PKSF Microcredit Program Funding Policy for Indigenous Ethnic Minorities

PKSF Microcredit Program Funding Policy for Indigenous Ethnic Minorities

1.         Introduction

i)             This Policy describes broad framework for microcredit programs (MCP) that affect indigenous peoples.

ii)          PKSF will extend microcredit through selected partner organizations (POs), among indigenous peoples, tribes, ethnic minorities, or other groups to increase their capacity to assert their interests and rights in land and other productive resources, following the general principles and guidelines of PKSF.

iii)        It sets the basic definitions, policy objectives, guidelines for the design and implementation of MCP for indigenous peoples, in a sustainable manner.

iv)         It should be consistent with the overall policies of the GOB with respect to indigenous ethnic minorities.

2.         Definitions

i)             The terms "indigenous peoples," "indigenous ethnic minorities," "tribal groups,'' and "scheduled tribes" describe social groups with a social and cultural identity distinct from the dominant society that makes them vulnerable to being disadvantaged in the development process. For the purposes of this directive, "indigenous peoples" is the term that will be used to refer to these groups.

ii)          Because of the varied and changing contexts in which indigenous peoples are found, no single definition can capture their diversity. Indigenous people are commonly among the poorest segments of a population. They engage in economic activities that range from shifting agriculture in or near forests to wage labor or even small-scale market-oriented activities.

iii)        In accordance with the policies of the GOB, indigenous peoples can be identified in particular geographical areas: Chakma, Mong in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT),Manipuri’s in Sylhet, Garos in Modhupur and Mymensingh, Shawntals in Rajshahi, etc.

iv)         The following characteristics are distinct in varying degrees among the indigenous people:

a)   A close attachment to ancestral territories and to the natural resources in these areas;

b) Self-identification and identification by others as members of a distinct cultural group;

c)   An indigenous language, often different from the national language;

d)   Presence of customary social and political institutions; and

e)   Primarily subsistence-oriented production.