Morales' inauguration 'a milestone for all indigenous peoples'

MADRE, An International Women’s Human Rights Organization Contact: Yifat Susskind, Communications Director (212) 627-0444; email: media@madre.org US Women’s Human Rights Organization Congratulates Bolivia’s President-Elect Evo Morales January 19, 2006—New York—MADRE, an international women's human rights organization, extends its warm congratulations to President-elect Evo Morales on the occasion of his inauguration this Sunday to the Presidency of Bolivia. Morales' inauguration is a tribute not only to the President-elect and his victory, but to the great numbers of women and men who have placed themselves at the forefront of a centuries-long struggle for human rights and economic justice by Indigenous Peoples in Bolivia. Though their names may not be recorded in history, these women and men are the architects of this historic victory. The inauguration of Bolivia's first Indigenous President is a milestone for all Bolivia and for Indigenous Peoples around the world. For more than 500 years, policies emanating from the Global North have rendered Bolivia a rich country inhabited by poor people. In particular, Bolivia's Indigenous Peoples have witnessed the expropriation of their ancestral lands and the plunder of their natural resources with virtually no benefit to their communities. The inauguration of Mr. Morales is a resounding call for an end to the policies of injustice. It is a resounding call for a new national framework that can promote sustainable development and freedom from want. It is a resounding call for government that honors the promise of democracy by ensuring opportunities for popular political participation and policies that reflect the priorities of the majority. Indeed, it is a resounding call for a reconceptualization of what constitutes the nation-state—in Bolivia and across the region. This is the mandate of Bolivia's President-elect, who must now craft policies that reflect a commitment to human rights standards—particularly social, economic, and cultural rights—and make progress toward meeting the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals. MADRE extends its support to the people of Bolivia in their historic journey toward building a more just society and calls upon President-elect Morales to implement promised reforms. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MADRE is an international women's human rights organization that works in partnership with community-based women’s groups worldwide. Our programs reflect a human-rights-based and people-centered approach to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals, which aim to: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development. MADRE provides resources and training to enable our sister organizations to meet these goals by addressing immediate needs in their communities and developing long-term solutions to the crises they face. Since we began in 1983, MADRE has delivered over 21 million dollars worth of support to community-based women's groups in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, the Balkans, Asia, and the United States.

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