Joan Carling

Indigenous Peoples Rights International – Cordillera, Philippines

Joan Carling is an indigenous Filipino human rights activist and environmentalist who has defended the rights of native and marginalized peoples for over two decades. She has served as Secretary General of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and has chaired the Cordillera People’s Alliance in the Philippines. Carling has also contributed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and REDD+ activities and has served as a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFii).

Born in Baguio City, Carling is the daughter of a half-Japanese, half-Kankanaey father and a Kankanaey mother. The Kankanaey people belonging to the Igorot group are based in the Mountain Province in the Cordillera Central mountain rage.

“To tackle migration and immigration issues, we must reverse the impacts of colonization, decades of neoliberal policies, and the current operations of extractive industries, agro companies, and monocropping that have impoverished Indigenous communities. We must respect, protect, and fulfill Indigenous rights, encouraging the decolonization and support of home communities with sustainable economic opportunities so that people do not have to leave.”

In 1998, she campaigned against the construction of the San Roque Dam. She has written and edited publications on human rights, climate change, forest conservation, sustainable development and indigenous women.

In her role as Co-convener of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group on the Sustainable Development Goals, in February 2018 she was designated a terrorist by the Filipino authorities.

In September 2018 she received the Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award from the United Nations Environment Programme in recognition of her work as an environmentalist and a defender of human rights.

“It is time for the world to listen to Indigenous Peoples because we have so much to offer. We have been protecting our planet and we have positive values in the way we govern ourselves; those values are what we need at this stage. What we need is to uphold the common interest. We need transparency. And we need to care for each other, especially those most in need. Having reciprocal relations with our environment so we don’t destroy it, this is needed for future generations. These are universal values that have to guide the way to achieving sustainable development.“

Website: Indigenous Rights International

Facebook (Personal Profile): https://www.facebook.com/joan.carling.9
Facebook (Organization Page): https://www.facebook.com/IPRightsIntl
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/JoanCarling

Video 1) 2018 Champion of the Earth
Video 2) Importance of Indigenous Peoples and environmental defenders for biodiversity