{"id":282,"date":"2025-11-04T17:07:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T17:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/?p=282"},"modified":"2025-11-04T17:24:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T17:24:40","slug":"dignity-to-the-first-peoples-of-this-land","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/?p=282","title":{"rendered":"Dignity to the First Peoples of this land."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"595\" src=\"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-20.20.27-1024x595.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-20.20.27-1024x595.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-20.20.27-300x174.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-20.20.27-768x447.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-20.20.27.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On 1 November 2025, the First Nation People of the West Coast took to the streets of Langebaan \u2014 walking together in peace, strength, and purpose. Their call was clear: <em>sustainable development that creates jobs, protects the environment, and restores dignity to the First Peoples of this land.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the shores of Langebaan to the plains of Eldorado Park, and the mountains of Hout Bay, a new spirit is rising \u2014 a spirit of unity and rebirth. These are not isolated protests; they are part of a growing movement of First Nation communities across South Africa who are standing up, speaking out, and reclaiming their rightful place in shaping the nation\u2019s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rooted in Peace and Purpose<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The African Caravan \u2013 Movement of the People stands in full solidarity with the First Nation People of the West Coast. This movement is not born out of anger, but from conviction and courage \u2014 the conviction that <em>freedom can be pursued through peace, and justice through truth.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the Khoi and San of !Xamville in Eldorado Park, to the fishers of Hout Bay, and the youth of Langebaan, the message is the same:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWe are not against development. We believe in responsible, inclusive, and sustainable growth \u2014 development that serves the people, not just the powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>These communities are showing what non-violent resistance truly looks like \u2014 firm, grounded, and spiritually anchored in the belief that <em>justice will prevail when we stand together in peace.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"659\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-19.38.08-1-659x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-19.38.08-1-659x1024.jpeg 659w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-19.38.08-1-193x300.jpeg 193w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-19.38.08-1-768x1193.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-19.38.08-1.jpeg 824w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 659px) 100vw, 659px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"846\" data-id=\"289\" src=\"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-19.38.25-2-1024x846.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-289\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-19.38.25-2-1024x846.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-19.38.25-2-300x248.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-19.38.25-2-768x634.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-04-at-19.38.25-2.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Upholding UNDRIP and the Right to Self-Determined Development<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The First Nation march embodies the very essence of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Article 23<\/strong> affirms Indigenous peoples\u2019 right to determine their own development priorities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 26<\/strong> guarantees their rights to the lands and resources they have traditionally owned or used.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 32<\/strong> calls on states to consult Indigenous communities before any development project affecting their land or resources is undertaken.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/UNDRIP-banner-cream-1-1-1024x266.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-283\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/UNDRIP-banner-cream-1-1-1024x266.webp 1024w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/UNDRIP-banner-cream-1-1-300x78.webp 300w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/UNDRIP-banner-cream-1-1-768x199.webp 768w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/UNDRIP-banner-cream-1-1.webp 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For too long, decisions about land, oceans, and natural wealth have been made without Indigenous participation. From the oceans of Hout Bay, where fishermen are denied access to traditional fishing grounds, to the open lands of Eldorado Park, where housing has been promised but not delivered \u2014 the cry is the same:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cLet us be part of the development that happens on our land.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not a demand for charity \u2014 it is a call for justice and recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The New Urban Agenda<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The role of UN-Habitat and the World Urban Campaign becomes critical here. Their mission \u2014 <em>\u201cTogether shaping the future of cities, leaving no one behind\u201d<\/em> \u2014 calls for exactly this kind of inclusive, people-driven change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sustainable development cannot exist while whole communities remain voiceless and excluded from decision-making. UN-Habitat\u2019s focus on inclusive cities, access to housing, and shared prosperity aligns perfectly with the vision of the African Caravan and the First Nation struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, these frameworks remind us that development without dignity is displacement, and urban progress without justice is unfinished work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"61\" src=\"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/UN_Habitat_Logo_Simple.svg_-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-287\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/UN_Habitat_Logo_Simple.svg_-1.png 512w, https:\/\/iplant.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/UN_Habitat_Logo_Simple.svg_-1-300x36.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">One Mind. One Spirit. One Conscience.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As South Africa prepares to host the G20 Summit, the First Nation people remind the world that true leadership begins at home. The G20\u2019s global agenda on development must include those who have been left behind for centuries \u2014 the original custodians of the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From !Xamville to Langebaan, from Hout Bay to Johannesburg, the message echoes across the nation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWe are marching together \u2014 One in Mind, One Spirit, One Conscience. We seek not revenge, but restoration. Not conflict, but community. Not separation, but shared humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the Africa Rising that the world must see \u2014 an Africa where the First Peoples lead with wisdom, where youth rise with purpose, and where development finally means justice for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The march in Langebaan is not the end; it is part of a greater awakening. It connects the fight for housing in !Xamville, the struggle for access to the sea in Hout Bay, and the broader vision of the African Caravan Movement \u2014 a Pan-African journey for peace, land, and dignity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we move forward, may the world remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The liberation of a people begins with the recognition of their humanity.<br>And humanity begins with a place to belong, to live, and to dream.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 1 November 2025, the First Nation People of the West Coast took to the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[48,46,47],"class_list":["post-282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-first-nation","tag-xamville","tag-hout-bay","tag-langebaan"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","covernews-slider-full":"","covernews-slider-center":"","covernews-featured":"","covernews-medium":"","covernews-medium-square":""},"author_info":{"info":["admin"]},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/?cat=52\" rel=\"category\">First Nation<\/a>","tag_info":"First Nation","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=282"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":293,"href":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282\/revisions\/293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iplant.africa\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}