I'm right on board with seeing the beauty, but I couldn't help but laugh at this sentence construction:

The declaration, capping more than 20 years of debate at the United Nations, also recognizes the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination and sets global human rights standards for them.

It's a well-integrated and truthful contradiction.

yes. well. i decided not to go in that direction. because really....the UN sez so? hunh.

it would have been too easy. at least they ruled this way. it's far too late to disband and give it all back. we have to take what we can get here! ;)

Previously Russia was against and Canada backed it, then Howard (utter scumbag) of Australia talked Canada round (apparently) and Russia moved to an abstension. All against are conservative govts. except NZ which is a damn shame the ruling party there caved to pressure from Australia and its own 'manifest destiny' types. Statement from The Maori party-
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0709/S00256.htm
And of course the four against were all established by the British Empire, ok, I'm sorry, if it helps any my ancestors were shat on by the crown in Ireland.

20 years of debate to achieve a non-binding declaration (not even a resolution) and it is heralded as a major victory for indiginous peoples. I can't help but feel a bit saddened by the elation felt by others. To me that is about as worthless as the promise of 40 acres and a mule. But hey! I will admit I am a bit jaded. I am curious what the vote would have been if it had been a binding resolution and resulted in an immutable law of the land. (Yeah, I know, not possible, but I can dream)

I'll take all the small moral victories we can get, for all of us and humanity everywhere.

what else is there anymore, rafa? that and what we can convince ourselves we are doing to help in our everyday life, i guess.

--

i feel your bitterness peasant. i think half the time when it comes to world politics my hopeful reflexes are practiced self-defense against suicide.

--

oh no doubt, rick. the crownshatting begun a long time ago....and lives on.

A step forward for the world . . .

Yet another embarassment for the US . . .

i know. how embarrassing. how embarrassing in such a day and age, when people have brains in their heads.

Rafael and Nezua -- With respect I must disagree that this announcement is no moral victory.

Nonbinding.
Nonbinding.
Nonbinding.

It's lip service, and I have to say peasant is right to be disgusted...20 years and this paltry victory? Shameful.

And what of our OWN vote: We, the U.S.A., the self-described beacon of freedom for the world, and we can't even stand up for a "nonbinding" support of human rights. (Oh, I guess that might be interpreted by some defense attorney against capital punishment).

Still, thanks for posting the news here. And paltry victory or not, at least the United Nations is putting the word indigenous into this week's sound bytes...on some cable channel's ticker tape, and maybe somewhere some social studies teacher grabbed it, and maybe in that class is the next Mahatma Gandhi, and so on.

yes...it's a good point. i wonder what mahatma gandhi would say about it.

Something good came out of this declaration. I was able to use it to lay the smackdown on this racist.

right on, kyle. way to grapple with all the varying arguments coming at ya. keep the faith, baby!

yes...it's a good point. i wonder what mahatma gandhi would say about it.

He'd probably point out that it's the sort of concession that allows the counties that quite happily deal and trade with the aboppressing countries who fought against even this marginal "victory", to pretend that they're doing something for those poor oppressed peoples in not-my-problemistan.

Then he'd have bitch slapped (metaphorically of course) another hindu nationalist for waffling about the truthiness of the war on terra.

My first response was my first emotional take on the Declaration. It has not changed but I certainly have more thoughts about the efforts of the 143 and the 4. This Non-binding Declaration at least saw the light of day. Anything stronger, like a Resolution for action or change, would have been met with a simple veto if the votes got close. And, without Nez et al communicators, we would not even be able to savor this small glimpse of sanity in the world and take heart that there are some, disempowered though they may be, willing to thumb their collective noses at the 4. (Vonnegut image comes to mind)
YOU GO 143!

Did you notice the photo on this post, Nez? I thought of it when I read about the "non-binding" "agreement" that took the U.N. twenty-two years to arrive at and the government of the United States (being almost entirely a rich White male institution, of course) couldn't see their way clear to support.

yes...ive seen that one a few times. well, we know why the USA can't support it. the declaration is essentially the antithesis of Manifest Destiny.