Indigenous Peoples, Ethnic Conflict, and the Nation-State

One of the casualties of the global expansion of the culture of capitalism is cultural diversity; nation-states function largely to integrate, peacefully or violently, their members into a common culture.  The following sites document the dilemmas of indigenous groups, many of whom struggle to maintain their culture.  For a good overview, check out Amnesty International and Third World Network.

"This report, recently released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, measures and characterizes the rate of violent crimes experienced by Native Americans in the US, who as the report concludes, are victimized by violent crime at more than twice the rate of US residents in general. The data collection was garnered from a variety of government sources and presents statistics on the involvement of drugs, alcohol, and weapons in crimes; the relationship between victim and offender; the rate of crime reporting by victims; and the physical and financial damage incurred by victims. The report also summarizes data on American Indians in the criminal justice system." (Scout Report for Social Science, 3/9/99)

Amnesty International
www.amnesty.org

Perhaps the foremost agencies in the world in working to protect human rights and the abuses of nation-states.   "Amnesty International is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. In particular, Amnesty International campaigns to free all prisoners of conscience; ensure fair and prompt trials for political prisoners; abolish the death penalty, torture and other cruel treatment of prisoners; end political killings and "disappearances"; and oppose human rights abuses by opposition groups." 

Amnesty International Annual Report: 1998
www.amnesty.org/ailib/aireport/ar98/index.html

AI's annual report on human rights abuses around the world.   What does the report have to say about the United States?

Amnesty International: 1999 Annual Report
http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/aireport/ar99/index.html

Amnesty International, one of the world’s foremost human rights organizations, released its 1999 Annual Report this week. The web version is not complete, but it does offer lengthy summaries of human rights concerns and abuses in 142 countries and territories as well as the full text of the substantial four-part introduction. Users can view regional summaries, which highlight and detail events and rights violations in 1998, or view the complete entries on specific countries in the regional indexes section. The online version of the Report is also available in Swedish and Italian. [MD] (Scout Report 6/18/99)

Avenir des Peuples des Forets Tropicales (APFT)--The Future of Tropical Rainforest Peoples
lucy.ukc.ac.uk/Rainforest/page1g.html

Information relating to the study of the relationship between indigenous peoples of the rainforests, and the environment in which they live, and which is rapidly being destroyed.  In Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism, we explore th dilemma of such indigenous groups, using the Guarani as an example.  At this site you will find a wealth of information on the plight of people of the rainforests.  You might want to begin with an article on the legal issues faced by these groups as others seek to exploit their knowledge.  You will also find maps detailing the environments of indigenous peoples, bibliographies, and links to related sites.

Broken People: Caste Violence Against India’s "Untouchables"-- HRW http://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/india/

"Even though "the imposition of social disabilities on persons by reason of their birth in certain castes" was legally abolished under India’s constitution in 1950, "untouchability" is still practiced today in much of rural India. The "untouchable" caste—or Dalits, which literally means "broken people"—comprises over one-sixth of India’s population, or 160 million people. This 310-page report, recently issued by Human Rights Watch (HRW), documents the discrimination and violence suffered by Dalits under the societal rule of higher-caste groups in the Indian states of Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat. The report also examines the government’s role in preserving the status quo by thwarting peaceful social activism and failing to abolish exploitative labor practices through appropriate legislation." (Scout Report for Social Sciences, 5/4/99)

CAIN Web Service--The Northern Ireland Conflict
cain.ulst.ac.uk/index.html

"The CAIN web site provides a wide range of information and source material on 'the Troubles' in Northern Ireland from 1968 to the present. The site also contains information on Northern Ireland society and politics in the region."

Cambodian Genocide Program at Yale University
www.yale.edu/cgp/

In Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism, we examine the proposition that the nation-state is an instrument of genocide.  In one of the worst cases of state-sponsored killing ever recorded, the Cambodian state under the control of the Khmer Rouge, killed between 1975 and 1979 some 1.5 to 2 million citizens of the state, or 20% of the population.  This site contains information on the genocide, and seeks to discover who was responsible for the killing.

Center For World Indigenous Studies
www.halcyon.com/FWDP/fwdp.html

To quote from the site: "This site is dedicated to the nations of the Fourth World and our elders. Our goal is to present the online community with the greatest possible access to Fourth World documents and resources. The Fourth World Documentation Project is an online library of texts which record and preserve our peoples' struggles to regain their rightful place in the international community."  A wealth of information on indigenous peoples, and one of the best places to start getting information on the Internet.

Cultural Survival
www.cs.org/

"Cultural Survival is a non-profit organization founded in 1972 to defend the human rights and cultural autonomy of indigenous peoples and oppressed ethnic minorities. Through research and publications we focus attention on violations of those rights and advocate alternative policies that avoid genocide, ethnic conflict and the destruction of other peoples' ways of life. Cultural Survival develops educational materials that promote tolerance and understanding of other cultures, and respect for indigenous peoples - the world's original stewards of the environment."   Check out Cultural Survival's Links to Indigenous Sites.

Dept. of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997:
http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/hrp_reports_mainhp.html

These are the reports submitted each year by the U.S. Department of State to the Congress detailing the human right's records of countries all over the world.  You can also go directly to the 1997 Report.  For other years try gopher://gopher.state.gov and select publications and then Human Rights Country Practices.

Globalization and Human Rights
http://www.pbs.org/globalization/

PBS companion site to their film series on globalization and human rights.  Check out the interviews and transcripts; there are also links to other sites, including some on the history and role of Shell Oil in Nigeria.

Human and Constitutional Rights
http://www.hrcr.org/text/

A comprehensive site to get information on human rights issues.  The site features a "hot topic" feature that highlights issues that are in the news.  You can find country reports from different human rights groups, as well as regional links.

Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org/

"The Inter-American Human Rights Database is an ongoing initiative of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the American University’s Washington College of Law. The database is comprised of documents, in both English and Spanish, ratified by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, beginning with the commission’s inception in 1960 and spanning to the present. The chronologically arranged documents include the commission’s annual reports, sessional reports, and special situational reports. Currently, not all documents adopted by the commission are available. In the future, the site will include special country reports and thematic reports. All content at the site is searchable." (The Scout Report for Social Sciences, 1/26/99)

International Crisis Group
http://www.crisisweb.org/

The International Crisis Group is an NGO "committed to strengthening the capacity of the international community to understand and respond to impending crises."  The group has researchers and observers in areas of political conflict, currently ICG currently  Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Macedonia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Algeria, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cambodia.  What is the current situation in Bosnia in implementing the Dayton Peace Accords?  What is the state of the economy?

Karen Strom's Native American Resources
http://www.hanksville.org/NAresources/

An extensive compilation of Websites and resources relating to all facets of Native American life.  You will also find a listing of the Websites maintained by Native American groups.

In Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism we discuss briefly the violence directed largely at Maya Indians by the Guatemalan military and government.  This is one report about the violence that implicates, note only the Guatemalan military, but the American government as well. [For an addition report see the American Association for the Advancement of Science report entitled State Violence in Guatemala, 1960-1996: A Quantitative Reflection (see below)] "Established in 1994 as part of the Peace Process in Guatemala, the Guatemalan Historical Clarification Commission (CEH) recently completed its work and forwarded its report to the parties to the Peace Accords and to the Secretary General of the UN. Titled, "Guatemala: Memory of Silence," the report makes disturbing reading, accusing the US-backed military of a host of human rights violations and systematic state terrorism against the Mayan Indian population. While the report concludes that the responsibility for the majority of these violations "reaches the highest levels of the army and successive governments," it still reflects the army’s continued power in that it does not name the guilty or call for any trials. However, like the Final Report of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (described in the October 30, 1998 Scout Report), this report is seen by some as both an essential acknowledgement of the truth and as an important step in the political healing process in Guatemala. Provided by the Science and Human Rights Data Center, the first three chapters of the report, an annex (Chronology of the period of armed confrontation), and several maps and charts are currently available at the site in both English and Spanish." (Scout Report, 3/5/99)  An excellent supplement to the report is the Electronic Briefing Book: US Policy in Guatemala, 1966-96 which reveals extensive knowledge of human rights abuses in Guatemala by the US intelligence community and State Department.

Human Rights on the Internet: Sites that Encourage Activism
http://www.ala.org/acrl/ressept99.html

[T]his annotated Webliography offers a host of sites and Internet resources devoted to human rights issues, with an emphasis on activism. Elisa Mason, the author, categorizes the resources under Starting points, Web directories and meta sites, Organizations, Annual surveys, and Lists. Human Rights on the Internet is part of the Association of College & Research Libraries News series. (Scout Report for Social Sciences, 9/7/99)

Leave None to Tell the Story. Genocide in Rwanda—HRW
http://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/rwanda/

This report from Human Rights Watch  "dissects the deceptive discourse of genocide and shows how ordinary administrative structures and practices were turned into mechanisms of murder." In addition, it examines the actions of the major international actors, who withdrew the UN troops when the genocide began. The study "details the transformation of international indifference into tardy criticism. By showing how even feeble censure caused changes in the genocidal program, the study suggest[s] what might have been the result had the world promptly and firmly cried ‘Never Again.’" The full text of this extensive report is available online, by chapter, in HTML format. (see the Scout Report, 4/9/99)

Migration and Ethnic Relations (On WWW Virtual Library)
www.ercomer.org/wwwvl

A collection of links to major Internet resources in the field of migration and ethnic relations.

"Created by anthropologist Dr. Alx V. Dark and sponsored by the Center for Conservation Biology at Rice University, this Website promotes the research and study of environmental issues facing Native American communities, particularly the politics of land and treaty rights. The site also explores the "values and historical experiences that Native Americans bring to bear on environmental issues." Native Americans and the Environment provides a bibliographic database, which covers topics such as environmental justice, natural resource utilization, land and treaty rights, and demography and migration. The database currently contains over 1,500 citations, and will be expanded to approximately 3,000 by the end of 1999. The site also includes an extensive directory of hundreds of annotated Internet resources organized by subject and geographic region. In addition, a case studies section is under development and will include environmental problems and their histories, current actions, or solutions; a list of related Internet resources; and a bibliography." (Scout Report for Social Sciences, 2/23/99)

Nativeweb-An Internet Community
www.nativeweb.org

An extensive list of Websites and resources.  One of the more interesting features of this site is the collection of materials on indigenous technologies and crafts.  The work of artisians is one of the first dimensions of indigenous culture to be destroyed by the expansion of capitalism.  Cheaply made goods tend to replace indigenous goods, driving craftspeople and artisians into wage labor.  Here you can find out about these technologies.

Selection of Web Sites on Indigenous Peoples
kuhttp.cc.ukans.edu/history/index.html#indigenous people

A collection of Websites on and about Indigenous peoples.

Sorry Day in Australia:

One of the ways in which the nation-state forcibly assimilates indigenous peoples, is through education, a practice described in Global problems and the Culture of Capitalism (pp. 280ff).  The following sites relate to the forced removal of indigenous children from their families, a policy followed by Australia until the1970s.

National Sorry Day

www.austlii.edu.au/au/special/rsjproject/sorry/index.htm

Bringing Them Home

www.austlii.edu.au/au/special/rsjproject/rsjlibrary/hreoc/stolen/

Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation

www.austlii.edu.au/car/

State Violence in Guatemala, 1960-1996: A Quantitative Reflection
http://hrdata.aaas.org/ciidh/qr/english/index.html

Compiled by the Association for the Advancement of Science, this report  documents the killing and disappearance of over 37,000 people at the hands of government forces. It is noteworthy that the violence in Guatemala began shortly after the American CIAs orchestrated overthrow of the elected government in 1954. Both are remarkable documents. (see also Guatemala: Memory of Silence) For additional material on state killing and genocide check out Internet Resources on Genocide and Mass Killings .

Third World Network
www.twnside.org.sg

This site address a range of issues relating to indigenous peoples, development, and relations between the core and periphery (north and south).   There are collections of articles on third world issues; particularly interesting is a collection of articles on Third World economics.

United States Committee on Refugees
http://www.refugees.org/

One of the consequences of civil and ethnic strife is the creation of displaced peoples or refugees.  This site provides extensive background on the refugee problem and current information on the plight of refugees in various parts of the world.  You can select a county and find out what the refugee situation is, or contact various agencies that deal with refugees.  For example, what is the refugee situation in Algeria?  Rwanda? The United States?

Valentina's Nightmare (Excellent site on the Rwanda genocide)
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/rwanda/

In Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism (pp. 291ff), we examine the killings in 1994 in Rwanda of more than 800,000 people by the largely Hutu-controlled state.  However, what was portrayed in the core as a case of "ethnic conflict," was, in fact, a consequence of the historical relations between core and periphery.  This is the companion site to a PBS Frontline special on the genocide in Rwanda,  It is a remarkable set of resources and contains articles, interviews, as well as a detailed chronology of events.

Verdicts on the crime of genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda—UN [RealPlayer] http://www.un.org/law/rwanda/

In an important moment in the history of international criminal law, on September 2, 1998, a United Nations tribunal handed down the first ever verdict by an international court on the crime of genocide. The Tribunal—the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), based in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania—was created by the UN Security Council in November 1994, "after one of the most intense periods of mass exterminations in human history. (From the Scout Report, 9/4/98). 

Wars for Viet Nam: 1945-1975
http://students.vassar.edu/~vietnam/

"America's longest war ended more than two decades ago, yet a number of significant and important questions remain unanswered: What was the nature of the modern Vietnamese revolution? How can we explain the American intervention? Why did the war drag on so long?"  This site, the outcome of a Vassar seminar on Viet Nam, suggests that the answers to thtose questions are far more complex than most accounts suggest.