November 20, 2008, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Members of the World Peasants/Indigenous Organization (WPIO) are meeting with African leaders in Ethiopia today to present a study on environmental impact of the eviction of pygmies from forests in Western Uganda.

Freddy Wangabo, the director of the WPIO, will make a presentation during the Sixth African Development Forum, which runs through Friday in Addis Ababa.

The study and accompanying documentary, titled “Global Warming: A Concrete Experience With Pygmies’ Lives,” draws attention to the forced evictions and other human rights violations pygmies face as land is developed and they are driven from their forest homes. The report seeks to show the relationship between pygmies and the forest, and to promote indigenous rights and sustainable development.

Pygmies are one of the oldest populations in Africa, hunter-gatherers who live off of the fruits, leaves, insects and small game of the forest. Although many countries do not count pygmies in their population statistics, there are an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 pygmies in Uganda.

Starting in the early 1990s, pygmies have faced forced evictions by the government of Uganda. Estimates suggest hundreds of thousands of pygmies have been driven out in order to give the land to investors. If the process is allowed to continue, many predict that both the forest and the pygmies that inhabit it will be gone with in 27 years. The destruction of forests in Uganda has been identified by scientists as a contributor to global warming.

The WPIO, a partner of The Advocacy Project, is using the documentary and case study as an advocacy tool to inform policy makers and the international community about the plight of pygmies, and advocate for a sustainable solution for them.

The three-day Development Forum meeting will focus on the creation of jobs in advancing economic growth in Africa. The meeting was jointly organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union, and the African Development Bank.