Rights of Indigenous & Afro-Descendants
Poverty and social exclusion affect Indigenous and Afro-Descendant communities disproportionately in Latin America.
Approximately 45 million Indigenous peoples live in Latin America, resiliently struggling against ongoing attempts at “conquest”. They disproportionately face conditions of poverty or extreme poverty that are rooted in systematic discrimination and racism. The situation for more than 160 million people of African descent in Latin America is starkly similar. Both groups are met with significant barriers to social, economic and democratic inclusion:
Lack of recognition and legalization of land and ancestral territories,
Under-representation at political and decision-making levels,
Negative stereotypes and stigmatization in the mass media,
Lack of universal access to services related to health, education, housing and more,
Discrimination in the labour market.
What We Do
Horizons of Friendship supports women and Indigenous-led organizations in Central America and Mexico. Together with our partners, we support actions that promote the active inclusion of Indigenous and Afro-Descendant peoples in their countries’ socioeconomic and political spaces. Our partners work tirelessly to empower locals actors to envision, create and steer their own futures. Horizons works in a region of Latin America that is rich with Indigenous and Afro-Descendant cultural traditions and filled with inspiring histories of organized mobilization for collective rights.
Horizons is committed to:
Providing culturally sensitive and relevant support to Indigenous and Afro-Descendant communities,
Enabling Indigenous and Afro-Descendant peoples to be seen and heard when it comes to public policies and programs,
Raising awareness of the inherent value of Indigenous and Afro-Descendant cultures throughout the region.