Under the world pandemic, COVID 19, PINGOS Forum is devoted to continue advocating for the land and human rights of IPs work through innovative approaches including training community representatives in shades of trees by maintain distances among participants, hand wash, use of sanitizers among others.
Working through deploying of posters, fliers and post boards will enhance information sharing and raise the community awareness on their role to minimize and mitigate the impact of the Corona Virus. Coming to understand that, the pandemic needs different addresses, the indigenous communities with their traditional knowledge of combating pandemic and application of traditional and natural herbs would help to mitigate the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic.
Also by understanding the fact that, life must continue, PINGOS FORUM will continue advocating for the rights of indigenous people since the previous challenges and threats to their ancestral land, natural resources are still there, the voice is highly amplified through the available avenues including strengthen social media communications channels, community radios and local televisions.
The big matter is the recognition of the IPs in government structures and their credible contribution to the national economy which could give value to land to which IPs depended for their livelihood. This will give them legitimate rights to influence policy change and engage the government in all levels to demand for their rights including land rights.
Emerging of the COVID 19 pandemic had not reduces land rights challenges the IPs were facing before. Yet, they are still faced by evictions threats and land acquisition for the name of conservation. The Maasai pastoralist’s one of the indigenous people in Tanzania in Ngorongoro, Longido and Monduli districts faces threats of evictions from their grazing land for establishment of Lake Natron Game Reserve and expansion of NCA