The Indigenous Voice in World Politics
Show Baraka, 22:45-38:00 (from aboriginal culture to urban slums)
Preface: a powerful visual image of what IPs are about, & what the
destruction of their cultures entails.
Q: Why does this topic come between our lectures on human
rights & environment?
-Many of the worst human rights violations are perpetrated on
indigenous ppls.
-Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees right to one's
own culture.
-For the most part, indig. ppls. have been living for hundreds,
perhaps thousands, of years in a relatively sustainable manner.
Although indigenous peoples' issues seem far removed from IR, they
actually relate to many of the themes of the course. Which ones?
Post-internationalism: sovereignty-free actors
(ironic, since many would like to have sovty.)
Nations: poor fit between nations & states
6,000 nations, 180 states
States have run rough-shod over rights of indigenous ppls.
Before the formation of every contemporary state, there were
indigenous ppls. living there.
Poor fit >> conflict, sometimes civil war
3/4 of today's wars are civil wars.
Q: What are some prominent stateless indigenous ppls?
-- Mayans, Kurds, Sami people, Bedouins, Maori
Development & IPE: many indigenous ppls. are outside mkt. econ.,
but their resources are exploited by states and corporations.
--Different models of devt: top-down vs. participatory
Ecological: indig. ppls. comprise 10-15% of world's population,
but have traditional claims to 25-30% of earth's land and resources.
IPs as knowledge-base: have lived in ecosystem for many generations
>> knowledge of food, medicinal plants
EX: Amazon rainforest's biodiversity is a result of IPs'
agricultural practices.
Scientists are finding the IPs have wealth of kn.
>>pharmaceuticals eager to exploit
Biodiversity Convention begins to deal w/ this.
Languages:
1/2 of 15,000 have become extinct since indus'tn.,
only 5% of those remaining will be spoken in 50 years.
[Hegemony of English: 80% of all financial transactions,
90% of all scientific articles]
Different paradigm: Sacred vs. secular
Recall that transition to modernity entailed moving from
sacred to secular worldview.
IPs don't degrade their natural envts. because they view them
as sacred, & have an abundance of rituals & practices to express
& reinforce this belief.
A: Do we have anything to learn from this worldview?
Spiral of oppression: appropriation of resources >> conflict
>> weapons purchases >> debt >> more resource exploitatn
IP allies: human rights & environmental NGOs
EX: Amnesty Intl. & E. Timor, Ogoni people
EX: Kayapo & Rainforest Action Network (Sting)
Envt'l groups gain legitimacy through this alliance.
But IPs find that envt'l NGOs do not always represent
their interests:
Debt-for-nature swaps: environmental NGOs ignored IPs;
"national parks" model of conservation
Global Forum at Rio >> IPs forum
IPs from all over shared info., formed computer networks.
1993: UN Year of IPs
Much consciousness raising, discussions of conferations, but
no intl. law. Why?
-- states are unwilling to give up sovereignty
-- much awareness
Q's for curve buster quiz:
1) Who are the natural allies of IPs on the transnational scene and why?
2) What are the two forms of human rights codified in international law?
4 points each, 6 or better raises your final grade by 0.1