Join MCV UN side session featuring the Maasai from Kenya and Tanzania and the Kumeyaay from San Diego and Tijuana. Learn about collaborative efforts to pass down traditional wisdom to future generations.
Date: Thursday, April 18th, 2024
Time:
2pm – 4pm
Venue (address):
Jay Suites Conference Center (Bryant Park)
109 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018
2nd Floor, Toronto Room
Indigenous leaders from the Maasai community in Kenya and Tanzania, alongside the Kumeyaay community in San Diego and Tijuana, will share their collaborative efforts in exchanging best practices for passing down traditional knowledge to future generations. These binational communities are actively fortifying a network with indigenous leaders in over 20 countries through the Sister Cities network, driven by the shared goals of promoting cross-cultural collaboration, preserving indigenous traditional knowledge, advancing environmental sustainability, and fostering global peace.
Both sessions will highlight the establishment of community-led cultural institutions by indigenous communities, with a special focus on cultural centers in Amboseli, Kenya, and San Diego, California. These centers serve as vibrant hubs for the dissemination of traditional knowledge to youth, the preservation of ancient customs, the integration of indigenous design principles across various facets of society, and the advancement of community development, language preservation, product innovation, health and wellness, clean water solutions, traditional arts, and more. By empowering young individuals to make a meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.
Presented by My Chosen Vessels in collaboration with the San Diego Sister Cities Maasai – Kumeyaay Friendship Society, this side session will focus on four crucial topics: Ecological Sustainability, Health & Welfare Sustainability, Art & Culture Sustainability, and Community Resilience. Aligned with the themes of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, both emphasizing the voices of youth in shaping sustainable and innovative solutions, these sessions will be led by youth alongside Indigenous Maasai and Kumeyaay leaders. Together, they will share their experiences and showcase programs that promote cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration, transmitting traditional knowledge to our youth and advancing the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.
