An exhibition of artwork and photographs and community projects by indigenous peoples from around the world will open with a cultural event and reception on Tuesday, 20 April, at 6:15 p.m. in the Mini Gallery and South Gallery of the Visitors? Lobby.
The exhibition, entitled "Indigenous Peoples and Self-Determination", is in recognition of the ninth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and is also in celebration of United Nations Mother Earth Day and the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. It consists of artwork, photographs, and a film by contemporary indigenous artists, and showcases community projects by indigenous peoples that focus on the intricate relationship between nature and culture.
The exhibit will be opened by Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development of the Department of Social and Economic Affairs. Statements will also be delivered by John Scott, Programme Officer of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and Carlos Mamani, Chairperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, subsequent to which a cultural event will be presented, featuring performances by indigenous artists from Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South America, and the United States.
This exhibition is organized by the United Nations secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Equator Initiative, and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) LINKS, in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Public Information.
For more information on United Nations exhibitions, contact Jan Arnesen, tel.: +1 212 963 8531, e-mail: arnesen@un.org; or Liza Wichmann, tel.: +1 212 963 0089, e-mail: wichmann@un.org.
* *** *
Fonte: UN