CConservation, Poverty and onservation, Poverty and Indigenous Peoples:Indigenous Peoples:

are we learning from past mistakes ?are we learning from past mistakes ?

Cambridge 12-13 December Cambridge 12-13 December 20052005

What causes indigenous What causes indigenous poverty? poverty?

USA: lack of rights and USA: lack of rights and self-governance self-governance (Harvard study)(Harvard study)

Canada: Royal Canada: Royal Commission on Commission on Aboriginal PeoplesAboriginal Peoples

General: MEA and General: MEA and repeated World Bank repeated World Bank studies, Eversole et al. studies, Eversole et al.

Any kind of imposition Any kind of imposition which denies voice and which denies voice and rights has this effectrights has this effect

Social Impacts of Exclusion (1)Social Impacts of Exclusion (1) Denial of rights to landDenial of rights to land Denial of use of, and Denial of use of, and

access to, natural access to, natural resourcesresources

Denial of political rights, Denial of political rights, validity of customary validity of customary institutionsinstitutions

Kinship systems Kinship systems disrupteddisrupted

Settlement patterns Settlement patterns disorganizeddisorganized

Social Impacts of Exclusion Social Impacts of Exclusion (2)(2)

Loss of informal social Loss of informal social networks, livelihoods, networks, livelihoods, property, property, compensation.compensation.

Poverty creationPoverty creation Disruption of customary Disruption of customary

systems of environment systems of environment managementmanagement

Enforced illegality, Enforced illegality, subjection to petty subjection to petty tyrannies of officialstyrannies of officials

Social Impacts of Exclusion Social Impacts of Exclusion (3)(3)

Forced resettlementForced resettlement Leadership systems Leadership systems

destroyeddestroyed Symbolic ties to environment Symbolic ties to environment

brokenbroken Cultural identity weakenedCultural identity weakened

‘ ‘The cumulative effect is The cumulative effect is that the that the social fabric and social fabric and economy are torn apart’ economy are torn apart’

(World Bank)(World Bank)

Conservation: same political Conservation: same political effecteffect

Conservation is the Conservation is the opposite of development ?opposite of development ?

Wilderness is what needs Wilderness is what needs to be preserved ?to be preserved ?

People need to be kept People need to be kept out of ‘nature’ / PAs ?out of ‘nature’ / PAs ?

N-S impositions: money N-S impositions: money and powerand power

Rights not respectedRights not respected People disempoweredPeople disempowered Made poorMade poor

Environmental Impacts of Environmental Impacts of ExclusionExclusion

Intensified pressure on Intensified pressure on natural resources outside natural resources outside the protected areas the protected areas

Ecosystem declineEcosystem decline Loss of sense of Loss of sense of

stewardshipstewardship Loss of traditional Loss of traditional

ecological knowledge ecological knowledge ‘‘Incendiarism’, conflict Incendiarism’, conflict

and alienationand alienation

Rights based approaches (1) Rights based approaches (1)

There are a lot of There are a lot of rights: rights: individualindividual vs vs StateState

Equality before lawEquality before law Fair trialFair trial LifeLife Protection of family Protection of family

and childrenand children Privacy and Privacy and

reputationsreputations

Rights based approaches (2)Rights based approaches (2)

Right to peaceful Right to peaceful assembly and assembly and associationassociation

InformationInformation Take part in public lifeTake part in public life Rights of minoritiesRights of minorities Non discriminationNon discrimination PropertyProperty Healthy environmentHealthy environment Will they cut the Will they cut the

mustard?mustard?

Rights of Indigenous Peoples Rights of Indigenous Peoples (1)(1)

CollectiveCollective Rights of Peoples Rights of Peoples Self-determinationSelf-determination Freely dispose of their natural Freely dispose of their natural

wealth and resourceswealth and resources In no case be deprived of their In no case be deprived of their

means of subsistencemeans of subsistence Own, develop, control and use Own, develop, control and use

their communal lands, their communal lands, territories and resources, territories and resources, traditionally owned or otherwise traditionally owned or otherwise occupied by themoccupied by them

Rights of Indigenous Peoples Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2)(2)

The free enjoyment of their The free enjoyment of their own culture and to maintain own culture and to maintain their traditional way of lifetheir traditional way of life

Free and informed consent Free and informed consent prior to activities on their prior to activities on their landslands

Represent themselves via Represent themselves via own institutionsown institutions

Exercise customary lawExercise customary law Restitution of lands and Restitution of lands and

compo for losses compo for losses

New Principles for New Principles for ConservationConservation

‘‘94 IUCN revised PA categories94 IUCN revised PA categories ’’96 WWF Principles : rights96 WWF Principles : rights ’’96 IUCN Resolutions: rights96 IUCN Resolutions: rights ‘‘99 WCPA Guidelines co-99 WCPA Guidelines co-

management & negotiated management & negotiated agreementsagreements

2003 WPC ‘New paradigm’ 2003 WPC ‘New paradigm’ Durban Accord and PlanDurban Accord and Plan

2004 WCC Endorses Durban 2004 WCC Endorses Durban Action Plan restitution by 2010Action Plan restitution by 2010

2004 CBD rights in PAs, no forced 2004 CBD rights in PAs, no forced resettlement, resettlement,

From Principles to Practice: From Principles to Practice: FPPFPP

Pucallpa Conf: 1997Pucallpa Conf: 1997 16 Latin American case studies16 Latin American case studies

Kundasang Conf: 1998Kundasang Conf: 1998 14 Asian case studies14 Asian case studies

Kigali Conf: 2001Kigali Conf: 2001 11 African case studies11 African case studies Mobile Peoples: 2002Mobile Peoples: 2002 Chatty and ColchesterChatty and Colchester GEF Review: 2004GEF Review: 2004 10 Cases examined10 Cases examined

Obstacles to Reform (1)Obstacles to Reform (1) Discrimination, denial of Discrimination, denial of

citizenshipcitizenship Continuity in policy, laws Continuity in policy, laws

and institutions and institutions Assimilationist policiesAssimilationist policies Weak policy and laws Weak policy and laws

with respect to landwith respect to land Conservation policies/ Conservation policies/

laws based on old model laws based on old model (few countries adopted (few countries adopted revised IUCN categories).revised IUCN categories).

Obstacles to Reform (2)Obstacles to Reform (2) Conservation NGOs lack Conservation NGOs lack

appropriate training, appropriate training, staff and capacity to staff and capacity to work with communitieswork with communities

No complaints/ redress No complaints/ redress mechanismsmechanisms

Recognition of rights Recognition of rights limited to ‘traditional’ limited to ‘traditional’ technologies ortechnologies or conditioned on conditioned on environmental environmental performance. performance.

GEF studyGEF study Imposed PAs, No FPIC, no tenureImposed PAs, No FPIC, no tenure Mitigation not avoidanceMitigation not avoidance Not participants let alone Not participants let alone

rightsholdersrightsholders Alternative livelihood model (cf Alternative livelihood model (cf

ICDP)ICDP) No IP policyNo IP policy Involuntary resettlement not Involuntary resettlement not

proscribedproscribed Out of date OP s / no complaints Out of date OP s / no complaints

mechanismmechanism No baselines, indicators or M&ENo baselines, indicators or M&E

Major GapsMajor Gaps Which agencies are Which agencies are

using rights based using rights based approaches approaches successfully?successfully?

Can Can CConservation onservation change its approach?change its approach?

Where have Where have CConservation and IPs onservation and IPs partnered for partnered for effective national effective national framework change? framework change?

Restitution Restitution programme?programme?

Convention on Biological Convention on Biological DiversityDiversity10c - …10c - …protect and protect and

encourage customary encourage customary use of biological use of biological resourcesresources in accordance in accordance with traditional cultural with traditional cultural practices that are practices that are compatible with compatible with conservation or conservation or sustainable use sustainable use requirements.requirements.

MapsMaps Document customary Document customary

useuse Develop management Develop management

plans based on TEK and plans based on TEK and western sciencewestern science

Identify framework gapsIdentify framework gaps National dialogues National dialogues

10c project : Swedbio, DGIS, 10c project : Swedbio, DGIS, HivosHivos

Venezuela: Sanema/ Ye’kwanaVenezuela: Sanema/ Ye’kwana Guyana : WapishanaGuyana : Wapishana Suriname : KarinyaSuriname : Karinya Cameroon: BakaCameroon: Baka Thailand: Karen and HmongThailand: Karen and Hmong Bangladesh: fisherfolk, Bangladesh: fisherfolk,

mangrove dwellers in mangrove dwellers in SunderbansSunderbans

FPIC in practice: 4 countries FPIC in practice: 4 countries Guyana, Indonesia, Philippines, Guyana, Indonesia, Philippines, PeruPeru

Will Will CConservation partner?onservation partner?