Andre Barahamin

Mr. Barahamin’s responsibilities include conducting research, collecting data from the field and through news and literature. He is responsible for setting up a working group on campaign strategy. Since November 2015, along with Yerisiam Gua tribe in Nabire (Papua), the PUSAKA Foundation has protested against the palm oil plantation which took away the Yerisiam Gua’s ancestral land. Andre’s role has been to design and orchestrate the national campaign for solidarity, calling for boycotts, producing campaign materials and building media interest through the publication of articles, media briefings, press conferences and public speaking. Since 2010, his organisation has also been actively advocating for Marind-Anim tribe in Merauke (Papua). Marind-Anim has faced land grabbing issues and violation of their rights as an Indigenous group by giant agri-businesses such as palm oil plantation, soybeans, pulp and paper, and paddy rice within the scheme called Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate, which took more than 3 million hectare of Marind-Anim’s Indigenous land. He has conducted research in Merauke, and assisted the community leaders with campaign strategy and the young people to improve their writing skills in order to raise their voices nationally. Barahamin believes this training will help him understand more about the UN mechanism and its value for protecting Indigenous rights and holding governments accountable; learn more about UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and about the United Nations Framework on Business and Human Rights and the OECD guidelines on Multinational Enterprises.