From the Eco-Spirituality Foundation complex on theSkyBeams Tradewaters Sim, Vickie Maidstone reporting

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And hello everyone from the home of LabGraal and the Eco-Spirituality Foundation I'm Vickie Maidstone along with my guests, Sheela Nagy (Rosalba Natterro in RL) and John Titor Shan (Giancarlo Barbarado in RL), today its my pleasure to bring you a program in which back during the holidays I sent them a series of questions about the foundation, Eco-spirituality Foundation and the work on the behalf of the indigenous peoples around the world.  Certainly I am amazed by what I had learned and was really surprised after viewing the movie "Shan" to which it brought out quite a bit of information that I didn't realize some of the things that were going on world wide even today, the following questions and the answers gives an over view of their work and I am pleased to bring it to you today.

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Who are the founders of Ecospirituality Foundation?

The Ecospirituality Foundation was founded by Giancarlo Barbadoro and me, along with Native Americans, Australian Aborigines, Native Africans and Native Europeans. The founders of the EF are representatives of Indigenous organizations from all around the planet.

When was it founded?

The EF was founded in 2000 during a meeting at Dreamland in Piedmont (North Italy), in which Natives from all around the world participated. Our common goal was to spread Ecospirituality around the planet, which is the philosophy that links all natural Peoples.
After many days of confrontation, dialogues, ideas and discussions, we wrote the Declaration of Ecospirituality, which expressed the philosophy at the base of Natural Peoples’ culture. It also included all common issues related to the representatives of the organizations present.
The following step was the foundation of the Ecospirituality Foundation in order to give life to the effort of spreading Ecospirituality on the planet.
This pact was sealed in the Stone Circle of Dreamland, which Giancarlo and I, along with LabGraal, built to give continuity to the Celtic culture and megalithic art.

What is it about?

The Ecospirituality Foundation is an NGO in Consultative Status with the United Nations that deals with, through special committees, issues concerning Natural Peoples and their way of seeing the relation between the individual, the environment and the mystery of existence. Its objectives include the defense of the traditions and sacred places of the planet’s natives, as well as the exchange of experiences according to the principles of brotherhood and equality of all living species. The EF also dedicates attention to problems on animal rights, which we consider the weakest of all weak species.
The United Nations granted the Ecospirituality Foundation the acknowledgment of “NGO in Consultative Status with the United Nations” for the work that the EF does for the defense of the traditions, sacred places and spirituality of Natural Peoples.
Representatives of native Communities from around the world, aside from the members of LabGraal, are part of the Foundation staff – Lakota, Apache, Bretons, Irish, Native Australians, Natives of Cameroon and Benin, Taino, Natives of India, Quiché of Guatemala, Natives of New Caledonia, just to mention a few.

Who are the indigenous people?

The Indigenous Peoples are native cultures that do not belong to the dominant society, which keep their tribal uses and customs well in life. From among these cultures, we support the Natural Peoples, native cultures that have not been assimilated by the great historical religions, in order to maintain their traditions, rites and sacred places.    
The spirituality of Natural Peoples is in common: from Apache to Bretons, from Australian Aborigines to Native Africans, all have reference in Mother Earth and in the Mystery that it emanates.
Indigenous Peoples are more than 30% of the world populations. They are represented at the United Nations through a specific assembly, the largest of the United Nations, made up of over 3,000 delegates from all Indigenous Nations of the world.

Where are the indigenous people?

Every continent of the Earth contains Peoples that have been colonized by the great religions, through severe repression that almost led to their extinction. Many of these Peoples have been extinct, but others still survive and continue their heritage.
The same happens in Europe. Europe is also home to natives – the Native Europeans. In the past, this culture was identified through Druidism, a culture that still exists. Many Druidic communities continue to preserve their traditions, regardless of the past repressions. This also takes place in our land, Piedmont in Northern Italy, as in many other areas of Europe in which the Celtic culture and Druidic philosophy are still strong, today.

In what ways are you trying to increase awareness of the peoples?

In many ways and by numerous initiatives. I can mention a few. We participate in the United Nations Forum of Indigenous Peoples, making appeals of the Peoples that we support. We organize Conferences and Conventions on Natural Peoples,  both in Italy and other countries. The music of our group, LabGraal, is dedicated to the support of the Native sacred places: the CDs of LabGraal serve as a vehicle for the culture of Natural Peoples. In fact, we collaborate with Native American, Australian and African musicians.
Always with LabGraal, we realized the film “Shan, the ancient heart of Natural Peoples", in which our music was the background for the denunciation of the violations in harm of the Natural Peoples; and in which native representatives from all around the world were able to give a voice to their realities. The film was realized in English, Italian and French; and it was presented at the United Nations of New York.
Since the film Shan produced a lot of interest on this issue, we founded the magazine Shan Magazine that deals with the problems and issues relevant to Natural Peoples.
Also, the interest created by the film Shan was at the base for the creation of ShanCommunityRadio (www.shancommunity.org), in order to give a voice to the Peoples of Mother Earth through interviews, videos, and reportage from around the world.  
Giancarlo and I have written various books on the issue, such as Natural Peoples and Ecospirituality, a text that has United Nations encouragement, and written in collaboration with the Apache leader Ola Cassadore. The book has been translated into many languages and presented at conventions in Europe, USA, France and Australia.   

What are the short term plans to help them, and what of the future?

Our effort is to spread the culture of Natural Peoples so that their ideas and convictions gain visibility, in a world where misinformation and stereotypes created by the dominant society make us believe that these invisible peoples do not exist anymore.
Instead, we believe that Natural Peoples may be a hope for humanity, The example of brotherhood represented by Natural Peoples is the only hope possible in a world divided by ideologies and religions always ready to start dividing wars,
All means of media can be a valid help. Giancarlo Barbadoro and I have participated in the United Nations Forums on Indigenous Peoples of New York and Geneva for 10 years, actively working to obtain the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This Declaration was approved by the United Nations in September 2007; and this moral support has already begun to show positive signs of recognition for these peoples. The EF took efforts for the Declaration to include the protection of Indigenous Peoples’ sacred places, traditions, rites and ritual objects.
The EF supports all Peoples who have their spiritual rights and sacred places violated. Our efforts are at the side with those of other native peoples; and we have appealed to the United Nations many times in regards to different cases – Mount Graham, the Apache sacred mountain; the case of the Ancestral remains of the Australian Aborigines, still located in museums across the world; the cases regarding the desecration of the Breton and Taino sacred sites; the desecration of the sacred mountain Ngog Lituba of the Bassa People of Cameroon.
Many indigenous organizations look for our assistance because EF is one of the few NGOs dedicated to the defense of a moral right, which has its reference in the spirituality of Native Peoples. We believe that the defense of a moral identity of Natural Peoples to be important for their future and for the survival of their culture.

Do you have a website?

We have many websites:

Ecospirituality Foundation:
www.eco-spirituality.org.

ShanCommunityRadio:
www.shancommunuty.org

LabGraal:
www.labgraal.org.

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Certainly one can imagine the scope of this work and can see there are still today injustices committed against native peoples around the world, and yet thru the work and reconizing the Foundation's work it is by and large making progess the world over. Being reconized by thr United Nations as an NGO and consultations certainly Giancarlo Barbarado and Rosalba Nattero, along with the group LabGraal and many members of the Eco-Spirituality Foundation will press forward in their desires to see wrongs made right on behalf of the Indigenous Peoples the world over.

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Images by Vickie Maidstone