Enough is enough!
We denounce this racist and hateful rhetoric and call the world’s attention to the fact that these narratives are created and promoted by the Russian State, which is now attacking Ukrainian independence. Minorities and Indigenous Peoples in Russia face stereotypes, discrimination, and marginalization, and Russian propaganda has deliberately used them as faces of the war in order to distance violence and injustice from the Russian political regime. The Pope’s repetition of Russian propaganda is an ill-informed and dangerous accusation that perpetuates harmful, racist and colonial myths that stem from Russia’s long and violent imperial history. These accusations by the Pope are forms of double colonialism, genocide, and a horrific history set to repeat.
The Russian Federation is home to millions of people of diverse ethnicities, including Indigenous populations spread across roughly
Many see Putin’s recent forced mobilization of soldiers for the war against Ukraine as an
This summer, Pope Francis
We, representatives of Indigenous Peoples, other nations, and civil society:
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Demand the Pope apologize to Chechens and Buryats for perpetuating colonial stereotypes. Whole Peoples should not be vilified and blamed for the actions of the Russian State.
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Strongly encourage Pope Francis to meet with Indigenous Peoples from Russia to start a discussion about overcoming the stereotypes of our common colonial history.
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Also demand that mainstream media, like CNN, recognize their role in sustaining these stereotypes and call them out outright.
Signed,
10. Center for World Indigenous Studies
11. Mohawk Farm
12. Waltraut Trümper
13. Tomwo intergrated pastoralist development initiatives(TIPDI)
14. W.E.Whiteman & Co
15. The NewBridge Project
16. Paterson Law Office
17. Minnesota Transformative Justice
21. Paropakar Primary Health Care Centre