The Forests Dialogue and the Yale Forest Forum this week hosted a discussion by Minnie Degawan, an indigenous Kanakanaey/Igorot from the Philippines, who discussed her work with indigenous and local communities.
During the event, Degawan stressed the importance of bringing in local perspectives related to rights and resource management. She was involved with the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) which was established to defend the ancestral domain of the Cordillera peoples from extractive and destructive development projects. As Secretary General to the CPA she conducted community education activities to inform indigenous peoples of their rights and led mobilizations against dams and mining activities.
The Yale Forest Forum hosts weekly lunch talks during the academic year. The theme during the fall semester is Dismantling Marginalization: Experiences and Lessons from Forest Peoples and Forest Professionals.
