Cultural Diversity, Sustainability and Environmental Justice Jordi Jaria i Manzano (Centre d’Estudis de Dret Ambiental de Tarragona)

Beyond Western Civilization there is a lot of human know-how associated with certain forms of life and ecosystems which now is threatened due to globalization The loss of cultural diversity, which has interacted with environment, protecting and taking care of biological assets of the Earth, is related to the loss of biodiversity, The cultural diversity (in this context) is valuable as a source of tools, perspectives and understanding (of life) and is useful to find solutions to present and future problems, being an expression of human creativeness as well

Cultural diversity in the modern World-System: 1. Assimilation approach: C107 Indigenous and Tribal Populations Convention, 1957 (ILO) 2. Isolation (‘folklorist’) approach: Indian reservations 3. Integration (‘deep’) approach: Constitutions of Ecuador or Bolivia - environmental justice - fair dialogue between individuals and groups

Given the intrinsic value of cultural diversity (i. as an expression of human creativeness ii. as source of solutions to nowadays and future challenges for the humanity as a whole) the assimilation or the isolation point of view (based on cultural prejudices about the superiority of Western civilization) seem to be wrong Cultural diversity has to be protected through giving political density (i.e., ways of participation in the relevant decision-making processes) to the individuals and groups which hoard this plural cultural heritage (integration point of view; ‘deep’ approach)

The ‘deep’ approach to the cultural diversity of the humanity is based in: (i) equality, as a condition of a real dialogue between humans and human groups (ii) freedom, understood as the possibility of (real) choice of individuals and groups; in the later case, through democratic procedures founded on (i)

The ‘deep’ approach tries to combine the two foundations in which the protection of cultural diversity is based: - The utilitarian point of view (cultural diversity as a source of assets) - The intrinsic point of view (cultural diversity as an expression of human creativeness) How? Giving the choice to take decisions to individuals and groups in the framework of a multilevel dialogue where different interests are considered (local and global; individual and collective)

The rules of the dialogue where challenges, chances and choices have to be considered are based in Western (enlightened) values and assumptions (equality, human dignity, democracy, freedom, etc.)… But this assumptions are redesigned to respect substantial cultural diversity starting in two important aspects: - Priority of emancipation (equal position of all human beings) before rationalization (Western superiority) - Care and responsibility before life and environment as a limits of human development

Limits of the ‘deep’ approach: ‘Realpolitik’: emancipation and Supraconstitution Integration and dissolution: the risk of assimilation Future generations, heritage and democracy

Possible answers to guarantee environmental justice and cultural diversity (a proposal to discussion): Global governance: accountability and participation at different levels of decisions (cooperation principle) Sanctuaries (precautory principle) Preservation of natural and cultural heritage as a limit of democratic decissions (precautory principle)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH