INVITATION - Peer-training on indigenous reconciliation practices
Saturday – Sunday 15.-16.2.2020, Sajos Inari
Background
Back-to-back with the UNPFII pre-meeting there is unique opportunity to take part in training focusing on indigenous rights and reconciliation. Some of the world leading practitioners on indigenous reconciliation will be available for peer-training. The training is also opportunity to engage more with the Sámi Parliaments and Truth and Reconciliation Processes and their lessons learned.
In Finland there has been training for Insider Reconcilers, which can lead community based dialogues and healing practices. Also in Finland, and echoing progress in Norway and Sweden, there is progress towards the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to examine the history of abuse suffered by Sami peoples in their relationship with the Finnish state, seeking to establish a new, reconciled relationship.
The training is also linked to a future UNPFII working group on indigenous reconciliation practices, which aims to collect best practices worldwide and assist indigenous reconciliation processes with peer support and process design assistance.
Program
Saturday, February 15th
9 am Opening remarks and introductions, Anne Nuorgam, President of UNPFII
9.15 am Healing the past for the future – presenting video by Bob Cohen
9:30 am Workshop 1: Are we finding the truth and can there be reconciliation?
– Introduction to the Nordic Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Processes
President Tiina Sanila-Aikio, Sámi Parliament in Finland
President Per-Olof Nutti, Sámi Parliament in Sweden
President Aili Keskitalo, Sámi Parliament in Norway
11 am Workshop 2: Truth Commissions and survival of Indigenous People, Eduardo Gonzalez, Independent Expert
a) Truth commission definition and comparative examples
b) Truth commission legal mandates, powers and composition
12 – 1 pm Lunch
1 pm Workshop 2: Indigenous Peoples and Truth Commissions
a) Examples of truth commissions that have dealt with the experience of indigenous peoples
b) The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Truth Commissions
2-4 pm Workshop 3: Identifying critical questions and lessons learned
– Peer-training on Indigenous Truth Commissions. Group exercise to discuss the following questions:
a) What should be the priorities of the Sami Truth Commission?
b) How to ensure that the Truth Commission will have legitimacy among the Sami
c) How to ensure that the Truth Commission will have support among the non-Sami Finns?
d) What are the products that we expect from the Truth Commission, and how should we use them?
Sunday, February 16th
9 am Recap of previous day
9.30 am Contextualizing reconciliation and utilizing lessons learned, Antti Pentikäinen, Research Professor, Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation at George Mason University
10.30 am Workshop 4: Identifying critical questions and lessons learned
– Peer training on Indigenous Reconciliation Practices
12-1 pm Lunch
1-3 pm Workshop 5: Process design and utilizing lessons learned
– Each participants reflects on their individual cases and receives couching from the peer-trainers
3 pm Introducing the UNPFII working group and providing guidance for it, Anne Nuorgam
4 pm Closing
The training is organized on the request of UNPFII President Anne Nuorgam and will be co-facilitated by Independent Expert Eduardo Gonzalez and Research Professor Antti Pentikainen. For further inquiries feel free to contact eduardo@gonzalezc.com or apentika@gmu.edu.
Helpful reading
https://www.ictj.org/sites/default/files/ICTJ-Report-DraftingMandate-Truth-Commission-2013_0.pdf
https://www.daghammarskjold.se/publication/dialogue-in-peacebuilding/ (From page 208)
Please Note!
The training is free, but requires a binding registration sari.enkkela@hdl.fi by 7th of February 2020.
Lunch, accommondation and travel at own expense.
