This piece is part of the series A Human Rights Agenda for the Next US Administration, outlining WOLA’s priorities for human rights-centered US policies. As the United States prepares for a new administration, WOLA remains committed to justice, dignity and the fundamental rights of individuals in America. This series highlights critical human rights issues that should be at the forefront of policy discussions at this crucial time.

America is a region rich in ethnic, racial, cultural and linguistic diversity. An estimated 50 million people belong to 826 different indigenous groups who speak over 550 languages. Over 200 million are of Afro descent, and 3 million are Roma. Afro-descendants speak their own languages, such as Palenque, Garifuna, and various creoles. It is a region of people with European, African, indigenous, Arab and Asian ancestry. The legacies of colonialism and the transatlantic African slave trade embedded structural racism, racial discrimination, and ethnic prejudice in all aspects of society. Inequities and inequalities are reflected in the socioeconomic disparities and living conditions faced by many Afro-descendant and indigenous communities. Such structural inequality and discrimination limit access to human rights for millions of people in the Americas, hindering the region’s potential for peace, shared prosperity, human security, environmental sustainability, and an end to forced migration and displacement.

WOLA works to address inequality and the denial of human rights through collaboration with Afro-descendant and Indigenous partners. We incorporate a focus on women, gender and LGBTQIA+, respecting their collective rights and the right to free, prior and informed consent to decisions affecting their lives and territories. We work with them to raise their voices and proposals to strengthen their regional and global struggle for equity and justice; we aim to inform inclusive policy-making that contributes to the promotion of human rights for all.

We urge the next administration to adopt policies that promote the following goals:

1. Prioritize racial equity and justice in policy responses in the region

Afro-descendant and indigenous individuals and communities in the Americas face long-standing discrimination and inequalities in access to fundamental and socio-economic rights. Addressing these disparities remains urgent in all spheres of life. Racism and racial discrimination result in racial profiling, disproportionate abuses by security forces, police, illegal armed groups and criminal gangs against these populations, and a slower or non-existent response from justice systems. It also leads to gaps in these populations’ access to education, health, sanitation, shelter and jobs. This is why the United States developed the Joint US-Brazil Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality (JAPER) and The US-Colombia Action Plan on Racial and Ethnic Equality (CAPRE), which aims to address racial discrimination against Afro-descendants and indigenous peoples in Brazil and Colombia. Such a perspective should be extended to the entire region. Additional steps include:

• Leads and supports initiatives that promote racial equity, reducing gaps in access to rights and services for Indigenous and Afro-descendants with a gender focus.
• Lead by example by bringing cases of racism and racial discrimination to justice and urging countries in the Americas to do the same and ensure that immigration policies are applied fairly, regardless of a person’s race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. US-supported efforts to address sexual and gender-based violence in the region should consider how racism and racial discrimination affect the treatment of victims by authorities and justice responses.
• Strengthen, fund, and support the efforts of Afro-descendant and indigenous movements, civil rights organizations, and grassroots initiatives to address racism, racial discrimination, and ethnic marginalization.
• Actively embrace, support and fund global efforts to combat racism that began with the Durban Conference and continue with the UN Decades of Peoples of African Descent.

2. Strengthening the resilience of ethnic communities to conserve the environment and biodiversity

Afro-descendant and indigenous communities are at the forefront of addressing the climate crisis and protecting the region’s rich natural environment, biodiversity and mineral wealth. Ethnic leaders play a vital role in conserving forests and other natural resources. They are also disproportionately killed, persecuted and attacked for defending their environment and ancestral territories. Latin America is the most dangerous region in the world for land and environmental rights defenders. Many of their communities are adversely affected by climate change and natural and man-made disasters.

• Incorporate a racial justice and equity lens into US policy responses to the climate emergency and encourage countries in the Americas to prioritize the same. Promote the exchange of ideas and lessons learned among Native American, African American, African-descendant, and indigenous communities in the Americas.
• Supporting efforts to empower Afro-descendant and indigenous women and youth at the forefront of defending their territories and mitigating the climate crisis, respecting the internal decision-making processes, cosmologies and approaches of these communities.
• Politically and financially support communities involved in environmental protection on their lands and territories, including action to combat violence against environmental defenders and support for beneficiary-agreed protection mechanisms.

3. Consolidation of collective ethnic rights, culture and identity

Afro-descendants and indigenous communities are subject to both individual and collective rights. Throughout the Americas, they often hold collective ownership of their ancestral territories, identified through various frameworks, including reserves, quilombos, palenques, and community councils, some of which are legally recognized while others are not. These communities also have distinct cultural identities, cosmologies and ways of life. This includes beliefs in African religions, beliefs, spiritual systems and indigenous spiritualities. Such collective identities and cultures are vital to the essence of Afro-descendant and indigenous peoples, expressed through the performing and visual arts, food, and other cultural practices.

• Respect and support the collective land rights, cultures, and identities of America’s racial and ethnic groups. All US policies and programs targeting territories or collective rights should respect the right to prior, free and informed consent with the group involved.
• Help preserve the distinct languages, traditions, and artistic expressions of these cultures by fostering exchanges between the US and the Americas.
• Support efforts to protect practitioners of African and indigenous faiths and religions from persecution, harm and displacement.
• Ensure that representatives of these diverse cultures have a seat at the table and can actively participate in US policy and programming efforts regarding security, the environment, human rights, and diplomatic exchanges.