Enacting the Wisdom of Chief Seattle Today in Latin America
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www.ecologicalcitizen.net LONG ARTICLE Enacting the wisdom of Chief Seattle today in Latin America Humanity is currently dominated by an anthropocentric interpretation of the value of the Coyote Alberto rest of nature. The history of this paradigm is briefly explored before the author turns to review recent and ongoing initiatives in Latin America aimed at promoting the ecocentric Ruz Buenfil worldview and developing the necessary supporting legislation. In particular, the author About the author describes major political developments in Bolivia and Ecuador, as well as more local changes Coyote Alberto is an in Mexico. The 1st International Forum for the Rights of Mother Earth, which took place in Mexico environmental and social City between 1 and 5 June 2016, is reviewed. The article concludes with a rallying call for activist who lives in the local endorsements of a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, a continuing Mexican ecovillage of of national and global actions to stop destructive projects wherever they are happening, and Huehuecoyotl. the mobilization of a global ecocentric alliance. Citation “The Earth does not belong to us; we evolution of the whole known universe. Ruz Buenfil A (2017) Enacting the wisdom of Chief Seattle belong to the Earth.” Culture became anthropocentric, and a today in Latin America. The small part of humankind turned ‘owner’, Ecological Citizen 1: 55–9. Chief Seattle by right, of a large part of the planet, including territories, natural ‘resources’ Keywords and the lives of its inhabitants. Direct action; Earth- espite the many interpretations and The Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania centred law; Earth controversies related to the above became the main targets of this process, jurisprudence; rights of D proclamation, it remains one of but the original nations from Europe nature the most accurate and simple statements were also colonized and dominated by for expressing that the Earth is a living the grace of their kingdoms and churches. being, and that all the other living beings And with this, natural law was gradually that exist on, above and under its surface, replaced with Roman law and the Christian including the human species, depend on religions. her continuing to be a healthy organism. It took centuries for some individuals, In all the original cultures, since the and small organizations, networks or beginning of civilization, natural laws alliances of persons, to begin questioning set the foundation of a respectful and this paradigm and promoting actions to harmonious conviviality among humans change it. First, in the second half of the and non-humans. This non-written 19th and beginning of the 20th century, agreement was broken at a certain point in it was the voice of a few naturalists, history, when slavery, colonialism, religion poets, philosophers and conservationists, and legislations were adopted systematically advocating for the animals, the mountains, to justify the domination of the ‘other’, be it the forests – the last pristine reserves of another person, another culture or race, or the Earth. the elements of nature herself. It took until the 1970s for a new generation This development radically changed our of activists to take up the baton and become governing systems and our understanding more proactive. Greenpeace, an early of the relationships not only among global environmentalist organization, was ourselves as human beings, but also of the created and began using non-violent direct Earth to the solar system, the process of action to bring awareness of the dangers of evolution of life, and the movements and an ecological planetary crisis. And, in 1970, The Ecological Citizen Vol 1 No 1 2017 55 Enacting the wisdom of Chief Seattle today in Latin America www.ecologicalcitizen.net the first Earth Day celebration signalled which is a social philosophy inspired by that environmental issues had begun to ancient cosmogonies from the indigenous take an important place in the growing Andean peoples. The term translates to conscience of larger sectors of society. “good living” – in harmony with ourselves, In the 1980s, other individuals, groups our communities and, most importantly, and organizations, such as Earth First!, our living, breathing ecosphere. questioned the anthropocentric worldview Two years later, Evo Morales, the first and proposed equality of rights for humans indigenous Bolivian president to be elected in and non-human species. Others began his country, also modified the plurinational questioning the use of nuclear technology state’s Constitution. The amendment was both for weapons and for electricity, and inspired by the Suma Qamaña, which also even for medical purposes, and opposed means “good living” and translates as the proliferation of such industries. They a way of living in harmony with the rest began advocating, instead, the use of non- of nature that reflects how the ancient contaminating and regenerative energy cultures of this region lived (considering sources. Early environmental movements human rights as secondary in importance thus began to grow and then facilitated the to the rights of Pachamama, or Mother sprouting of other allied organizations. Earth). The Earth Summits of Stockholm in David Choquehuanca Céspedes, Bolivian 1972, Rio de Janeiro in 1992, Johannesburg Minister of the Exterior, expressed the in 2002 (Rio+10) and Rio again in 2012 concept employed in the Constitution very (Rio+20) brought to the attention of clearly in an interview in 2010:1 all nations and governments that the global ecological crisis was no longer Good living is a process that is just beginning just a banner of radical and romantic and will soon be a common practice, because environmentalists, committed ecologists for those of us who belong to the culture and brave defenders of the Earth, but a of life, neither silver, gold nor humankind real threat to the survival of our species in are more important, because we came here the immediate future. in the last place. Most important are the The World Social Forums originated rivers, the air, the mountains, the stars, the Key dates in Brazil in 2001, and have, since then, ants and the butterflies. Humankind came 1972: Stockholm Earth Summit brought together hundreds of thousands last to the Earth; the most important thing 1992: Rio Earth Summit of eco-activists and social activists each is life itself.1 2001: 1st World Social Forum 2002: Rio+10 Earth Summit year from across the world in an effort to 2007: Election of Rafael Correa create an alternative society (hence their We can see here how two small countries as President of Ecuador nickname altermundistas). This alternative in South America have been able, in the 2009: Adoption by the United society is based on values that promote not 21st century, to reflect in their legislation Nations’ General Assembly only a global social justice and civil human the proclamation of Chief Seattle. In doing of its first Resolution on rights but also a harmony with natural Harmony with Nature so they have asserted that “the Earth does (https://is.gd/lQLy3Y) laws and a fruitful and respectful relation not belong to us; we belong to the Earth.” 2010: 1st International Mother between humankind and the Earth. Also in 2010, the World Conference on Earth Day (22 April) At the presidential elections of 2008 Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth 2010: People’s Conference on in Ecuador, the candidate Rafael Correa took place in Cochabamba, Bolivia. This Climate Change and the was elected on a platform generated by was a response to COP in Copenhagen, in Rights of Mother Earth (Cochabamba, Bolivia) the social, indigenous and environmental which the countries taking part agreed to 2010: Amendment to the movements of that nation that questioned create and present a project for a Universal Constitution of Bolivia the worldwide dominant legislations Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth 2012: Rio+20 Earth Summit based on the anthropocentric Roman at the General Assembly of the United 2016: 1st International Forum law. In its place was adopted the rights of Nations in 2011. for the Rights of Mother Mother Earth as the basis of their federal Earth (Mexico City, Mexico) Between 2008 and 2011, Pablo Solón 2017: New Constitution of Constitution. This legislation originated as a Romero, Ambassador to the United Mexico City approved contemporary version of the Sumak Kawsay, Nations for Bolivia, was instrumental in 56 The Ecological Citizen Vol 1 No 1 2017 www.ecologicalcitizen.net Enacting the wisdom of Chief Seattle today in Latin America campaigns that culminated in agreement of the following by the General Assembly: n the adoption of 22 April as International Mother Earth Day; n a first resolution on Harmony with Nature; n the recognition of the human right to water and sanitation; n the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In response to these initiatives, several organizations in Mexico City began to lobby at the Chamber of Deputies for a law that included the recognition of the Earth as a living organism, with its own rights. Adopted in September 2013, it is titled the Environmental Law of Protection of the Figure 1. Official opening of the 1st International Forum for the Rights of Mother Earth. Earth in Mexico City. Although still not a truly ecocentric law, it was nonetheless a documentaries relating to the subject step in the right direction, and this small of Earth rights, including a magnificent success gave some colleagues and me the video shown at the Plaza de las Tres confidence to set about organizing an Culturas. Then, on the fourth day, we international forum on the rights of Mother held a musical festival with 16 bands from Earth, in Mexico. Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America, After a year of preparations we were all of whom were artists and groups finally able to send out invitations across committed to the defence of nature.