Vol. 22 No. 2 (2023): Volume 22, Number 2
This issue of the Fourth World Journal examines the contemporary challenges that Fourth World Nations face in their pursuit of self-determination and recognition within the states established over their ancestral territories. While international instruments such as the ILO Convention 169 and the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples represent progress, they remain largely symbolic lacking effective mechanisms to enforce free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) or to safeguard cultural and territorial integrity.
The volume brings together proposals aimed at transforming these principles into actionable measures, including the development of the Ancestral Land Decolonization Monitoring Mechanism (ALDMEM) and a call to redefine genocide to include culturicide and ecocide. Through essays and case studies, the contributors outline institutional and diplomatic pathways to strengthen sovereignty, rights, and participation for Fourth World Nations in global decision-making.