Religious and Cultural Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples in Indonesia and the Philippines

This research study aims to deepen understanding of the unique contexts, challenges, and opportunities facing Indigenous Peoples in Indonesia and the Philippines in the exercise of Indigenous religions, beliefs and practices, to inform potential project design and implementation strategies for the expansion of the Asia Religious and Ethnic Freedom Project (Asia REF) and ensure that the project is responsive to the needs and expectations of these communities. The objectives and goals of this project is focused on religious and ethnic freedoms and viewing its context within particular topics such as human rights, protective mechanisms, access to justice, legal issues, ancestral domain, social tolerance, and women’s and youth issues.

The objectives of this research are: a) the conduct of a comprehensive context analysis, leveraging existing literature and targeted primary research involving Indigenous  Peoples in Indonesia and the Philippines; b) the identification and prioritization of key issues affecting the rights and freedoms of Indigenous  communities within these countries; c) the analysis of capacity needs and gaps among rights-holders and duty-bearers related to these key issues; and d) the development of actionable, evidence-based recommendations for project design and implementation.