Lack of funding combined with logistical hurdles have proven to be the biggest setbacks in getting members of the Indigenous Peoples Commission (IPC) to Amerindians in the hinterlands to discuss issues affecting them.
“Our resources [are] small, we have a small budget… some of the villages are very far, outlying, and geographically and it cost a lot of monies. Some villages are only reachable by airplane and that would cost a lot of money for us to go there,” said Chairperson of the IPC Doreen Jacobis yesterday.
The IPC yesterday presented its first report, for the year 2012, to Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman. Present at the event was Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai, Minister of Local Government Ganga Persaud and other Members of Parliament.
The commission was set up to promote and protect the rights of the indigenous people; to raise awareness of the contribution and problems faced by indigenous people; to make recommendations on economic and education policies to advance the interest of indigenous people; and to promote the empowerment of indigenous people, especially with regards to the Village Councils, in the Local Government System.
Jacobis, in giving reporters a synopsis of the IPC’s achievements and challenges, said that the members felt satisfied that they were able to visit many new areas and anticipated that with additional funding, they will be able to get to others. “We were able to visit some villages really far, meet the people in their own village, talk with them, look at some of the issues that [are] really affecting them. We were even able to talk to them one by one. They themselves identified their weak points and we were able to make suggestions and recommendations to assist them,” she said.
It is anticipated by the IPC that when the National Assembly analyses its report, it would find that it is doing what is expected and that parliamentarians would see that they need more funding. Jacobis said that their financial report for the 2012 year would illustrate that their funding is not enough to reach their goals and should be increased.
Trotman acknowledged that it was a great task undertaken by the IPC and after a review of the report and seeing how spending and accountability were done, more money could be sought.
Jacobis welcomed the Speaker’s remarks, saying, “That is why we have our financial reports…” she said.
The IPC members thanked donors such as UNDP and said that they hope that this year they will be able to interface with fellow Amerindians in outlying regions.
The IPC is made up of ten members who were appointed in 2010: David James, Patricia Singh, Dr George Norton, George Simon, Captain Gerald Gouveia, Damian Fernandes, Father Malcolm Rodrigues, Marco J De Souza, Autry Haynes and Jacobis.
