Fourth World Activism in the First World: The Rise and Consolidation of European Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples

Abstract

Fourth World Activism in the First World: The Rise and Consolidation of European Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples

Against the backdrop of massive assaults and acts of violence against indigenous peoples in South America, specialised advocacy organisations emerged in several European countries from the late 1960s onwards. Embarking on the idea to inform the Western public on the plight of vulnerable and threatened ethnic minority groups, they developed different strategies of activism. This article examines the repertoires of action of organisations such as Survival International, the Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker and the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. Their activities involved information-gathering, public awareness campaigns, support of capacity-building processes, and the provision of humanitarian aid and of access to aid agencies. Moreover, specific attention is given the relationship between western advocacy and mounting indigenous activism.