According to United Nations estimates, 300 million indigenous
people live in more than 70 countries: in all parts of the
Americas from the Arctic to the Amazon, in Europe, Asia and
Africa, and in Australia and New Zealand. In varying degrees,
indigenous peoples from Asia and Central America have chosen
the co-operative as a means of achieving economic and social
development.
As part of its Human Rights programme, the ICA Regional Office
for Central America and the Caribbean organised a seminar for
indigenous co-operatives in Quetzaltenago, Guatemala. Hosted
by Confederaci<o'>n Guatemalteca de Federaciones Cooperativas and
the Federaci<o'>n Guatemalteca de Cooperativas de Consumo, the
seminar examined the role of co-operatives in indigenous
communities, discussed the co-operative as an appropriate
model of organisation for indigenous communities in terms of
economic, social and cultural development, and the role of
co-operatives in safeguarding and helping secure individual
and collective human rights.
The seminar was attended by 57 participants, of whom more than
50 were representatives of indigenous co-operatives working in
a number of sectors - agricultural, artisanal, women's
co-operatives, savings and credit and multi-purpose - from
Central America, Colombia and Ecuador.
After the initial sessions the meeting broke up into working
groups where participants exchanged views on the impact of
development programmes on indigenous communities, tried to
define 'development' with respect to indigenous peoples,
discussed the role of co-operatives in indigenous communities,
the role of women in indigenous cultures and the role of
co-operatives with respect to safeguarding fundamental human
rights. The participants generally agreed that development
programmes of the past did not take into consideration the
realities and necessities of indigenous communities and, in the
majority of cases, did not even include indigenous peoples.
Violation of the rights of indigenous peoples - the right to
land, the right to form associations, the right to education,
especially the right to bilingual education, and the respect of
their cultures and traditions - were echoed by nearly all
present.
Participants also stressed the importance of the role of women
in indigenous communities, not only as mothers, but also as
income-earners. Women were recognised to be the primary
transmitters of indigenous traditions, language and culture.
Finally, participants agreed that the co-operative form of
organisation is one model for economic, social and cultural
development which is appropriate for indigenous communities as
co-operative values and principles respect traditions and
cultures.
One important conclusion of the seminar was the overriding view
that the economic development of indigenous communities is
vital if indigenous peoples are to be able to protect their
cultures and their fundamental human rights.