Write a letter for the Pygmies

‘Pygmy’ is a collective term for several hunter-gatherer tribes who live in the forests of central Africa. They are also called ‘forest peoples’.

Their future is threatened by logging and agriculture which is destroying their forests, and conservation schemes which evict them from the forests that remain.

How you can help

Please write to the President of Cameroon urging him to recognize ‘Pygmies’ as indigenous peoples with communal rights to live in and protect their ancestral territories.

His Excellency Mr Paul Biya
Office of the President
Unity Palace
Yaoundé
Cameroon

May 17, 2012

Your Excellency

I am extremely concerned for the future of the Bakola, Baka, Bagyéli, and Bedzang ‘Pygmy’ peoples of Cameroon.

The Cameroon government neither recognizes ‘Pygmies’ as indigenous peoples, nor recognizes their communal rights over their ancestral forest territories. As a result, industrial logging, plantations, and conservation interests have been able to act with virtual impunity on the tribes’ land, without consulting them.

While much of the ‘Pygmy' peoples’ forests and vital resources are being destroyed by extractive industries, the tribes have been excluded from other areas designated as ‘conservation’ zones. The Pygmies have been living in the forests, sustainably, for generations. It is no coincidence that they live in some of the most biologically diverse areas of the world.

I urge you to act immediately to recognize and uphold the ‘Pygmy’ peoples’ rights to live on and protect their land, and to recognize them as indigenous peoples with collective rights to their lands as set out in international law, especially the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the ILO Convention 169.

Yours sincerely,

Will my letter make a difference?
Yes. Time and again, letters from Survival supporters have called governments and organisations to account. Policies have changed and lives have been saved.

Should I post, fax or e-mail?
The most powerful way is to print and post your letter. We will e-mail you a ready-to-print PDF of your letter, together with postage information.

We sometimes also publish e-mail addresses or fax numbers where there is a realistic chance of these being read. However, e-mail addresses change and fax machines get unplugged. If you can, please post your letter.

Write a letter for the Pygmies

1. Write your letter, then 2. Complete it and 3. Mail it

How you can help