First, Bolivia is on
the verge of passing one of the most far-reaching environmental bills in
history. The “Mother Earth” or Pachamama law, approved by Bolivia’s
majority governing party, draws deeply on indigenous concepts that view
nature as a sacred home.
Blending native
spirituality with contemporary biological insight, the new law states
that “Mother Earth is a living dynamic system made up of the undivided
community of all living beings, who are all interconnected,
interdependent and complementary, sharing a common destiny.”
As Nick Buxton of the
Transnational Institute observes, the law is among the first to give
nature legal rights, specifically the rights to life, regeneration,
biodiversity, water, clean air, balance and restoration.
The law will also
fundamentally reorient Bolivia’s economy, mandating not an embrace of
unfettered growth but a conforming to the limits of nature. It radically
advocates a public policy of Sumaj Kawsay or Vivir Bien (an indigenous
concept meaning “living well”), in contrast to policies focusing on
producing more goods for increased consumerism.
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/12/29/environmentalists_have_reason_for_hope_in_2014_scharper.html
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/12/29/environmentalists_have_reason_for_hope_in_2014_scharper.html
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