Locality of tension: The entry of community into biodiversity Andreas Kotsakis, London School of Economics 10/12/2007

Entry of community into biodiversity In pursuit of “genetic gold” Global vs. Local (vs. National?) Articulation of struggles in terms of biodiversity

Environmental managers “... These communities, environmental managers with immense ecological knowledge, are crucial partners in our efforts” “Indigenous communities have been stewards of biological diversity for millennia, responsible for preserving or even increasing biodiversity through their traditional management practices”

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (Art.2) “variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic systems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems” (Art.2) “biological resources includes genetic resources, organisms or parts thereof, populations, or any other biotic component of ecosystems with actual or potential use or value for humanity”

A GLOBAL RESOURCE “Biological diversity must be treated more seriously as a global resource, to be indexed, used, and above all, preserved”

“an enclave of authenticity” Abstract community Small spatial unit Homogeneous social structure Shared norms (Agrawal & Gibson 1999) “a living museum” “an enclave of authenticity”

Biodiversity & community Rejection of natural reserves/parks/protected areas From North to South We are all stakeholders now!

Effects Marginalisation of local and indigenous communities Normalization of the environmental manager Struggle for resources transformed into struggle for identity

Locality of tension Politically significant actor/agent = ability to define terms of own survival Historical agency = engage in contestation and interpretation of reality Participation in a dynamic present = recognition of ability to co-evolve along with surrounding environments Cultural autonomy from the “opposites” (global, national, urban) of the local and indigenous “other”