News

We are ready to share, encourage, inspire, our Earth observation community to join the GEO EDI two webinars to celebrate the UN International Youth Day 2024 – Monday August 12th. The theme of the year is a very good fit for the GEO community.

2024 Theme: From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development

Below follows a short description of the webinars. We will hear different voices covering the same overall theme in the two webinars. If you can, you will be able to enjoy both of them to widen your perspective and be even more inspired by our youth community.

To accommodate the global community we have put together a program/registration page for our regional GEOs as follows:

Register here and read about speakers: AOGEO and AfriGEO – 7 am UTC | 10 am EAT | 3 pm CST

Register here and read about speakers: AmeriGEO and EuroGEO – 5 pm UTC | 10 am PDT | 1 pm EDT

What
Please, join the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Subgroup of the GEO Programme Board in our 2024 webinar series and be inspired by engaging stories from around the world that celebrate gender, indigenous people and youth perspectives in the Earth observation community. These webinars will be held as the world is recognizing women, indigenous people, and youth on their United Nations designated International Days.

The theme of the 2024 UN International Youth Day is From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable In this webinar GEO EDI invite representatives from the GEO Youth community to share their perspectives and tell stories about working on the use of Earth observations. We will discuss how Youth communities sees the potential in Earth observations to support sustainable development.

Why now?
Celebrating the UN International Youth Day is a welcomed way to create awareness about GEO and how the Youth sees the potential in Earth observation data and knowledge sharing. It is exciting to learn about the perspectives of the younger generations. This webinar is one of many ways GEO follows up the GEO Youth statement and make their voices heard and hopefully we will inspire a wider younger community.

Who is it for?
This webinar aims to reach the youth, and all individuals within Global Earth observation community, scientists, data experts, innovation community, trainers, educators, researchers, applied scientists and policy makers.

Invitation to the EuroGEO Workshop 2024

We are pleased to inform you that the 2024 edition of the EuroGEO Workshop will take place in Krakow Poland, from 8 to 10 October 2024, at the Holiday INN, an IHG Hotel.

The EuroGEO Workshop 2024 with Key message: “COMBINE, COORDINATE, COOPERATE – Welcome to the new era of EuroGEO”

This workshopis jointly organised by the European Commission and the EuroGEO Secretariat with the support of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) & welcomes you all to register here.

EGW24 will:

Mobilise and revitalise the EuroGEO Action Groups and harness synergies across research and EO industry around strategic focus areas.

Foster the maximisation of research & innovation impact for the benefit of end users, engaging academia and the industry.

Engage with national GEO activities, showcasing the EO expertise and synergies contributing to EuroGEO and GEO.

Facilitate peer exchanges highlighting the European contribution to GEO

Build a consensus on the adoption of a revised EuroGEO implementation plan as a contribution to GEO post-25 strategy.

On the EuroGEO workshop 2024 webpage you can find the outline of the programme (draft) as well as a list of the suggested hotels and transport means for travel from the airport to the venue.

The registrations are NOW open.

Important Note! Registrations close on September 13, 2024

The Group on Earth Observations Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEO EDI) Subgroup are excited to invite you to the next webinar in the GEO EDI webinar series. In fact, this is a joint effort by the GEO EDI and the GEO Indigenous Alliance to celebrate the UN International Day Of The World’s Indigenous Peoples 2024 on August 9th.

The theme for 2024 is Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact

Below follows a description of the webinar that we encourage you to both attend and invite your networks to join and share too.

What
Please, join the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Subgroup of the GEO Programme Board in our 2024 webinar series and be inspired by engaging stories from around the world that celebrate gender, indigenous people and youth perspectives in the Earth observation community. These webinars will be held as the world is recognizing women, indigenous people, and youth on their United Nations designated International Days.

The theme of the 2024 International Day of The World’s Indigenous Peoples is Protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact. In this webinar GEO EDI and GEO Indigenous Alliance invite representatives from the GEO Indigenous Alliance community of indigenous peoples to share their perspectives and tell stories about working on protecting the rights of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and intitial contact and the use of Earth observations.

Why now?
Celebrating the UN International Day of The World’s Indigenous Peoples is an welcomed way to create awareness of both the GEO Indigenous Alliance and the importance of being inclusive also with respect to Earth observation data and knowledge sharing. It is exciting to learn about the perspectives of the indigenous peoples and especially their deep knowledge about sustainable management of natural resources, ecosystems and biodiversity. It is important to understand and respect the special challenges faces by the indigenous communities.

Who is it for?
This webinar aims to reach the indigenous peoples of all ages, and all individuals within Global Earth observation community, scientists, data experts, innovation community, trainers, educators, researchers, applied scientists and policy makers.

Please, register for the event! 

SPEAKERS:

Brijlal Chaudhari is a member of the Tharu nation from the foothills of the Himalayas (Nepal) where the Rhinos and the Elephants used to roam freely. Raised in a multi-generational Tharu family, he carries his ancestors’ oral teachings of relationships, leadership, compassion, storytelling, diplomacy, reciprocity, customary law, governance, Indigenous economics, and resource management. He is an Indigenous Peoples’ rights activist with over 15 years of experience leading social change programs and organizations. He is the founding president of Global Home for Indigenous Peoples (an association based in France). He represents the Indigenous Peoples of Asia region as a steering committee member of the Coalition on Indigenous Peoples Food Systems. He is a consultant for the Global Alliance of Future of Food and Tenure Facility. He has a BA in Economics, African Studies, and a master’s degree in Public Administration.

I am Ana Amaguaña, an indigenous woman from the Kichwa-Otavalo people of Ecuador. From 2022 to February 2024, I accompanied the work of Land is Life in the coordination of the secretary of the International Working Group of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact. GTI-PIACI. Currently, I am assuming functions as PIACI Program Coordinator in Land is Life. I aspire to contribute to the formulation of effective actions in favor of the defense, protection, and promotion of the rights of Indigenous Peoples with emphasis on Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial contact.

Tania Eulalia Martinez Cruz is an Ëyuujk indigenous interdisciplinary researcher from Oaxaca, Mexico. She is an associate researcher at the Free University of Brussels working on Indigenous Peoples’ water, food and knowledge systems. She uses her research to advocate for the respect of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems and their meaningful participation in food and water-related policy processes using a rights-based approach.   She is also an independent consultant on Indigenous Peoples’ issues, the food-water-energy nexus and social inclusion. Currently, she is a focal point for Latin America for the Coalition on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems. She believes in the role of education to change lives positively and does advocacy work on the right and access to education for Indigenous girls and women in STEM.

MODERATOR:

James Rattling Leaf, Sr., is founding member of the GEO Indigenous Alliance. As the Principal at the Wolakota Lab, LLC, he serves as a guide to organizations to work more effectively with Indigenous peoples for a more equitable world. He specializes in developing programs that utilize the interface between Indigenous Peoples’ Traditional Knowledge and Western Science. He has over 25 years experience serving as a cross cultural/broker resource to federal government, higher education institutions and non-profits to developing and maintaining positive on-going working relationships with federally and non-federally recognized Indian tribes, Tribal College and Universities, and Tribal Communities. He was born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

 

We invite you to view the recording of this recent webinar in recognition of Indigenous People’s Day 2024 – co-sponsored by GEO AquaWatch, GEO Indigenous Alliance, CSIRO’s AquaWatch Australia, WWQA, and IAGLR.  This informative 100 minute event was moderated by James Rattling Leaf and features a presentation of our recent publication recommending best practices for inclusion of indigenous science, followed by Water Quality Use Cases presented by global indigenous scientists and an audience participation discussion.

Moderator:

James Rattling Leaf, Sr., GEO Indigenous Alliance, North America

Speakers:

Dr. Dawn Martin Hill, Professor, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada: Haudenosaunee and the story of water.  

Abstract: The community-led Ohneganos research project with the Six Nations of the Grand River (Six Nations) of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, is the largest Indigenous reserve (by population) in Canada. Six Nations community has been engaged in efforts to achieve sustainable ecosystems, health and well-being directly tied to the state of source water from the Great Lakes.  As a Mohawk woman and scientist, living in my community, it is important to center the Haudenosaunee Great Law and responsibility to care for the water; this is embedded in our creation stories and the thanksgiving address. Our 5 year IK community led study with McMaster found in the climate change modeling of SN has experienced significant climate change water impacts further exacerbating water insecurity and will increase significantly over the next 30 years. By incorporating traditional knowledge and western science the community recognizes the desperate need for sustainable development in water monitoring and management. The goal is to establish a traditional ecological research Institution for training to improve our natural world’s ability to thrive so we may thrive. 

Speaker Bio: Dawn is Mohawk and resides at Six Nations with her family. She was the first Indigenous cultural anthropologist in Canada and continues to break barriers in education and research. She founded the Indigenous Studies Program at McMaster University as a graduate student and recipient of a Canada U.S Fulbright Award. Her work with Elders from across Turtle Island since 1990 has influenced her development of Indigenous knowledge in academia, research, and research. She is a longtime advocate of Indigenous knowledge within her university and securing federal tri-council, Science Council’s support, and inclusion of peer reviewed funding of Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing research.   Her primary research over three decades is working with community, women, and youth to develop Indigenous ways of knowing that can be applied in resolving real world issues, Indigenous pedagogy and methodologies, developing community led strategies, holistic assessments of community wellness, traditional medicine, environmental justice and addressing improving quality of life.

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Dr. Elisabeth Veronika Wambrauw,  Head of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning,  Universitas Cenderawasih, Indonesia: Water governance in perspective Indigenous People in Papua, New Guinea. 

Abstract: I will talk about the Sambom People, Marind People, and also Naglum People of Indonesia.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Wambrauw is the head of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the Universitas Cenderawasih in Jayapura, Indonesia. Her research focuses on sustainable development and traditional ecological knowledge related to water and infrastructure as well as climate change.

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Professor Bradley Moggridge, Indigenous Leadership & Engagement, University of Technology Sydney,  Australia: The Cultural value of Water and the Importance of Understanding Water Quality for Aboriginal People.

Speaker Bio: Prof Bradley Moggridge is a proud Murri from the Kamilaroi Nation and is a researcher in Indigenous Water Science (qualifications in hydrogeology and environmental science). He is currently Acting Associate Dean – Indigenous Leadership & Engagement at the University of Technology Sydney. Until June 2021 he was the Indigenous Liaison Officer for the Threatened Species Recovery Hub under NESP. Bradley is a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, a Governor of WWF Australia and vice president of the Australian Freshwater Science Society. Bradley has won several awards, has presented widely and is on many committees – from local to international adding to his 25 years in water and environmental science, cultural science, regulation, water planning and management, including policy development, legislative reviews, applied research and project management. Bradley hopes to encourage future generations to pursue interests in STEM (water science), promote his ancestors’ knowledge of water and mentor emerging Indigenous scientists.

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Dr. Myrle Ballard, Indigenous Scholar and Associate Professor, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada: 

Speaker Bio: Dr. Ballard will tell you that she comes from a combination of three worlds. Her first is growing up on the land speaking Anishinaabe mowin as her first language and her experiential life on her reserve. Her second is Western science having earned her PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental management. Her third world is academia and government. Dr. Ballard is a professor at the University of Manitoba where her research focuses on Three-Eyed Seeing and using Indigenous language as a baseline indicator of changes in the ecosystem. Combining her lived experiences allows her to bridge and bring all sides together, while appreciating different perspectives. 

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DESCRIPTION

Indigenous Peoples hold vast knowledge of the planet and its resources. This knowledge is essential to maintain the healthiest ecosystems on the planet and can support current monitoring efforts. While advances to integrate indigenous knowledge exist, a proper involvement of indigenous peoples in policy and scientific process has to date been limited. Consequently, the precise observations of indigenous peoples remain poorly integrated and overlooked. In this webinar we will present examples of indigenous people’s observations, understandings and ways of managing the natural environment, with focus on components of the hydrological cycle. We will explore further cases that will complement results of our most recent publication and discuss the potential of indigenous knowledge for supporting global water monitoring efforts. The workshop will take place online and the language will be in English. This workshop is organised by GEO AquaWatch, GEO Indigenous Alliance, AquaWatch Australia and the World Water Quality Alliance (WWQA).