Field Visit – Dambana Indigenous Village | Nyéléni Global Forum 2025

12th September 2025, participants of the Third Nyéléni Global Forum had the privilege of visiting Dambana, the ancestral homeland of Sri Lanka’s Indigenous Vedda community.

This field visit embodied the vision of food sovereignty—placing people, nature, and culture at the center of sustainable food systems. The event was particularly notable for Sri Lankan indigenous leader Uruwarige Vannila aththan, who engaged in meaningful discussions with the guests, and the audience learned from him about traditional environmental knowledge, forest-friendly practices, and community-led resilience.

They witnessed:
Daily life and food preparation rooted in age-old techniques.
The Vedda people’s close relationship with land, forest, and biodiversity.
The challenges faced in protecting land rights, forest access, and cultural autonomy amidst modern pressures.

Dambana stands as a living testament to Sri Lanka’s Indigenous heritage—a community that continues to safeguard biodiversity, preserve seeds, and nurture diets based on locally sourced tubers, honey, yams, fruits, and grains.

It is a unique opportunity for a Filipino indigenous leader to join this effort.

Through this visit, Nyéléni participants gained a deeper understanding of how Indigenous communities sustain life in harmony with nature, and why defending their rights is central to achieving global food sovereignty.
2025.09.12
Date
Location
Dambana