Topic: Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Country: Colombia
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Colombia position papers GLIMUN 2018 committees
Indigenous activists in Columbia are attempting to reclaim native lands, calling it the “liberation of Mother Earth”, a movement to reclaim ancestral land from sugar plantations, farms and tourist resorts. The Nasa people, the largest group of indigenous people, see this in spiritual terms. For the Nasa it is the newest phase in a struggle for land and a clash between two contrasting views: one that wishes for harmony with nature, and one they see as interested only in making as much money as possible, regardless of the impact on the people and the environment. Environmental concerns are strong. The Nasa say they should not be living in such large numbers near sacred sites near water sources, as this can be bad for the water source. This position has pitted them against the law and some of Colombia’s biggest property owners and global sugar suppliers. The Colombian government sees things differently. It says the state has a responsibility to protect legally recognized property ownership. Colombia is supposed to be in the midst of peace, however, as more people move into the indigenous peoples territory to claim land, (partly because the government is granting more concessions for mining and water use) battles between indigenous people and new comers occur. The minister for the environment and sustainable development, Luis Murillo, said the state’s security was the answer to environmental problems, not the problem. “We need to move very quickly to establish a presence in areas where we didn’t have a presence before.” The indigenous people’s rights to their lands should be protected – they have had centuries of destruction of their culture by Europeans – it is time to give them peace.
Indigenous activists in Columbia are attempting to reclaim native lands, calling it the “liberation of Mother Earth”, a movement to reclaim ancestral land from sugar plantations, farms and tourist resorts. The Nasa people, the largest group of indigenous people, see this in spiritual terms. For the Nasa it is the newest phase in a struggle for land and a clash between two contrasting views: one that wishes for harmony with nature, and one they see as interested only in making as much money as possible, regardless of the impact on the people and the environment. Environmental concerns are strong. The Nasa say they should not be living in such large numbers near sacred sites near water sources, as this can be bad for the water source. This position has pitted them against the law and some of Colombia’s biggest property owners and global sugar suppliers. The Colombian government sees things differently. It says the state has a responsibility to protect legally recognized property ownership. Colombia is supposed to be in the midst of peace, however, as more people move into the indigenous peoples territory to claim land, (partly because the government is granting more concessions for mining and water use) battles between indigenous people and new comers occur. The minister for the environment and sustainable development, Luis Murillo, said the state’s security was the answer to environmental problems, not the problem. “We need to move very quickly to establish a presence in areas where we didn’t have a presence before.” The indigenous people’s rights to their lands should be protected – they have had centuries of destruction of their culture by Europeans – it is time to give them peace.
Indigenous activists in Columbia are attempting to reclaim native lands, calling it the “liberation of Mother Earth”, a movement to reclaim ancestral land from sugar plantations, farms and tourist resorts. The Nasa people, the largest group of indigenous people, see this in spiritual terms. For the Nasa it is the newest phase in a struggle for land and a clash between two contrasting views: one that wishes for harmony with nature, and one they see as interested only in making as much money as possible, regardless of the impact on the people and the environment. Environmental concerns are strong. The Nasa say they should not be living in such large numbers near sacred sites near water sources, as this can be bad for the water source. This position has pitted them against the law and some of Colombia’s biggest property owners and global sugar suppliers. The Colombian government sees things differently. It says the state has a responsibility to protect legally recognized property ownership. Colombia is supposed to be in the midst of peace, however, as more people move into the indigenous peoples territory to claim land, (partly because the government is granting more concessions for mining and water use) battles between indigenous people and new comers occur. The minister for the environment and sustainable development, Luis Murillo, said the state’s security was the answer to environmental problems, not the problem. “We need to move very quickly to establish a presence in areas where we didn’t have a presence before.” The indigenous people’s rights to their lands should be protected – they have had centuries of destruction of their culture by Europeans – it is time to give them peace.
