Jane Austria-Young

Jane is a trainer with HSAM’s Capacity Building Program for People’s Organisations. She aims to strengthen the capacity of local leaders to manage, implement and monitor the Aeta federations’ plans within Tarlac and Mindoro Oriental. She also works to provide input to allow the effective management of the Aeta’s ancestral domain claim in the vicinity of Capas, Tarlac. The Holy Spirit Aeta Mission and its partner organisations recently received a grant from the United Nations Development Program to promote the remaining forest resources within the Aeta People’s ancestral domain. Jane believes that DTP’s Indigenous course will help her understand how UN bodies work in partnership with local organisations with particular reference to this grant. She would like to participate in DTP’s Indigenous training to better analyse key issues in development work such as the conflicting roles of NGO’s, government institutions and people’s organisations in addressing the issues of participation, social capital and social organisations, livelihoods and poverty, tapping Indigenous knowledge systems , conflict and human rights and other aspects of current development crisis, particularly in rural areas. Jane believes that the training would integrate her grassroots experience with concepts and theories which would broaden her social development perspective. She also believes that it would add to her capabilities as a trainer by enhancing her cognative capacity and analytical skills to analyse strategies and policies which affect the marginalised sectors of Filipino society. Jane also believes the course will enhance her confidence and strategies to promote the rights of Indigenous Peoples.