Alliance Online - September 2006

Linking in ever wider circles

Evelyn Arce-White and Melina Selverston-Scher

EVENT 5th Annual IFIP ‘Linking Circles’ Conference
Date 16-18 May
Venue New York, USA
Organizer International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP)

Building effective grantmaking and support for indigenous communities requires a long-term partnership with donors. That was the main theme of the 5th IFIP ‘Linking Circles’ conference. This increasingly large gathering of international donors explores ways to form and strengthen lasting partnerships between funders and indigenous peoples and serves as a forum for donors to discuss how institutions are learning and transforming themselves to have genuine relationships with Indigenous communities. It also provides a rare opportunity for donors to meet directly with Indigenous people.

Another principal objective of the conference is to help this 400-strong network of international funders to understand the complex and sometimes unique problems facing Indigenous communities and to stay informed of the constantly changing international political framework of Indigenous rights, including the wide range of national social movements in countries around the world in which Indigenous communities are working towards a sustainable future.

Tommer Peterson, Director of Programs for Grantmakers in the Arts, remarked on the air of excitement and optimism at the conference, the result of a willingness to form equitable partnerships with Indigenous communities that share the control of resources in ways that many are not used to.

‘As donors, if you want to work effectively with Indigenous peoples you need to learn new concepts,’ said Ken Wilson, Vice-President of the IFIP Board and Executive Director of the Christensen Fund. ‘One of these concepts is the “circle” that goes around and links, renews, and transforms.’

This message became something of a mantra a this year’s conference, held at the Ford Foundation and at the UN Headquarters in New York City on 16-17 May, which brought together 85 donors and 45 Indigenous and NGO representatives from around the world.

A funders-only meeting

Past conferences have revealed the importance of strengthening relationships among funders, which is why, for the first time, the IFIP conference included a special funders-only meeting, notable for its plea to funders to take their commitment to building partnerships with Indigenous communities into foundation boardrooms. Diane Christensen, President of the Board of the Christensen Fund, also called for increased representation of Indigenous peoples as trustees. This sentiment was echoed by Phrang Roy of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, one of the keynote speakers: ‘Nothing for Indigenous peoples without Indigenous peoples.’

Follow-up projects

Conference participants suggested an array of potential follow-up projects to build and strengthen partnerships that support indigenous communities. One important idea was creating working groups because, for some members, meeting once a year is not enough. Lori Udall of Sacharuna Foundation suggested a funders’ land rights working group that would identify significant land rights claims that could set precedents internationally and regionally. Coordinating several Linking Circle conferences around the world was also encouraged, as well as producing specific tools for donors. These might include information on existing funding for Indigenous projects, research materials for foundation trustees and staff, and even a list of projects in need of support.

These suggestions are very likely to be realized as IFIP has proved adept in the past at responding to the concerns of its members. Some improvements made from last year’s conference are a 25 per cent increase in donor representation, a funders-only meeting to discuss collaborative work and strategies, and a greater range of Indigenous leaders, including people from Russia, New Zealand, Uganda, Australia, Tanzania, Guyana and Nunavet.

It is clear that Indigenous communities around the world need to form partnerships in their struggle to sustain their lands and cultures. IFIP has quickly become one of the most important instruments in those efforts and provides the ideal venue for the creation of partnerships with donors.

The UN Permanent Forum

IFIP also held its third session at the United Nations Permanent Forum and brought its first delegation of nearly 70 donors to the international event. The session introduced the work of leading foundations, such as the Ford Foundation, the Christensen Fund and the Kalliopeia Foundation, as well as examples of successful partnerships with Indigenous peoples. IFIP also distributed 200 complimentary copies of the Indigenous Peoples Funding and Resource Guide in both Spanish and English.

Evelyn Arce-White is Executive Director of IFIP. Email ifip@internationalfunders.org
Melina Selverston-Scher is a consultant. Email melinas@optonline.net

See www.internationalfunders.org

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