PILnet gathers business leaders, representatives of Indigenous communities, and legal professionals for a course on protecting Indigenous rights amid growing extractive industry activity in the Global South.

Between March 5 and March 26, 2026, PILnet convened  its first-ever Responsible Business & Indigenous Rights International Course. This four-part online series brought together a global community of advocates, legal professionals, indigenous leaders, and civil society organizations law schools, fostering a safe, rich discussion space for collective learning. 

As extractive activities expand across the Global South, this course created space for honest dialogue about conflicts of interest, competing standards, and reflection on how we can collaboratively change the status quo. Indigenous communities are leading the way with new legal frameworks. Course participants represented indigenous organizations that are redefining what is legally required and what is ethically defensible.

A Global Gathering for Local Impact

The response to this initiative was unprecedented. 350 participants from across the globe registered, with a consistent average attendance of 90 participants per session. This turnout underscores the need to foster more inclusive dialogue spaces where all interested stakeholders can come together to discuss the roles they play in the cycle of extractive activities, especially those carried out in Indigenous territories. 

“Corporate counsel and indigenous leaders do not often occupy the same room, let alone the same panel. But when they do, something shifts,” said Tassia Sodre, former PILnet Legal Officer and course organizer. “It feels like the only honest path to what ‘responsible business’ could mean in practice.”

The 90-minute sessions were designed to be interconnected, taking participants on a complete journey through the topic. Each session built on the previous one, focusing, in particular, on the impact of extractive activities on Indigenous lands across Latin America. To ensure meaningful participation and representation, simultaneous English-Spanish translation was offered, so that all voices were heard. 

 The four sessions covered: legal frameworks and landmark cases on Indigenous rights, corporate responsibilities and ethical considerations, and strategy for preventing and managing conflicts. A brief summary of some of the sessions is highlighted below:

  • Historical and Legal Frameworks: Professor Raquel Yrigoyen Fajardo, an indigenous female activist from Peru took us through the historical context of the legal frameworks governing Indigenous rights today. This session  analyzed the standards that must be observed and respected when implementing any activity in Indigenous territories.
  • Precedents that changed the game in Latin America: We learned directly from organizations that have litigated before the Inter-American System of Human Rights: International Institute of Law and Society (Peru), Fundación Pachamama (Ecuador), and CELS (Argentina). These arent just court victories but  set  the standards for a legally-sound approach to extractivist activities, including the requirement Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and the right to a healthy environment.
  • When “soft law” becomes real: Led by Professor Lamin Khadar and students from NYU School of Law, we examined  how “soft law” (non-binding) standards impact corporate practice. This included a deep dive into conflict-of-interest dilemmas in due diligence and the ethical challenges lawyers face when advising corporations.
  • Joint Reflections on Practical Challenges: In a closing  panel moderated by Nadia Barros, we brought together voices that rarely occupy the same room, to reflect on the evolution of benefit-sharing models and the legitimacy of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).
    • Corporate and Legal Insight: Clara Pacce (TozziniFreire) from Brazil and Rodrigo Galleguillos (Galleguillos Abogados) from Chile discussed the tensions inherent in projects that are legally defensible but raise serious human rights concerns.
    • Indigenous Leaders Lana Pylaeva (Arctida) indigenous activist from Russia and Roy Agloinga, President and CEO (First Alaskans Institute) from Alaska brought global perspectives on what recognition means in practice in different jurisdictions. They  shared insights on the tensions between climate protection and economic development within Indigenous governance systems and generational tensions arising when addressing these topics.

See the full program with speakers here. 

The impact of this space was best summarized by one of our participants, whose words remind us why this dialogue is so vital:

“Thank you very much, it has been an honor to be part of this course where the voice of the collective to which I belong is rarely heard. I hope that the universe allows me to continue learning from you.”

A Collective Initiative Built by Many Hands

This course was built by many hands and, with great care, designed for everyone who wishes to open routes to collaboration, dialogue, and meaningful reflection. We are deeply grateful to the experts who helped build each session: Dr. Raquel Yrigoyen (IIDS), Cristina Melo (Fundación Pachama), Maria José (CELS), and Professor Lamin Khadar (NYU School of Law).

“This course reminded me why we do this work: creating spaces that respond to the most current and pressing legal needs affecting the functioning of civic spaces and social resilience worldwide,” said Sodre. “With this successful course now completed, we are looking ahead to shedding light on the specificities of extractivist practices in Asia and Africa in the near future.”

If you are a lawyer and want to contribute to the work we do, we invite you to subscribe to receive our list of active pro bono cases by emailing [email protected]. If you have legal needs, please complete an intake form via this link and we will be happy to support. You can also enrol for the responsible business and indigenous rights course here, this course offers a comprehensive exploration of the intersection between corporate activities and the fundamental rights of Indigenous peoples.

We would love to have you join us at the 2026 PILnet Global Forum in Cape Town, South Africa! Registration is now open, as is the call for proposals. Please reach out at: [email protected] for more information on our Global Forum!