Indigenous Biocultural Exchange Fund

Description

The Indigenous Biocultural Exchange Fund offers opportunities to attend a global biocultural event/exchange or a meeting of international significance which impacts the applicant’s home territory or region. The focus of the fund examines biocultural issues – the rich but neglected adaptive interweave of people and place, culture and ecology. This fund supports indigenous peoples and local communities to have a voice in the policies and forums that concern biocultural diversity at a global level (for example, in relation to UNDRIP and other UN Conventions such as the Right to Food and the Convention on Biological Diversity).  

The fund aims to encourage an actively and participatory exchange of knowledge systems, especially for, but not limited to, individuals in the following regions: African Rift Valley, Central Asia & Turkey, Southwest U.S. & Northern Mexico, Northern Australia, and Melanesia. Of special interest are indigenous people and local communities who have been traditionally under-represented in biocultural events, including but not limited to, women, youth, and first time travelers.

Apply Now

Award Benefits

Award recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to defray costs, which include international airfare, hotel/lodging, conference fees, meals, incidentals, local transportation, visa fees, and travel insurance.

Deadlines and Timeline

Applicant must be Indigenous (definition below) or a member of a local indigenous community.

The modern understanding of this term used and advanced by the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is based on the following:

• Self- identification as indigenous peoples at the individual level and accepted by the community as their member
• Historical continuity with pre-colonial and/or pre-settler societies
• Strong link to territories and surrounding natural resources
• Distinct social, economic or political systems
• Distinct language, culture and beliefs
• Form non-dominant groups of society
• Resolve to maintain and reproduce their ancestral environments and systems as distinctive peoples and communities.

For applicants who meet the above criteria, additional preference will be given to:

• Women
• Youth
• Exchange in the following regions: African Rift Valley, Central Asia & Turkey, Southwest U.S. & Northern Mexico, Northern Australia, and Melanesia
• First time traveler (or applying with an organization to support a first time traveler)