Yuliya Vassilyeva’s photograph of a Nenets girl looking out the door of her chum opens Survival’s 2025 ‘We, the people’ Calendar. © Yuliya Vassilyeva
A special gift for the upcoming holidays
The extraordinary diversity of the world’s indigenous peoples and their daily struggles to have their fundamental rights recognized celebrated in thirteen splendid images: it is the 2025 edition of the “We, the people” calendar di Survival International.
On the cover, this year, a young Tibetan woman harvesting wheat at high altitude, over 4,200m, immortalized by indigenous photographer Camille Seaman. A quarter of the photographs are the work of indigenous authors and tells the worlds and visions of these peoples through their own eyes. Like the artwork by Aboriginal artist Lowell Hunter who depicts the Songlines in the sand, then photographed from above by himself with a drone.
Within the calendar they follow one another portraits, landscapes and scenes of daily life among the Nenets, the Awá, the Adivasis, the Masai and other indigenous peoples, in a real world tour that goes from the Philippines to Australia, from Kenya to Colombia. The captions that accompany each image help to contextualize the shot and to enhance the culture and resilience of the people portrayed.
Despite the great variety of lifestyles and worldviews, most of these peoples are united by the invasion and theft of their lands, which still threatens their very survival in many places today.
They are robbed of their territories for profit; their forests are destroyed to extract wood, oil or minerals; they are even brutally evicted from the lands they are custodians of in the name of “protecting” the environment. But despite everything they continue to exist and resist, forcefully claiming their rights.
Other images enhance the deep and intimate relationship that indigenous peoples have with their environment and with the nature that surrounds them, like the photograph by Ricardo Teles which portrays a kamayurá girl from Brazil locked in an embrace with her spider monkey while observing a fire that is burning the forest on the horizon.
In this year’s selection there are also two Italian photographers: Nicola Ducati, with the image of a Masai man standing out over the landscape with his colorful shuka, and Marco Simoncelli with the photograph of an Aka woman from the Republic of Congo who collects edible caterpillars in his forest.
For 25 years, the “We, the people” Calendar has constituted one of the most important fundraising initiatives to support Survival International’s campaignswhich has always refused funds from governments. In fact, the proceeds from sales go entirely to financing the campaigns that the organization conducts alongside indigenous peoples, allowing it to maintain its strong and independent voice. It can buy online on the Survival website at the price of €15.40 (and with special offers that bring the price down to €12 each for orders of 2, 5 and 10 calendars).
“The 2025 Calendar is an excellent gift idea for the upcoming holidays, both for relatives and friends and for teachers or even as a Christmas present in the company: it allows us to finance an urgent cause that concerns each of us and, at the same time , to give to those who receive it a tangible testimony of the astonishing richness of human diversity, which indigenous peoples represent and nurture for the benefit of all humanity” commented today Francesca Casella, Director of Survival International Italy.
Survival International, the global movement for the rights of indigenous peoples, was founded in 1969 following the publication of an article on the genocide of indigenous Brazilians, written by Norman Lewis for the British Sunday Times, and accompanied by powerful images by the famous photographer Don McCullin. It exists to prevent the extermination of indigenous peoples and give them a platform from which to address the world to denounce the genocidal violence, slavery and racism they suffer every day.
Notes to editors:
- To request photographs of the Calendar, write to: [email protected], tel: +39 02 8900671. Images may only be used to promote Survival’s 2025 Calendar. Copyright belongs to the respective photographers and each image must carry the correct credit; images may not be cut, edited or reused. If photographs do not carry correct credit or are used improperly, individual photographers reserve the right to demand payment of a publication fee.
- The photographers who contributed their shots to the creation of the calendar are: Ricardo Teles, Yuliya Vassilyeva, Tiina Itkonen, Lowell Hunter, Jacob Maentz, Charlie Hamilton James, Camille Seaman, Nicola Ducati, Marco Simoncelli, Juan Pablo Gutierrez, Vijay Ramamurthy, Zay Yar Lin.
- You can purchase the 2025 Calendar “We, the people” on online catalogue of Survival at the price of €15.40 (and with special offers that bring the price down to €12 each for orders of 2, 5 and 10 calendars).
Oples around the world.
Guest 1: Can you tell us about the significance of Survival International’s 2025 “We, the People” calendar and what inspired the choice of photographs for this year’s edition?
Guest 2: Absolutely! The 2025 “We, the People” calendar is a special fundraising initiative by Survival International that has been going on for 25 years. The purpose of the calendar is to raise awareness about the critical issues facing indigenous communities worldwide and to celebrate their cultures and resilience. This year’s calendar features stunning photographs taken by both professional and indigenous photographers, showcasing the daily lives and struggles of various indigenous peoples from different parts of the world. The selection process involved choosing photographs that represent the rich cultural diversity of these communities while also highlighting their experiences of land theft, deforestation, and oppression.
Guest 1: That’s fascinating. What do you think makes this calendar special compared to other calendars?
Guest 2: The “We, the People” calendar stands out because it’s one of the few fundraising initiatives that Survival International conducts without accepting any government funding. All proceeds from the sales go directly to support the organization’s campaigns alongside indigenous peoples. Additionally, about a quarter of the photographs in this year’s edition were taken by indigenous photographers themselves, which adds a unique perspective and authenticity to the depiction of these communities.
Guest 1: I see. Can you tell us more about Survival International’s role in supporting indigenous rights and how the sales of this calendar contribute to that?
Guest 2: Survival International is a global movement that advocates for the rights of indigenous peoples. They work closely with these communities to address issues like genocide, slavery, and racism, as well as fighting for their land rights and self-determination. The sales of the “We, the People” calendar allow them to maintain their independent voice and channel resources directly to grassroots organizations working on the ground. By purchasing this calendar, people can support these causes and learn about the diverse cultures and perspectives of indigenous pe
