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| Tebtebba Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tebtebba Foundation |
| Formation | 1996 |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | Besao, Mountain Province, Philippines |
| Region served | Global Indigenous Peoples |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Tebtebba Foundation is an indigenous peoples' organization based in the Philippines that works on indigenous rights, environmental justice, and customary governance. It engages with international bodies, regional networks, and local communities to influence policy processes related to land tenure, climate change, and human rights. Tebtebba collaborates with a range of actors across civil society, intergovernmental institutions, and academic centers to advance indigenous knowledge systems and self-determination.
Tebtebba was founded in the mid-1990s amid global discussions that included the Earth Summit, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and indigenous mobilizations linked to the International Labour Organization's work on indigenous and tribal peoples. Early engagements connected Tebtebba to leaders from the Cordillera Administrative Region, activists associated with Jose Maria Sison-era networks, and participants in forums alongside representatives from Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact and Survival International. The organization contributed to campaigns around the negotiation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and participated in processes at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Tebtebba's mission foregrounds indigenous self-determination and collective rights recognized in instruments such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and protocols emerging from the Nagoya Protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Objectives include strengthening customary governance among peoples like the Kankanaey, safeguarding territories referenced in cases before the International Labour Organization and regional mechanisms like the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, and influencing climate policy debates at venues such as the UNFCCC COP meetings and related initiatives like the Green Climate Fund.
Programs encompass capacity-building workshops modeled after training methods used by organizations such as Amnesty International, documentation projects similar to those of Human Rights Watch, and facilitation of dialogues akin to ones convened by the World Bank on indigenous consultations. Tebtebba supports community mapping initiatives comparable to projects by Social Watch and technical inputs for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change negotiations, while organizing exchanges with groups such as Forest Peoples Programme and Cultural Survival. Activities include legal empowerment paralleling cases brought before the International Criminal Court contextually, biodiversity stewardship linked to the work of the Smithsonian Institution, and advocacy at forums like the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.
The foundation operates with a board and secretariat structure informed by governance practices from entities such as Oxfam and Greenpeace International. Leadership includes indigenous representatives drawn from communities in the Cordillera Central and advisers with experience in institutions like the University of the Philippines, the Asian Development Bank policy dialogues, and United Nations advisory panels. Internal governance emphasizes customary decision-making processes seen among groups represented at the Global Indigenous Preparatory Conference and compliance with nonprofit regulations similar to filings in the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission.
Tebtebba is networked with regional coalitions such as the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, global platforms including the International Indian Treaty Council, and academic partners like Ateneo de Manila University and the University of British Columbia for research collaboration. It engages with humanitarian and conservation actors like IUCN and WWF within multi-stakeholder dialogues, and participates in alliance-building with organizations such as ActionAid and Rainforest Foundation Norway. Collaborative efforts have placed Tebtebba alongside delegations from countries like Norway, NGOs active at COP meetings, and indigenous caucuses affiliated with the FIMI.
Funding sources resemble those of comparable NGOs, including grants from philanthropic foundations such as the Ford Foundation, project support tied to multilateral instruments like the Global Environment Facility, and donor partnerships with agencies similar to UNDP and bilateral aid programs. Financial management follows reporting norms used by civil society actors when contracting with entities like the European Union and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, with audits and program budgets aligned to donor requirements and community accountability mechanisms practiced across indigenous networks.
Tebtebba's impact includes contributions to policy texts at the Convention on Biological Diversity and representation at successive UNFCCC COP sessions, recognition by peer organizations such as the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, and influence on national jurisprudence in the Philippines involving ancestral domain claims adjudicated by forums like the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The foundation's materials are cited in reports by entities including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and used in curricula at institutions such as the School for International Training and the National Museum of the Philippines.
Category:Indigenous rights organizations Category:Non-governmental organizations based in the Philippines