Indigenous Peoples´ Environmental Justice as Decolonisation of Economics.: The Prior Consultation, Labour and Local Cooperation in Colombia as a Perspective of Well-being

Abstract

The global overheat have called the attention over fragility of the mankind. This statement suggests that the very idea of economics has been unable to conciliate preservation of natural resources and sustainability of life. Indigenous people try to work hand in hand with alternative processes of production and consumption that are ecosystems sustainable. In this regard the idea of environmental justice under the conceptions of indigenous peoples will be very useful to this aim. Having this in mind, the argument of this paper shows that the understanding of life for the Awá group suggest an idea of environmental-justice as an alternative way to conventional economic processes. In order to show these relations, I explain the PC process implemented in the case of the Awá indigenous community. In fact, the protection of environmental justice embodied in indigenous ethnic ways has become a cultural right that, on the one hand, is fundamental for the existence of the indigenous communities and, on the other, must be protected since it represents a way to overcome the occidental idea of progress. Put it otherwise, the conventional idea of development implies a paradox. Western economic modernity, in order to create more growth and wealth, requires the destruction sociocultural capital and, therefore, becomes a universal and neo-colonial project in the name of political economy. The notions of well-being and cosmovision incorporated in the Awá community´s perspective of justice indeed have plenty to say about the imbroglio bringing by this paradox.

Presenters

Ricardo Gomez
Legal Advisor - Professor, Public Law, Unidad para las Víctimas - Rosario University, Distrito Capital de Bogotá, Colombia

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Participatory Process

KEYWORDS

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, SOCIAL JUSTICE, PRIOR CONSULTATION, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, COLOMBIA