Issue Statement
Knowledge is Power. Share it.
About three hundred seventy million tribal, nomadic, and indigenous people in modern society are marginalized and excluded from the cultural, political, social, and economic benefits of the land they have lived on for thousands of years. Environmental, economic and political factors are threatening their way of life and driving these people from lands they have inhabited. As a result, there has been a great wave of migration to urban areas. Without any education or skills training, migrants have no way of finding a job and supporting their families. They are treated harshly, often violently, by majority populations and in many cases barred from any chance of advancement. This difficult process of assimilation leaves many impoverished and deprived of basic human rights.
CISD seeks to raise global awareness of the struggles faced by these neglected people through study, research, and advocacy. Our programs and projects will build on that knowledge and principle by providing innovative solutions to the people with the most pressing need, creating sustainable economic projects that allow them to improve their standards of living, responding to the educational demands facing these people, and preserving their distinctive cultural and linguistic identities. We hope to not only give them the resources to be able to survive in an urban area, but also work with them towards preserving their unique traditions and tribal or nomadic ways of life.