ILO Convention 169 – The Sorbian Appeal for Recognition as an Indigenous People

We Sorbs are a people with a deep and unshakable connection to our homeland, Lusatia. We have been living in this unique cultural landscape for well over a thousand years, helping to shape, defend and shaped it. Our language, our customs, our villages and our traditional traditions are not museum remains, but rather a living andconstantly evolving culture. Despite all the historical challenges – from forced assimilation to economic exploitation to political marginalization – we have succeeded in preserving our identity and adapting our way of life to changing conditions. Our present is characterized by resistance as well as by the constant effort to make our placeto be determined in society.

Structural Ignorance: The German government and the struggle for recognition

Although we have been Sorbs in Lusatia for centuries and have preserved our cultural heritage for generations, the German government has still refused us official recognition as an indigenous people. This ongoing non-recognition is far more than a legal omission – it is a sign of structural ignorance and lack of political will, ourto seriously recognize history, identity and our right to self-determination. The Federal Republic has ratified the ILO Convention 169, an international agreement that obliges states to protect the rights of indigenous peoples and to ensure their co-determination in all matters concerning them. Nevertheless, we remain excluded from these basic rights,Although we meet all the criteria: We are an autochthonous, unimmigrant people who have lived on their ancestral country since the time of the state was founded and have preserved their social, cultural and political structures.

The consequences of non-recognition: legal, cultural and social impact

The German refusal to recognize the Sorbs as an indigenous people has far-reaching and noticeable consequences. It is not limited to symbolic politics, but has a concrete impact on our everyday life, our future and our self-image. Without the status of an indigenous community, we have central rights, such as a say in political decisions that ourhabitats, or the establishment and operation of independent educational and cultural institutions, is denied. Instead of really acting independently, we are forced into state-controlled structures that do not allow us to be real independent. Our interests are represented by organizations whose financing and orientation depends largely on government agencies. thePromotion of our language is half-hearted and not as a real equal goal. Our culture is presented and celebrated to the outside world, but is not secured in its continued existence by concrete protective measures.

Apparent arguments and reality: The debate about integration and identity

The arguments put against our recognition are not convincing. It is claimed that the Sorbs are too integrated, too little “different” to be considered an indigenous community. But integration is not proof of the lack of indigenousness – rather, it is often the result of centuries of assimilation policy that has forced us to live our way of lifeto reconstitute to majority relationships. Participation in economic processes, such as lignite mining, is given as justification against our rights. But this is a twist of the facts: Our villages were destroyed, our landscapes were irretrievably changed and our communities torn apart. that some Sorbs were forced to take these processesSubject is not an argument against the recognition of our rights, but proof of their urgent need.

Democratic deficits: The disregard for Sorbian self-representation

A particularly serious problem is the lack of recognition of our own democratic structures. The Serbski Sejm, the freely elected representative of the Sorbs, is ignored by the federal government. Instead of entering into a real dialogue with elected representatives of the Sorbian community, talks are given preferentially with hand-picked actors, who are often in financialor institutional dependency. Our suggestions and demands are not taken seriously, our voices remain unheard. This is not democratic participation, but paternalistic paternalism that undermines our rights as an equal community.

Right to self-determination: Why the ILO Convention 169 applies to us

The ILO Convention 169 obliges states to strengthen indigenous peoples in their rights and to give them the opportunity to determine their own life, culture and future themselves. We Sorbs meet all the requirements: Our language is unique, our traditions are deeply rooted in Lusatia, our institutions go far back. Nevertheless, we have the right toSelf-determination and co-determination so far denied. Germany not only breaks international law, but also morally fails to do justice to its own principles of equality and justice.

No special treatment, but justice: our demands

Our demands are clear and well-founded. We do not require privileges or special rights, but to recognize what is due to us. Recognition as an indigenous people would allow us to cultivate our language and culture in our own institutions, to independently represent our interests at the political level and to create our perspectives on an equal footing with the design.to bring in Lusatia. It’s not about a folkloric upgrading, but about substantive equality within German society.

Symbolic politics is not enough: the need for political consistency

The federal government is faced with a decision of fundamental importance: does it want to continue to focus on symbolic politics and non-binding gestures or finally take the diversity and history of its population seriously? The world is watching – international organizations such as the ILO, the EU and the Council of Europe are watching closely how Germany is dealing with its autochthonous communities. thePersistent non-recognition of the Sorbs as an indigenous people is a blemish that damages the credibility of German and human rights credentials.

Responsibility and Vision: The Future of the Sorbian Community

We Sorbs in Lusatia are willing to take responsibility and actively shape our future. We bring tradition, experience and ideas to create a just, diverse and open society. What we lack is the official recognition of our role as equal actors. Recognizing our indigenousness would be an overdue step to our justiceto realize self-determination and make Germany a country that takes its own ideals seriously.

Our vote counts – for a fair future

We Sorbs are not a relic of the past, but a living, creative force in Lusatia and in Germany. We have always been here and will continue to stand up for our rights in the future. The time of symbolic gestures is over. Now it needs political consistency, legal clarity and social openness. Recognizing our indigenousness is not a gift,Rather, our justice – and we will demand it with emphasis, dignity and the strength of our history.