May 17 Join us at the U.N. to Celebrate the Election of Grad Student to Forum on Indigenous Issues

Bertie Xavier, a student of the Class of 2011 of the Future Generations Graduate School (www.future.edu), has been elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) as a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). On Tuesday, May 17 Bertie and members of UNPFII will be honored by the UN with a cultural exhibit. Please join the Future Generations Graduate School as we celebrate this event.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

    United Nations Visitors Centre
    Secretariat Lobby
    1st Avenue between 45th and 46th Street
    New York, New York

   Time: 5:30 p.m.

To RSVP please contact Wariko Waita at:
wwaita@future.edu or 240-393-5173

Bertie Xavier of the Macushi people in Wowetta Village has exhibited a lifelong commitment to sustaining the ecosystems and traditional livelihoods of his homeland in the Rupununi savannah. With a background in forestry, GIS computer mapping, and a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Guyana, Bertie has facilitated numerous projects for monitoring and protecting endangered flora and fauna and educating youth as the acting principal of the Bina Hill Institute.

In 2009, the people of Wowetta, a village of more than 300 people, elected Bertie as their Toshao (village chief). He manages five community economic development projects, inlcuding cassava processing, youth carpentry, and solar homes. Bertie also serves as the secretary of the North Rupununi District Development Board.

Bertie enrolled in the Master’s Degree program of the Future Generations Graduate School to strengthen his skills in linking community-led development with nature conservation. Bertie believes that the diversity of Wowetta is its great strength, not only its culture, language, wildlife, and non-timber forest resources, but also the diversity of economic activities and community action groups.

“As a community leader, a lot of things motivate me,” says Bertie. “I think about people’s development first, social development, economic development, and environmental development....People’s involvement in all of these aspects of development is critical; if they are involved we are in a better position to bring about change in people’s lives.”