Who We Are
Founded by Rebecca Adamson in 1997, First Peoples Worldwide is one of the only international organizations led by Indigenous Peoples and dedicated to the mission of promoting Indigenous economic determination and strengthening Indigenous communities through asset control and the dissemination of knowledge. The Fredericksburg, Virginia-based organization has been at the helm of studying, devising and implementing solutions to Indigenous communities’ issues.
The programs of First Peoples Worldwide are grounded in the belief that assets are the building blocks of wealth; Indigenous Peoples own substantial assets but frequently lack the control necessary to benefit from them. First Peoples also believes that successful economic development is a holistic process that takes into account the political, social, and cultural variables of a community. First Peoples works to stop and reverse injustices by equipping Indigenous Peoples with resources to challenge government, corporation and conservation policies. At the same time, First Peoples is building capacity in Indigenous communities to play an active role in conservation.
First Peoples employs a number of strategies to assist Indigenous Peoples take their place in the world’s systems. Through regranting, technical assistance, education, and advocacy, First Peoples provides Indigenous Peoples with the tools, information, and relationships necessary to build community capacity to leverage assets for sustainable economic development. First Peoples advocates extensively with policy making bodies, governments, funders, and institutions on behalf of Indigenous Peoples. First Peoples engages with multinational corporations and extractive industries to encourage them to work directly with Indigenous Peoples to establish mutually beneficial agreements. First Peoples established the Keepers of the Earth Program and Fund (KOE) to build the capacity of Indigenous Peoples to establish and manage protected areas on their own homelands. First Peoples promotes socially responsible investing through Corporate Engagement, advocates for policy changes within U.S. and foreign governments and global agencies, and maintains an ongoing research program on Indigenous Peoples and their issues.
Indigenous Peoples are on the front-lines of the battle for the future. By networking and sharing common experiences, First Peoples Worldwide believes that Indigenous Peoples can learn from each other in order to secure their future.
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First Peoples Worldwide
857 Leeland Road • Fredericksburg, VA 22405 • USA
info@firstpeoplesworldwide.org • (540) 899-6545
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| © Copyright 2007-2009, First Peoples Worldwide
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