Understanding Indigenous Rights
Amnesty BAC Advocates for Justice and Equality
"The Earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it."
Amnesty BAC aims to champion the rights of marginalised communities worldwide and raise awareness about significant human rights violations. This month, their focus is on the rights of indigenous people, known in Malaysia as Orang Asli. One of their initiatives is an infographic video highlighting the rights that have been stripped from the Orang Asli community.
To bring awareness to the struggles of Orang Asli, Amnesty BAC held the event "Embracing Native: Indigenous Rights."
They invited Major (R) Kalam Pie, CEO of Jungle School Gombak, a licensed nature guide, ex-military airforce trainer and expert in consultancy and training services. Major Kalam is a member of the Proto-Malay tribe.
Major Kalam shared stories from his life, along with challenges he has faced as an Orang Asli. He also shared some of the initiatives taken by the community and some of the ways they are spreading awareness about their struggles as a community. However, he didn't just want to share about current issues, he also wanted to impart some knowledge on Orang Asli culture, so he shared about a traditional puzzle called a kerchang.
The kerchang is a puzzle made out of bamboo sticks with a string tied into it. The objective of the puzzle is to remove the string from the bamboo without untying it. According to traditional Orang Asli stories, the kerchang was used as a way for those in the forest to distract ghosts while they made their way home. It was also a puzzle given by a father to his potential son-in-law to test his knowledge and ability. These days, it is considered a traditional game among different Orang Asli tribes.
After everyone had their opportunity to try solving a few kerchang of differing difficulty, Amnesty BAC held a Kahoot session, testing participants on the facts about Orang Asli. In between the questions, Major Kalam shared more about the facts mentioned in the questions and gave some explanations.
This event was an interesting one, giving students a chance to widen their worldview and learn more about a culture other than their own. It also gave them a chance to learn about the issues faced by their fellow Malaysians.
If you are interested in what Amnesty BAC is doing, you can click the button below to register or visit their Instagram today. See you at their next event!
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