As part of the Resource Hub Project that Equitable Origin and COICA have been implementing, we are launching a variety of products related to supporting indigenous rights, including cultural rights. This way we hope to generate information and knowledge on relevant topics. In alliance with COICA we hope to formally launch this interactive platform soon!
Cultural diversity is the reflection that there are multiple ways of life, interaction, social practices, values, policies, thoughts and languages. From an anthropological point of view, this can be seen as the coexistence between different cultures. These cultural expressions are created through interaction with the natural and social environment which generates and manages knowledge. This interaction is also known as ethnodiversity.
For some, the importance of culture is mentioned when we talk about the loss of biodiversity that threatens this cultural diversity. No doubt, cultural diversity constitutes one of the most important values of humanity.
In 2001, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, and in December 2002, the UN General Assembly, in its resolution 57/249, declared May 21 to be the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
In 2005, UNESCO adopted the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. This convention sought to «reaffirm the ties that unite culture, development and dialogue and create an innovative platform for international cultural cooperation.» To this end, the text reaffirms the sovereign right of States to develop cultural policies with a view to «protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions», as well as «creating the conditions for cultures to flourish and interact freely. in a mutually beneficial way ”.
In 2015, the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution on Culture and Sustainable Development A/C.2/70/L.59, affirming culture’s contribution to the three dimensions of sustainable development, acknowledging further the natural and cultural diversity of the world, and recognizing that cultures and civilizations can contribute to, and are crucial enablers of, sustainable development.
Notably, cultural diversity is mentioned in the UN General Resolution A/RES/49/214 (1994), that states that during the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People should be celebrated every year on August 9th.
For UNESCO, Indigenous Peoples are the protagonists of cultural diversity. They are heirs of great linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as ancestral customs and traditions. Despite their diversity, most Indigenous Peoples share common and important aspects. Among them, the way of relating to their traditional territories and their environment, as well as the will to preserve their way of life. Indigenous Peoples share similar challenges in defending the recognition and protection of their fundamental rights. Indigenous Peoples are undoubtedly among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations in the world today.
Respect and making sure we protect cultural diversity are key aspects of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, according to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007). This also contributes to the protection of biodiversity and emphasizes the struggle of indigenous communities for their rights to free, prior and informed consent against any activity that may affect their lands, their values or their rights.
Written by Martín Vásquez, Equitable Origin’s Program Coordinator in Peru.