The Indigenous Peoples Observatory Network (IPON) members have participated in PAHO’s training sessions to become facilitators of Knowledge Dialogues. Following the request of the IPON network, the training was organized by PAHO Cultural Diversity program of the Department of Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity (DHE). 17 researchers from nine countries (Uganda, Namibia, Ghana, India, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Fiji, Canada, South Africa and Sri Lanka) have attended a three-day virtual training, 1-3 April, facilitated by PAHO regional advisor on Ethnicity, Sandra del Pino. and Rafael Vega from the Cultural Diversity program.
The IPON members plan to implement knowledge dialogues in their respective countries, to address food security and climate change issues that have affected the health of Indigenous communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. IPON members have emphasized that the Knowledge dialogues methodology proposed by PAHO is a tool that will help IPON researchers to catalyze the impact of the evidence collected during the COVID-19 pandemic and contribute to the creation of a more just inclusive and intercultural health system. As a follow up, experience exchange activities among countries to promote collaboration on Indigenous practices and knowledge will follow.
The implementation of the knowledge dialogues by IPON members results from a collaborative effort involving IPON, FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit and PAHO’s Cultural Diversity program.
IPON members are affiliated to the following academic institutions: Keystone Foundation (India), Virginia tech (USA/ Sri Lanka), Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia (Peru/ Argentina/ Bolivia), University of Ghana (Ghana), University of Namibia (Namibia), Brock University (Canada/Fiji) and Rhodes University (South Africa).
Currently, a collaboration agreement is being discussed between PAHO and Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia to strengthen the work with IPON with a focus on the health of Indigenous Peoples.
This activity is in line with the policy on ethnicity and health and its strategy and plan of action 2019-2025. “This workshop promotes the collaboration with Indigenous leaders and researchers and the promotion of capacity building on intercultural health. The implementation of future knowledge dialogues from the IPON Network will contribute to strengthen actions to improve Indigenous health and wellbeing and to expand PAHO’s advances to other regions, in line with the recently approved resolution by WHO on Indigenous health”, says Sandra del Pino.
