Special Track

0b. Indigenous, Afro, and Rural Communities Involvement with Sustainability

Track Chairs:

Carlos Julián Idrobo. Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios sobre Desarrollo CIDER, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. cj.idrobo@uniandes.edu.co

Goals and objectives of the track

This track examines challenges, opportunities and contributions of indigenous, afro, and rural peoples in relation to their involvement with sustainability. Indigenous, afro and rural peoples have and continue to face colonisation in ways that have marginalised them from and made them vulnerable to development processes in developed and developing countries. With this challenges in mind the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 and 4 have been geared towards creating opportunities that further economic, political, cultural, ecological and social objectives of indigenous and other rural peoples. While SDG 2 refers to improving small-scale food production though securing access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment, SDG 4 aims to eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations.

Acknowledging and granting a dynamic role to indigenous, afro and rural peoples on the sustainability agenda is only key to their survival and wellbeing. Likewise, UNDRIP highlights Indigenous cultures and worldviews, grounded in their individual and collective rights, as fundamental to sustainability. Strengthening diverse local economies and territorial management are mechanisms by which Indigenous and rural peoples contribute to sustainability and actualise their rights, desires and aspirations.

Questions

How can we ensure that indigenous, afro and rural peoples participate meaningfully in decision-making processes that ensure their sustainability without compromising their autonomy and rights?

What kind of innovations to diverse economies and territorial management can be envisioned to develop sustainability pathways for indigenous and rural peoples?

Topics

Indigenous, afro and rural peoples' rights
Diverse local economies, traditional resource management and sustainable use practices
Recognition of indigenous and local knowledge contribution to sustainability
Indigenous Small-scale food production
Indigenous education, innovation and design

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