Summary: Youth Forum Preparatory Session on Peace

Small Group Discussion: Role of Indigenous Populations in Implementing Sustainable Development

During this discussion, participants exchanged dialogue regarding their own personal experiences, as well as universal issues regarding indigenous populations and sustainable development. 

Some of the ideas that were shared included the need for dual responsibility on behalf of both the indigenous populations and the rest of the world (i.e. members of indigenous populations who have left their land for a ‘better’ way of life should return to their land to help their people improve their conditions). The entire world population should seek to becoming more educated with regards to the ways of life of indigenous peoples. Through a better understanding of indigenous peoples, people from other cultures may find that they can learn a great deal and, thanks to this understanding, contribute to sustainable development. Even if indigenous peoples do not use much technology, the more industrialized nations should not dismiss indigenous peoples' wisdoms and ways of life as ‘primitive’, but rather try to learn from them.

The discussion group believes that, if industrialized nations examine the systems of indigenous populations and their ways of living, these nations will find that indigenous peoples have already implemented their own forms of sustainable development. It is the group's hope that, if industrialized nations understand this form of sustainable development, they might take a step back and ease their involvement in and exploitation of ‘developing nations.’

Surprising issues
Perhaps the most surprising, or at least interesting, issue that was brought up, was that perhaps the indigenous populations do not need any outside intervention at all, at least with respect to sustainable development, and certainly with respect to exploitation and the introduction to industrial technology.

Interesting questions
One rather interesting question that was brought up during discussion was on how youth could be convinced to return to their homelands, after they have already left to obtain an education, a job, etc. A possible argument that might convince some youngsters to return to their communities might be that they can improve it for future generations. Another solution, albeit quite a bit more lengthy, was to educate industrialized nations that exploiting the lands of ‘developing’ nations was not necessary, and that industrialized nations should examine the way of living that ‘developing’ nations and indigenous cultures have employed for hundreds of years. By doing so, not only will more industrialized nations be able to adopt a form of sustainable development, but they will also allow ‘developing’ nations to take control of their own lands and communities, and even cultures. In this way, indigenous populations may continue to live according to their own standards, and not according to the standards of other imposing countries.

Conclusions
As a solution, industrialized nations should use indigenous cultures and peoples as an example, and perhaps even follow their lead. By adopting the particular ways of ‘developing’ nations, industrialized nations will no longer need to exploit other countries for their resources, which will, in turn, mean that indigenous populations will not be torn apart by exploitation of other countries. This, in turn, means that those members of indigenous populations who have fled their country for a ‘better’ life, would no longer need to do so. They would be able to stay in their homeland, maintaining their culture, and sustaining their own way of life.

Click here for all available presenters' documents
Click here for all available summaries

Please read about the summaries