One Young World Indigenous Council Member Martha Lidia Oxi Chuy: How Summit Shows ‘Respect for Indigenous People’

Martha Lidia Oxi Chuy stood before a packed audience of attendees at the One Young World Summit, her traditional Guatemalan dress a vibrant reminder of her heritage. As the first One Young World ambassador to speak at its 2024 summit in Montreal, she represents a watershed moment for the organization’s commitment to amplifying Indigenous voices worldwide.

Young visionaries such as Oxi Chuy are why co-founder Kate Robertson and One Young World are committed to supporting Indigenous and First Nations young people worldwide.

“It matters that we learn each other — hear each other, understand each other,” Kate Robertson recently shared in a LinkedIn post.

One Young World Ambassador Creating Opportunities

Oxi Chuy previously served as co-executive director at MAIA Impact—the sole Guatemalan organization founded and led by Indigenous women for Indigenous women. She now serves as the national director at World Connect, where, according to her LinkedIn profile, she is dedicated to “creating opportunities for local leadership in Guatemala to grow with absolute trust in our selected partners and direct investment in local innovation.”

Oxi Chuy declared at the One Young World summit, “Indigenous women are not the problem; we are the solution.”

Her presence marks a significant milestone in One Young World’s mission, co-founded by Kate Robertson and David Jones, to build bridges between Indigenous communities and global leadership platforms.

I felt privileged to join the OYW Indigenous Council and serve as the inaugural keynote speaker and ambassador at the OYW Summit 2024. In a recent LinkedIn post, I reflected on my country’s history through my lens. I discussed our efforts to redefine education in Guatemala, sharing that education has always been my guiding light and that my challenges inspired my commitment to the social sector. I have often been a trailblazer and am determined not to be the only or the last.

While reflecting on her journey from rural Guatemala to global leadership, Oxi Chuy said she will devote her time and energy to “improving health, education, and economic opportunity” for others. Oxi Chuy used her time at One Young World’s summit this year to share her personal story and raise awareness for Indigenous people everywhere.

“Guatemala, with its breathtaking landscapes and vibrant culture, is where I grew up—a place brimming with nature, love, joy, history, and tradition,” Oxi Chuy remarked during her summit speech. “I was raised in a village where 95% of the residents are Indigenous.”

Oxi Chuy described her child as “happy,” especially when she was “mushroom hunting, playing soccer in the streets, or picking fruit from trees.”

However, Oxi Chuy awakened the summit audience to the stark reality of how “for over 500 years, Indigenous people who make up 42% of the population of Guatemala have endured violence and suffered oppression and violence. The most recent experience was the genocide from 1960 to 1996. It’s estimated that more than 200,000 people were murdered, and 45,000 still disappear.”

Oxi Chuy added that every member of her village has a friend who has “disappeared or died.”

Supporting Ancient Wisdom Through Modern Leadership

Since 2016, One Young World has been focused on the challenges faced by Indigenous communities and has established its council dedicated to Indigenous representation. The Indigenous Council, comprising 12 rising change-makers from diverse backgrounds, ensures Indigenous perspectives shape every aspect of the summit’s programming.

“The participation and leadership of youth are highly celebrated here,” Oxi Chuy shared. “I am particularly grateful for the consultation and inclusion of First Nations people throughout the one-year process. One of the biggest highlights was respecting Indigenous peoples’ ways, having their voices, and learning from their culture.”

One Young World supports educational initiatives for Indigenous communities through partnerships with organisations like MAIA Impact. Its work in Guatemala tackles deeply rooted inequalities, particularly affecting Indigenous women’s access to education.

The summit’s commitment to Indigenous representation manifests through programs like the Kokoro Scholarship, which brought one of the largest delegations of Indigenous peoples from various nations. More than 250 organizations, including AstraZeneca, participated in accelerating social impact initiatives focused on Indigenous communities.

The summit’s programming reflected this commitment to authentic representation. Panel discussions, workshops, mentorship sessions, and networking events carefully incorporated diverse contexts and ways of living. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa joined countless other global figures in supporting this mission.

One Young World’s Indigenous Council has established new standards for meaningful inclusion. Indigenous leaders actively shape the organization’s direction, ensuring their communities’ priorities receive proper attention on the global stage.

“Seeing the support and intentionality of more than 250 organizations working to accelerate social impact is very positive,” Oxi Chuy noted. The summit addresses crucial issues through carefully structured programming, including education access, health care, global peace, politics, environmental conservation, and human rights.

One Young World creates spaces where traditional knowledge and modern solutions merge to address pressing global challenges.

The success of participants like Elena Sofia Motta Kolleff, a 23-year-old Guatemalan politician named Politician of the Year, demonstrates the summit’s impact.

“I decided to join a political movement with people who knew our country should work for everyone, and not just those at the top,” Motta Kolleff said in a post shared by One Young World on X.