The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) was successful in its application for a Council on Australia-Latin America Relations (COALAR) grant to support a two-way learning exchange aimed at revitalising Indigenous languages in Mexico, and fostering Indigenous-led land and water management in Peru.
The $40,000 grant will enable an exchange program in early 2019 between AIATSIS and the National Indigenous Languages Institute and the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples in Mexico, as well as the Peruvian Government.
The exchange program will focus on language preservation, curriculum development, the management of Indigenous cultural heritage materials, Indigenous policy making, and land and water management. It will allow for the sharing of expert advice on experiences and achievements, as well as lessons learned from the three comparative contexts.
AIATSIS has supported other soft diplomacy initiatives through its 50 year history via its expertise and leadership in supporting the revitalisation of endangered languages, providing a forum for Indigenous policy development and innovative native title, heritage and land and water research.
Read the Minister for Foreign Affairs' media release.
Read about the other 2018-19 COALAR grant recipients.