Indigenous Collective International, a voluntary group of Indigenous thinkers, activists and scholars, and friends of the Indigenous from all continents, has issued the following statement on behalf of the Indigenous Peoples of the world.

The statement is titled “Response to the Regimes indulging in Discrimination & Spreading Hatred”.

“We are an informal international collective of Indigenous persons, friends of the indigenous, activists and scholars deeply engaged in the culture, life and rights of the indigenous peoples.

“We wish to express our complete solidarity with the individuals, groups and organisations voicing protest against racism in many countries.

“We know that discrimination on the basis of race, gender, caste, religion and language is being promoted by the regimes, political parties and various nonstate groups by unleashing, through intimidation and threats, hatred, scorn and contempt for our fellow humans.

“We want the world to know that the Indigenous peoples of the world oppose discrimination in every form and contempt in any society.

“We want the world to know that the Indigenous people have always thought of all humans as the children of the Mother Earth, equal in their entitlement and equal in their obligations.

“We appeal to all world leaders, peaceloving thinkers, activists and organisations to come together at this crucial moment in our history and do everything that they can to deter the divisive forces, to prevent nations form being pushed into terminally destructive nuclear wars and to restore peace, amity and social harmony and to prevent and eradicate slavery of every kind.

“We like to remind all nations and all peoples, black or white, poor or rich, old or young, women or men that we all belong to the earth, that the earth does not belong to us. Let us never forget that in that belonging we have been, are and shall ever remain equal and free.”