Helen Biangalen-Magata, Communications Officer of Tebtebba reiterated the need for Indigenous Peoples to be engaged in decision-making processes at all levels. This is because according to her, while Indigenous Peoples have been contributing much to the solution of these problems, unfortunately, they remain to be among the most vulnerable from the impacts of the crises due to their close relationship to their land.

“The goal of Indigenous Peoples as political actors and communications is ultimately for our collective rights as peoples to be recognized, to be promoted and to be fulfilled,” she concluded, thus explaining the importance of social media in advocacy work of Indigenous Peoples.

Helen Biangalen-Magata, Communications Officer, Tebtebba

Five popular social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube were discussed and examined in terms of their efficacy as tools for Indigenous Peoples for their advocacy work. The features, advantages and disadvantages of each of these social media platforms were discussed, and an open discussion followed regarding the safety and security of both the social media platforms and its users. The training-workshop concluded with a homework for the participants to be submitted through the Google Classroom.

The second day of the Social Media for Advocacy Training-Workshop is set on March 18, 2022 where the participants will discuss News writing and Creating Picture Quotes.

The training-workshop was held via Zoom with participants from the ELATIA and the Indigenous Navigator Initiative partners. This is being supported by the Bread for the World and The Christensen Fund through the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA).