Engaging with environmental justice through conflict transformation: experiences in Latin America with Indigenous peoples

A pesar de que la justicia ambiental y la transformación de conflictos tienen muchos objetivos comunes, poco hablan la una con la otra. En este artículo tratamos de acercar a ambas ramas del conocimiento un través de una discusión del potencial que ofrece la teoría y práctica de la transformación de conflictos para el campo de la justicia ambiental. Para ello se basa en el marco de Transformación de Conflictos Socio-ambientales desarrollado por el Grupo Confluencias, un grupo de profesionales de América Latina que ha venido trabajando desde el 2005 como plataforma de deliberación, investigación conjunta y de desarrollo de capacidades en este tema. Un aspecto central de este marco es la atención prestada a la comprensión del papel que las dinámicas del poder y la cultura juegan en los conflictos ambientales y su transformación. Discutimos este marco e ilustramos su utilidad práctica a la luz de experiencias en marcha con pueblos indígenas en América Latina, donde el Grupo Confluencias ha venido desarrollando experiencias de transformación de conflictos socio-ambientales desde diferentes tipos de intervenciones que buscan impactar en el poder hegemónico, para ayudar a reducir las asimetrías e injusticias sociales que dan origen a los conflictos socio ambientales. Mostramos, en particular, la necesidad y la eficacia de impactar, simultáneamente o no, en tres diferentes esferas: las personas y redes, las instituciones y el poder cultural. Se demuestra que, a través del fortalecimiento del poder estratégico de actores vulnerables, es posible generar cambios sociales que redunden en mayor justicia ambiental y social en territorios indígenas. Although environmental justice and conflict transformation have many common goals, they rarely talk to each other. In this article we try to bring these two bodies of knowledge closer with a discussion of the contributions that the theory and practice of conflict transformation offer to the field of environmental justice. In order to do so, it draws on an Environmental Conflict Transformation framework developed by Grupo Confluencias, a consortium of professionals from Latin America, who have been working since 2005 as a platform for deliberation, joint research and capacity building on this topic. Central to this framework is the focus on understanding the role that power dynamics and culture play in environmental conflicts and their transformation. We discuss this framework and its practical use in the light of ongoing experiences with indigenous peoples in Latin America, where Grupo Confluencias has been developing conflict transformation processes that seek to impact on hegemonic powers, in order to reduce the asymmetries and injustices that give rise to environmental conflicts. We emphasize, in particular, both the need and efficacy to create impacts, simultaneously or not, in three different spheres: people and networks, institutions and cultural power. We show that, through strengthening the power of agency of vulnerable actors, it is possible to produce a change in favor of a greater social and environmental justice in indigenous peoples’ territories

Abordando la Justicia Ambiental desde la transformación de conflictos: experiencias con Pueblos Indígenas en América Latina

Although environmental justice and conflict transformation have many common goals, they rarely talk to each other. In this article we try to bring these two bodies of knowledge closer with a discussion of the contributions that the theory and practice of conflict transformation offer to the field of environmental justice. In order to do so, it draws on an Environmental Conflict Transformation framework developed by Grupo Confluencias, a consortium of professionals from Latin America, who have been working since 2005 as a platform for deliberation, joint research and capacity building on this topic. Central to this framework is the focus on understanding the role that power dynamics and culture play in environmental conflicts and their transformation. We discuss this framework and its practical use in the light of ongoing experiences with indigenous peoples in Latin America, where Grupo Confluencias has been developing conflict transformation processes that seek to impact on hegemonic powers, in order to reduce the asymmetries and injustices that give rise to environmental conflicts. We emphasize, in particular, both the need and efficacy to create impacts, simultaneously or not, in three different spheres: people and networks, institutions and cultural power. We show that, through strengthening the power of agency of vulnerable actors, it is possible to produce a change in favor of a greater social and environmental justice in indigenous peoples’ territories.A pesar de que la justicia ambiental y la transformación de conflictos tienen muchos objetivos comunes, poco hablan la una con la otra. En este artículo tratamos de acercar a ambas ramas del conocimiento un través de una discusión del potencial que ofrece la teoría y práctica de la transformación de conflictos para el campo de la justicia ambiental. Para ello se basa en el marco de Transformación de Conflictos Socio-ambientales desarrollado por el Grupo Confluencias, un grupo de profesionales de América Latina que ha venido trabajando desde el 2005 como plataforma de deliberación, investigación conjunta y de desarrollo de capacidades en este tema. Un aspecto central de este marco es la atención prestada a la comprensión del papel que las dinámicas del poder y la cultura juegan en los conflictos ambientales y su transformación. Discutimos este marco e ilustramos su utilidad práctica a la luz de experiencias en marcha con pueblos indígenas en América Latina, donde el Grupo Confluencias ha venido desarrollando experiencias de transformación de conflictos socio-ambientales desde diferentes tipos de intervenciones que buscan impactar en el poder hegemónico, para ayudar a reducir las asimetrías e injusticias sociales que dan origen a los conflictos socio ambientales. Mostramos, en particular, la necesidad y la eficacia de impactar, simultáneamente o no, en tres diferentes esferas: las personas y redes, las instituciones y el poder cultural. Se demuestra que, a través del fortalecimiento del poder estratégico de actores vulnerables, es posible generar cambios sociales que redunden en mayor justicia ambiental y social en territorios indígenas.

Transforming knowledge systems for life on Earth: Visions of future systems and how to get there

Formalised knowledge systems, including universities and research institutes, are important for contemporary societies. They are, however, also arguably failing humanity when their impact is measured against the level of progress being made in stimulating the societal changes needed to address challenges like climate change. In this research we used a novel futures-oriented and participatory approach that asked what future envisioned knowledge systems might need to look like and how we might get there. Findings suggest that envisioned future systems will need to be much more collaborative, open, diverse, egalitarian, and able to work with values and systemic issues. They will also need to go beyond producing knowledge about our world to generating wisdom about how to act within it. To get to envisioned systems we will need to rapidly scale methodological innovations, connect innovators, and creatively accelerate learning about working with intractable challenges. We will also need to create new funding schemes, a global knowledge commons, and challenge deeply held assumptions. To genuinely be a creative force in supporting longevity of human and non-human life on our planet, the shift in knowledge systems will probably need to be at the scale of the enlightenment and speed of the scientific and technological revolution accompanying the second World War. This will require bold and strategic action from governments, scientists, civic society and sustained transformational intent

Transforming knowledge systems for life on Earth : Visions of future systems and how to get there

Formalised knowledge systems, including universities and research institutes, are important for contemporary societies. They are, however, also arguably failing humanity when their impact is measured against the level of progress being made in stimulating the societal changes needed to address challenges like climate change. In this research we used a novel futures-oriented and participatory approach that asked what future envisioned knowledge systems might need to look like and how we might get there. Findings suggest that envisioned future systems will need to be much more collaborative, open, diverse, egalitarian, and able to work with values and systemic issues. They will also need to go beyond producing knowledge about our world to generating wisdom about how to act within it. To get to envisioned systems we will need to rapidly scale methodological innovations, connect innovators, and creatively accelerate learning about working with intractable challenges. We will also need to create new funding schemes, a global knowledge commons, and challenge deeply held assumptions. To genuinely be a creative force in supporting longevity of human and non-human life on our planet, the shift in knowledge systems will probably need to be at the scale of the enlightenment and speed of the scientific and technological revolution accompanying the second World War. This will require bold and strategic action from governments, scientists, civic society and sustained transformational intent.Peer reviewe

Transforming knowledge systems for life on Earth: Visions of future systems and how to get there

Formalised knowledge systems, including universities and research institutes, are important for contemporary societies. They are, however, also arguably failing humanity when their impact is measured against the level of progress being made in stimulating the societal changes needed to address challenges like climate change. In this research we used a novel futures-oriented and participatory approach that asked what future envisioned knowledge systems might need to look like and how we might get there. Findings suggest that envisioned future systems will need to be much more collaborative, open, diverse, egalitarian, and able to work with values and systemic issues. They will also need to go beyond producing knowledge about our world to generating wisdom about how to act within it. To get to envisioned systems we will need to rapidly scale methodological innovations, connect innovators, and creatively accelerate learning about working with intractable challenges. We will also need to create new funding schemes, a global knowledge commons, and challenge deeply held assumptions. To genuinely be a creative force in supporting longevity of human and non-human life on our planet, the shift in knowledge systems will probably need to be at the scale of the enlightenment and speed of the scientific and technological revolution accompanying the second World War. This will require bold and strategic action from governments, scientists, civic society and sustained transformational intent