Development Plans and Life Plans: Knowledge Sharing?

Development Plans and Life Plans: Knowledge Sharing?

Juan José Vieco Albarracín

This article explores the possibilities of establishing knowledge sharing between governmental development plans and the “life plans” (planes de vida) made by indigenous organizations, in particular the life plan of the Asociación de Autoridades Indígenas del Resguardo Tikuna, Cocama, Yagua (Aticoya), municipality of Puerto Nariño, Amazonas, Colombia. Colombia’s Constitution of 1991 created the ETI (Entidad Territorial Indígena,“indigenous territorial entity”) as a territorial unit, just like municipalities, departments, and districts. This means that indigenous reservations (or “reserves” or “preserves”) and associations should manage public funds, for which they must design a life plan. This inclusion and recognition of indigenous peoples entails that those life plans should articulate with the municipal, departmental, and national development plans. The article illustrates this situation by comparing two welfare programs –Resa (Red de Seguridad Alimentaria “Food Security Network”) and Familias Guardabosques (“Forest Ranger Families”)– and two income-generating productive and service (tourism) projects carried out by Aticoya and the local indigenous councils of communities on the Amazon and Loretoyacu Rivers.

2010

Diálogo de saberes, Planes de desarrollo, planes de vida, tikuna

Mundo Amazónico

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

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