The future is indigenous if we want to save the planet

When Mitzy left her community to study Political Science at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, she faced discrimination and various types of violence, and saw how more people suffered the same. Her empathy and outrage have inspired her to act, organize and speak out.

Now, the voice of Mitzy Cortés, a 25-year-old wildebeest savi (Mixtec) girl from San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca, Oaxaca (Mexico), is powerful and inspiring and, from social networks to the Youth Forum 2024* of the Economic and United Nations SocialECOSOC) in New York, in which he recently participated, has been vocal in advocating for social justice, indigenous peoples and the environment.

“One of the things that has marked me the most on this path has been seeing the amount of violence and pain that many people endure (…) seeing how it affects people’s lives. (…) These are things that drive you to organize and raise your voice (…) When you are in a march with a lot of people shouting and demanding justice, talking about how there is still hope even though they have their daughters disappeared, even though they killed their fellow members of the organization, it is something very powerful and sends you a very strong message that, Despite all this violence, we have to continue organizing and acting for a more just world“, reflects Mitzy in conversation with UN News.

During her university studies, Mitzy met more young people who had also left their community and with whom she shares the value of the community, as well as the interest in keeping the practices and knowledge of their communities alive.

“I thought I could build less violent futures for them.” [generaciones futuras] And then I began to organize with other youth, with other people from indigenous communities, who also have in mind the importance of organization and collective work,” he commented.

Mitzy’s work has already been recognized internationally. In 2022 she won the MTV MIAW (Millenial Award) Gender Equality Award and the Global Citizen Award in the Environment category. Currently, Mitzy works on issues of climate justice, territorial defense and gender equality.

Demand justice and end inequality

From April 16 to 18, Mitzy represented Mexico and the Indigenous Futures Network at the 2024 Youth Forum*.

His message was clear and forceful and resonated beyond the Forum room. Mitzy stressed that actions for the planet must focus on indigenous peoples and youth. Likewise, he highlighted that it is the time for youth to demand justice and end inequalities.

“We must strengthen the community, we must strengthen the people, the resistance, and that implies that those who are responsible for the looting also take charge. Let us demand justice from the youth, from the people (…) and let us rise up for Mother Earth, for the planet and for the future,” said the activist.

And he explained that “always [hay que] have this perspective very present that inequalities, that the social part, also permeates [en] the environmental part and that we must always consider it in our actions. I believe that fighting is also fighting for social and environmental justice, for me it is that, that youth can return to all these perspectives within their processes of fighting for the environment. and above all we think about collective solutions”.

Mitzy reinforced that local solutions can contribute to addressing the most pressing global challenges. For that reason, he said, the perspectives of indigenous peoples are fundamental in the construction of public policies. For example, while indigenous territories are home to the greatest amount of biodiversity on the planet, at the same time their communities are being criminalized and murdered for defending them, she added.

“The future is indigenous (…) We are living in a world that prioritizes money over life. (…) and how do we ensure that at the center of our systems and our world is not money but rather the principles of maintaining a good relationship with the land, relationships of balance, relationships of equity with other peoples, with other ways of seeing the world (…) I think that a lot of emphasis has been placed on the fact that to have a future we need to have a healthy planet and those who are coming out to defend that planet are many indigenous communities and it is necessary to be able to stop all this violence that the people are living,” he stressed.

Youth, a UN priority

For the UN, youth are a priority group due to their role as social actors, leaders and crucial partners due to their creativity, innovation and ability to change the world. Mitzy’s participation in the 2024 Youth Forum was possible thanks to the financing and management of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO).

“A voice like Mitzy’s, with the work and vision she has of the world, had to be heard internationally. Many and many young people approached her to learn more about his career and with the concern of creating alliance networks,” highlighted Aracely Torres, specialist in the Social and Human Sciences Sector at UNESCO Mexico.

The Youth Forum, Aracely added, is an important space for youth because it allows them to express their ideas and vision on how to address the challenges facing the world. His contribution is key to achieving the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals.

In fact, UNESCO has launched projects to provide youth with the resources and skills necessary to develop and carry out initiatives that have a positive social impact on communities.

“Young people have a voice, we just need to give them the space to be heard,” said Gabriela Ramos, deputy director general of Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO at the global level.

*The Youth Forum 2024* of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at the UN headquarters in New York*. a platform for youth to contribute to political debates through their ideas, solutions and innovations. Regional work sessions help identify the development needs of youth to advance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Text: Tania García / Photos and videos: Luis Arroyo / UN Information Center in Mexico.