On 1st June 2013 I’m doing the 11-mile trek up Ben Nevis to raise money for Survival International. Survival is the only organization working worldwide for tribal people’s land rights and human rights.

I’ve been writing about indigenous cultures for a while now, exploring their spiritual beliefs and myths, and more recently examining the current debates about violence in indigenous societies and in pre-agricultural history. My forthcoming book expands on this research. I’ve decided to do something to more direct to Support the ever-threatened rights of tribal peoples.

In the current economic climate, Naturally everyone’s being Squeezed. And while naturally I support the fight for greater equality in developed countries, I can’t help feeling that those at the very bottom of the Scale of our modern vision of “progress” are going to be squeezed the most—and Deserve extra support. Even as the supposed pinnacle of this scale, our own capitalist economies, teeter and founder, and continue to damage the environment, we try to convince ourselves that people who still sustain their lives through simple technologies and small-scale living are “primitive” and unworthy. At best, they should be folded into the modern world. I think they, like all peoples, should retain their self-determination. Survival deserve more support in helping them do this, in the face of unstable but still arrogant modern power.

If you can please help by sponsoring me via my Virgin Money Giving page. Every little helps, and you can donate any time up to a month after the event (the deadline is 30th June).

Thank you!