Bios for Speakers

Global Indigenous Youth Forum 2021 Towards the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 June 16 – June 18, 2021 from 15:00 – 17:30 Rome (CET) Draft Speaker Bios DAY 1 - Wednesday 16th of June Global Session 1: Global opening ceremony + High Level Remarks (15:05-16:00 CEST) Ms. Denisa Livingston International Indigenous Councilor of the Global North, Slow Food International & 2021 United Nations Food Systems Champion Denisa Livingston, M.P.H., (Diné, New Mexico, she/her/hers) is an unapologetic Indigenous food justice organizer, Slow Food International Indigenous Councilor of the Global North, and an Appointed Member of the Champions Network of the United Nations 2021 Food Systems Summit. Denisa has been a legislative speaker and community health advocate for the Diné Community Advocacy Alliance (DCAA). DCAA have been globally recognized for the successful passage of several laws, the first of its kind addressing food apartheid: Elimination of Tax on Healthy Foods with an emphasis on Indigenous foods, the Healthy Diné Nation Act of 2014 or Unhealthy Foods Tax, and a tax revenue allocation for Community Wellness Projects for all 110 Navajo Chapters. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She is the co-chair of the advisory board of the Slow Food Indigenous Peoples international network - Indigenous Terra Madre, a steering committee member of the Slow Food Turtle Island Association, a member of a national Sugar Action Group, served as advisory member of the groundbreaking initiative, Reclaiming Native Truth and an Ashoka Fellow, among other initiatives. Ms. Tara Maudrie Enrolled member of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and a member of the Baltimore and Detroit urban Native communities. Maudrie received her Masters of Science in Public Health in Human Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Spring of 2021, and will be beginning her PhD studies at Johns Hopkins in Fall of 2021. Tara is passionate about food justice, food sovereignty, Indigenous research methodologies, and urban Native health. Currently, Maudrie is coordinating a research study with Baltimore Native LifeLines to explore food security and food sovereignty within the context of urban Native communities. In the future, she hopes to advocate for changes in public health policy to better support urban Native food security and food sovereignty. Mr. Pacha K’anchay Spiritual counselor, Yanakuna Indigenous Peoples in Colombia Harrison Caicedo, by the ancestral name Pacha K’anchay, which means the sun glint that penetrates the earth, is an Indigenous young Yanakuna man, who has given his life to learn the spiritual practices of his ancestors. He has walked long territories in his country COlombia, sharing with different ethnic groups and learning from their traditions and wisdom. Pacha K’anchay has been raised in the spiritual learning and today he is accompanying the Confederation of Indigenous Traditional medics of Colombia, acting as a spokesman for the counselors of the national council, of Indigenous Elders of Colombia, that pilgrimage the snow-capped peaks, those who have left their territories in order to share and teach how to co-exist in the spirit and with the wisdom of the Mother Earth Mr. Aiwan Abhay Minz Indigenous child from Oraon, India, 9 years old Master Aiwan Abhay Minz belongs to the Indigenous community of Oraon located in central India. Born to Indigenous activist parents, Dr. Meenakshi Munda and Dr. Abhay Sagar Minz, he had the exposure to Indigenous struggles and rightful intervention methods right from his childhood. He accompanied his parents to United Nations Geneva, meetings of Asia Young Indigenous Peoples Network (AYIPN), Philippines, Asia Indigenous People’s Pact (AIPP) meetings in Chaing Mai, Thailand and various meetings at regional and national level in India. Inquisitive by nature, he tried to gather knowledge on various issues, right from basic human rights to climate change, struggle of Adivasis etc. He is extremely interested in plantation drives, Indigenous farming methods, humanitarian activities especially health camps and library establishment in rural areas, traditional dance and songs.He is presently a student of St. Xavier’s School Doranda, Ranchi, in India grade 4. He aspires to work for the Indigenous community. Mr. Geoffrey Roth Member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (United States of America) & Interim Executive Director, Native Americans in Philantropy. Mr. Geoffrey Roth (Standing Rock Sioux) has devoted his entire career, spanning 20 years, to the advocacy of Indigenous rights in diverse sectors. He is currently providing advice on policy and legislative strategies for Urban Indian Organizations. Mr. Roth recently co-founded Inaji, an Indigenous-led technology company, providing culturally competent solutions to improve American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) healthcare. Former President Barack Obama appointed Mr. Roth in 2010 to serve in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Indian Health Service (IHS), which is responsible for the allocation of a $6 billion US dollars federal appropriation for AI/AN healthcare. H.E. Alexandra Bugailiskis Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to FAO. Chair of Friends of Indigenous Peoples in Rome. Ambassador Bugailiskis has served abroad as ambassador to Syria and high commissioner to Cyprus, ambassador to Cuba and Poland. In Ottawa, Ms. Bugailiskis has held a number of senior positions. In August 2017, Alexandra Bugailiskis was appointed as Canada’s Ambassador to the Italian Republic, as well as Permanent Representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, with concurrent accreditation as Ambassador to the Republic of San Marino and Albania and High Commissioner to Malta. H.E. Miguel Jorge García Winder Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Mexico to FAO. Member of the Friends of Indigenous Peoples in Rome. Miguel has held a number of senior positions within agricultural governance, and currently holds the position of Special Advisor to Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture. He has previously worked for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), as Director for the Center for Strategic Analysis in Agriculture (CAESPA). Miguel has authored and co-authored more than 40 publications both in peer review and non-peer reviewed journals, including technical documents for farmers and policy makers. Ms. Beth Bechdol Deputy Director-General, Programmes, FAO Beth arrived at FAO in March 2020 to commence the work as Deputy Director-General. Prior to this, Beth was part of conceptualizing, building and growing AgriNovus Indiana, an economic development non-profit organization, where she acted as president and CEO. She has also got experience from roles in the US Senate Agriculture Committee and at the US Department of Agriculture. She holds a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Purdue. Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim Member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 2021 United Nations Food Systems Champion Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is an indigenous Mbororo woman from Chad. She is an expert in indigenous peoples’ adaptation to climate change, traditional ecological knowledge, and climate change mitigation strategies. She has been the Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change during COP20, COP21, COP22, COP23, that led to a significant recognition of indigenous peoples’ role in the fight against climate change. Hailing from a Mbororo pastoralist community in Chad, Ms. Ibrahim founded the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) and works to empower indigenous peoples’ voices and ensure their inclusion on international platforms. Ms. Mai Thin Yu Mon, Indigenous UN Food Systems Summit Champion, and Focal Point for the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus in Asia Mai Thin Yu Mon is a young indigenous rights activist from Chin community in Myanmar. She is a Program Director of Indigenous Peoples Development Program of Chin Human Rights Organization. She is representing indigenous youths to the Executive Council of Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact. She is also serving as a Asia focal person for Global Indigenous Youth Caucus since 2016. She has been working with indigenous communities in Myanmar and Asia for the past several years, being a part of strengthening platforms for indigenous youths and indigenous women across Asia. Ms. Jessica Vega Ortega Co-Chair, Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, 2021 United Nations Food Systems Champion Jessica is an Indigenous Mixtec, originally from the community of San Miguel Ahuehuetitlán, Oaxaca, resident in the municipality of Valle de Chalco, Solidaridad (XICO), State of Mexico. She studied the Bachelor of Political Science and Public Administration at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She has been an intern and consultant in the Indigenous Peoples Unit of FAO. Jessica is a promoter, defender and workshop leader of the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples specifically for indigenous children, adolescents and youth. She is the coordinator of the Yani Tundavii Dikuintii collective, (Hermanos Mixtecos Juntos), part of the CIARENA organization. AC. Member of the Coordinating Committee of the Network of Indigenous Youth of Latin America and the Caribbean, Co-Chair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus GIYC 2019-2021.

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