Survival International

Description

Survival International is a human rights organization that works for the rights of Indigenous, tribal and uncontacted peoples worldwide.

Founded in 1969, it started as the Primitive Peoples Fund after press reports highlighted massacres and land theft in Brazilian Amazonia. It registered as a charity in 1974 and now has its international headquarters in London, with additional offices in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Brazil.

Survival works in partnership with Indigenous and tribal peoples, focusing especially on communities facing urgent threats from contact with the outside world, including uncontacted peoples. It works on three levels: education, advocacy and campaigns, and it uses tools such as mass letter-writing, public campaigns and reports to press governments, companies and international bodies to respect Indigenous land rights. It has supporters in around 100 countries and refuses government or corporate funding to preserve its independence.

The organization holds consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council and is associated with the UN Department of Global Communications. It publishes reports documenting threats to Indigenous and tribal peoples, such as land grabs, forced relocation, disease and violence, and it has run campaigns on issues including land rights in Botswana, uncontacted peoples in South America and Asia, and the impact of mining for electric vehicle minerals in Indonesia.