The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples for the year 2018 was observed today at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences(KISS) amid much fan fare. Among the dignitaries, Sri R. N. Dash, Secretary, KIIT & KISS; Prof. Harekrushna Satpathy, V.C, KISS-DU; Mr. Julius Lakra, Registrar, KISS-DU; Dr. P. K. Routray, CEO, KISS, KISS and Dr. P. K. Das, Director, Livelihood, KISS were present and spoke on the occasion.
Mr. Tusharkanti Senapati, Dy. Director(Projects), KISS was the chief speaker who elaborated the significance of this day before the audience. The Indigenous students of KISS showcased their intrinsic talent in performing exquisite dance and cultural programmes.
In fact, The International Day for World’s Indigenous People takes place every year on 9th August. It was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1994. According to estimates, there are 370 million indigenous people in the world who live across 90 countries. These people make up less than 5 per cent of the world’s population but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 lesser-known languages and represent 5,000 different cultures and traditions.
The 2018 celebration of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples marks the 11th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The theme of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2018 is ‘Indigenous peoples’ migration and movement’.
