“UNDRIP” does not mean that the plumber has arrived and stopped
the drip in the bathroom tap. UNDRIP is the short form for the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Free copies are available right inside the front door of Faith. Take
one and look through its pages. Give a copy to a friend. Share it
with others. Watch for references to it in the news.

This little booklet is a gem of hope and inspiration for improved
human relations in all countries. Although the United Nations
General Assembly ten years ago adopted this statement of just
expectations for all peoples on Earth, four countries voted against it and eleven other
countries abstained from voting.

Is it surprising that four countries with sizable Indigenous populations opposed this vote?
Is it surprising that most of the world’s poorly regulated mining operations are registered
in Canada; mining operations that often displace and dispossess Indigenous peoples as well
as destroy and contaminate their land and water?

Well, the good news is that these four countries have seen the light. All four countries
have reversed their position and now support UNDRIP. Canada now has accepted UNDRIP
and work is underway to bring into effect the recommendations that are presented. Once
you have read the forty-six statements of principle, you will begin to gain a sense of the
meaning for all people. Here are words of wisdom that point to a new way of life; dignity,
well-being, right relations, and respect between people.