New Slow Food International Council has two Councilors representing Indigenous Peoples

The Slow Food International Congress in China closed successfully and indigenous peoples took a further step inside the Slow Food movement. Indigenous peoples were represented physically as a delegation and formally in the Chengdu Declaration and in a dedicated motion entitled “Indigenous peoples’ knowledge, a key ally in facing global challenges”. This document, is a commitment taken by all Slow Food network in order to protect, promote and strengthen indigenous peoples’ communities and their food systems in the next years.

These and other facts state Slow Food’s commitment to give more voice to indigenous peoples: there was a delegation of 40 indigenous peoples coming from all over the world, the opening ceremony was opened by an indigenous Ryukyu woman from Japan (Remi Ie), a special prize was given to Tanganyika Convivium from D.R. Congo praising them for their efforts on peace building between indigenous communities through food-related activities.

The two new Councilors representing the Indigenous Peoples in the new Slow Food International Council are:

Denisa Livingston, from the Diné peoples, USA, representing the Global North. Denisa is a steering committee member of the Slow Food Turtle Island Association. Denisa is committed to addressing the diabetes epidemic (with both advocacy and awareness raising activities), the dominant culture of unhealthy foods, and the lack of healthy food access in the Navajo Nation. She is member of several organizations linking the topics of young farmers, sugar and diabetes, native truth etc.

Nicolas Mukumo Mushumbi, from the bambuti people of the Kivu forest, in the north east of the D.R.C. Nicolas is the leader of the Slow Food Goma Karisimbi Convivum and an active member of Slow Food with Ark of Taste and 10.000 African Gardens projects. He is part of the Steering Committee that created Terra Madre Great Lakes event. As member of the PIDP (Programme Intégré pour le Développement du peuple Pygmée au Kivu) Nicolas is committed to defending the rights of the indigenous peoples in D.R.C, promoting sustainable use of resources and opposing land grabbing.