IFIP GLOBAL CONFERENCE 2025

Conference Overview

The International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) is preparing to host its Global Conference in Kenya in February 2025. This Conference holds significant importance as IFIP sets foot for the first time in the African region, specifically in Kenya. Africa presents distinctive challenges for Indigenous Peoples, spanning land rights issues, cultural preservation, and access to resources. Hosting the conference in Kenya offers an invaluable opportunity to amplify the voices and priorities of Indigenous Peoples in Africa, who often find themselves marginalized or sidelined in global discussions. By bringing IFIP to Africa, it ensures that African Indigenous Peoples have a platform to voice their perspectives on crucial issues such as land rights, climate justice, and cultural preservation.

The Conference stands as a pivotal moment, fostering collaboration and partnership-building among IFIP members, larger philanthropic partners, Indigenous-led funds, Indigenous. This upcoming Conference builds on the successes and insights gained from previous conferences, as well as the recommendations from the Africa Dialogue in 2023. The goal is to deepen discussions and collaborations around critical issues facing Indigenous Peoples globally and facilitate meaningful dialogue and collaboration between funders, Indigenous Peoples. With a focus on promoting Indigenous self-determination, the conference will provide a platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and partnership-building among Indigenous communities, funders, and stakeholders. This will include reflecting on donor practices and strategies that need to change to better align with Indigenous values and the 5Rs- Respect, Reciprocity, Responsibility, and Relationship and Redistribution- of Indigenous Philanthropy. In promoting the 5Rs of Indigenous Philanthropy, IFIP works towards decolonizing philanthropy and prioritizing Indigenous representation in decision-making spaces. It also emphasizes Indigenous self-determination and intergenerational and intersectional leadership at all levels.

OBJECTIVES

• Amplify the voices and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples in global forums, ensuring their right to self-determination are recognized and respected.
• Promote meaningful dialogue and collaboration between Indigenous organizations and the global philanthropic community to strengthen partnerships.
• Encourage knowledge exchange, capacity-building, and networking between funders and Indigenous leaders to foster long-term collaboration.

OUTCOMES

• Increased representation and influence of Indigenous Peoples in global forums, leading to the explicit recognition and respect of their right to self-determination.
• Strengthened strategic partnerships and amplified investment in Indigenous-led initiatives
• Concrete commitments and actionable measures aimed at advancing Indigenous rights, safeguarding cultural heritage, and dismantling structural barriers to Indigenous autonomy and self-governance.

METHODOLOGY

The conference will incorporate a dynamic blend of plenary sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and interactive activities designed to foster meaningful dialogue and collaboration. A key focus will be on showcasing philanthropic practices that prioritize the 5Rs of Indigenous Philanthropy, while sharing insights gained from working with Indigenous Peoples as strategic partners.

The conference experience will include site visits to local Indigenous communities, offering delegates a deeper understanding of the communities' priorities, actions, and lived realities.
These visits will allow participants to engage directly with Indigenous community members and gain invaluable knowledge from local experiences.

Pre-conference events on 17 and 18 February will consist of two parallel gatherings: 4th Gathering of Indigenous-Led Funds (The Global Alliance of Indigenous-Led Funds) ; and a half-day Indigenous Philanthropy Institute. On February 18, IFIP will host a Gala Dinner celebrating IFIP’s 25th Anniversary. Throughout the conference, an Indigenous marketplace will feature products crafted by Indigenous artisans from around the world, providing an opportunity to celebrate and support their creativity.

The methodology, theme, and tracks of the conference are being guided by the Conference Planning Committee, composed of IFIP members. This collaborative effort is ensuring the thoughtful design and execution of the event. Conference sessions will be co-led by IFIP members in partnership with their collaborators, the IFIP team, and Board, with support from Indigenous organizations and youth members from host country.

Redistributing Resources: Direct Funding to Indigenous Peoples

Track One

Track One:  Redistributing Resources: Direct Funding to Indigenous Peoples

This track emphasises on analyzing the current state of funding for Indigenous Peoples and their organizations, emphasizing the transformative role of philanthropic partners in empowering Indigenous communities. It advocates for a significant shift in resource allocation, promoting autonomy and self-sufficiency through Indigenous-led funding models. Historically, Indigenous Peoples have been excluded from decision-making processes concerning the distribution of resources impacting their communities. Direct funding to Indigenous-led funds and Indigenous Peoples organizations and networks serves as a critical measure to correct this imbalance. Indigenous philanthropy champions funding structures that enable Indigenous-led organizations and communities to spearhead their own initiatives, prioritizing self-determination and Indigenous values and practices. This track highlights the need to dismantle traditional top-down funding models, advocating for equitable systems that provide Indigenous Peoples with direct access to financial resources without intermediaries. By centering Indigenous control over resources, this track aims to promote sustainable development, support cultural resilience, and empower communities to address social, economic, and environmental challenges from within.

Promoting Indigenous Sovereignty and self-governance in Defending Indigenous Rights to Lands, Oceans and Climate Justice

Track Two

Track Two: Promoting Indigenous Sovereignty and self-governance in Defending Indigenous Rights to Lands, Oceans, and Climate Justice

This track underscores the critical importance of Indigenous sovereignty and Indigenous knowledge in the realms of environmental stewardship and climate justice. Central to this discussion is the acknowledgment of Indigenous Peoples’ inherent rights to self-determination over their ancestral lands, territories, and oceans, as enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). These rights are indispensable not only for the cultural survival of Indigenous communities but also for the preservation of environmental integrity. 

Indigenous Peoples have long served as guardians of some of the planet's most ecologically diverse and fragile ecosystems, leveraging centuries of traditional knowledge to practice sustainable land and water management. Their profound connection to the natural world endows them with invaluable insights into conservation and climate resilience. However, despite their deep-rooted expertise, Indigenous communities often bear the brunt of climate change impacts due to their reliance on natural ecosystems and the systemic marginalization they face. 
This track focuses the conversation on the essential integration of Indigenous knowledge and leadership into global climate and environmental policies and highlights the indispensable role of Indigenous knowledge systems in tackling the urgent crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. It calls for a collaborative approach that integrates Indigenous wisdom into environmental decision-making and acknowledges the critical need to uphold Indigenous rights and cultural heritage in the pursuit of climate justice. 

Philanthropy in fostering and strengthening Intersectional Indigenous Leadership

Track Three

Track Three: Philanthropy in fostering and strengthening Intersectional Indigenous Leadership

This track will explore how intersectional identities within Indigenous leadership are vital for driving community empowerment and resilience, with a particular focus on the crucial role of funding and philanthropy. By examining the contributions of Indigenous women, LGBTQ+, youth, Indigenous Peoples with Disabilities, and elders, the session highlights how these diverse perspectives collectively shape effective and inclusive leadership practices. The intersectionality of these identities influences governance, advocacy, and social change by integrating varied viewpoints into decision-making processes. The session will address the challenges and opportunities in securing resources for these groups, emphasizing how targeted funding and philanthropic efforts can enhance their impact on critical issues such as climate change, Indigenous knowledge and cultural preservation, language justice, and social justice. Participants will review successful case studies showcasing how intersectional leadership has promoted greater inclusivity and equity, demonstrating the significant impact of strategic financial support on driving holistic progress. This track underscores the importance of empowering diverse voices through philanthropy to build more resilient and dynamic Indigenous communities.