The representatives of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas gathered during the
second Annual Forum of Connectivity in Ottawa, Canada on March 24-26, 2003 and
expressed the following:

To join our voices to the millions of peoples around the world, including the
voices of the peoples in United States, the voice of our sister Rigoberta Menchù
Tum, 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner and other indigenous organizations to condemn
the genocidal American invasion against the Iraqi people.

This genocide is a crime against humanity and violates international law as well as
human and legal rights. This is a criminal invasion and it is killing innocent
children, women and the elderly.

It lacks any kind of legitimacy and cannot be justified as it violates all
declarations to live in peace. It violates the self determination and sovereignty
of peoples and the consensus reached by most states represented in the United
Nations.

The representatives of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas strongly request that
all those responsible for these criminal acts be brought to the International War
Crimes Court and be condemned internationally.

We urge the United Nations to call for an emergency meeting of the Security Council
to condemn the United States government, and its allies decision to go to war and
we call for an immediate cease fire, while re-establishing diplomacy to end this
conflict. Furthermore, we reject any new government imposed by the United States as
it will only justify its presence in Iraq to protect its own geo-political and geo-
economic interests.

We encourage all the peoples of the world to maintain their unity and to strengthen
their mobilization against this injustice, to show their love for peace, fraternity
and intercultural dialogue.

We all shall reject the unilateral use of weapons to impose colonialist agendas
and try to eliminate the cultural diversity of the world.

As indigenous peoples, we do not condone war, violence, or any other conflict that
destroys our Mother Earth. On the contrary, we promote dialogue as our principle
and we do not reject peace.

As indigenous peoples, we have suffered genocide throughout our history and for
that reason we want to congratulate all those states that chose the option of peace
and respect for human life. Therefore, we request all those states to make their
best efforts to re-establish the multilateral order as a legal instrument against
this neo-imperialist disorder.

Ottawa, March 25th 2003

Firmas:

Asociación de Radios Comunitarias. ARCG. Guatemala
Asamblea Anacional Indígena Plural por la Autonomia. ANIPA. México
Abya Yala Nexus USA
Bachillerato Integral Comunitario Ayujk Polivalente. BICAP. Bolivia
Consejo Indígena de Centro América . CICA. Guatemala
Central Independiente de Obreros Agrícolas y Campesinos.CIOAC. México
Coalición Obrero Campesina y Estudiantil del Istmo, COCEI.
Comisión de Juristas Indígenas de Argentina. Argentina
Coordinadora Mapuche de Neuquen. Argentina
Conferencia Permanente de Pueblos Indígenas COPPIP. Peru
Comision Juridica para el Autodesarrollo de los Pueblos Originarios Andinos.
CAPAJ.Peru
CONAIE, Departamento de Comunicacion.
Enlace Continental de Mujeres Indigenas . Panamá Brazil
Fundación Rigoberta Menchu. Guatemala
Foro Permanente sobre Pueblos Indígenas. ONU
Instituto Indigena de Propiedad Intelectual, INBRAPI. Brazil
InforCauca . Colombia
Information Network of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. INIPA. Canada
Liga Maya Internacional . Guatemala
Universidade Federal de Mato Groso. Brasil
Coordinadora Nacional de Mujeres Indígenas de México, CNMI. México
Movimiento Chirapaq. Peru
Mujeres Mayas de Jovel. México
Maya-Ixil, Proyecto Enlace Quiché . Guatemala
Oficina para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas. Guatemala
Quechua Network. USA
Promama de Derechos Indígenas, Instituto de Estudios Indígenas. Chile
Prensa Indígena Internacional. Canada
Resurgimiento Ancestral Indígena Salvadoreño. El Salvador
Red Nacional de Trabajadoras de la Información y Comunicación-REDADA.Bolivia RED
Kechwa. USA
SAPINCHIKMANTA Radio Programa en Quecha y Castellano. Ayacucho
Servicios para el Desarrollo, Pueblo Nahñu - Mexico
Unión Nacional de Mujeres Kunas. Panama