The Rights of Pachamama and “Living Well,” or the Contribution of First Nations to a Deteriorating Planet

Faced with the negative impacts of human activities on nature and the environment, various UN agencies have reacted over the past fourty years by multiplying reports, organizing summits, adopting the World Charter of Nature and by promoting, since 1987, ‘sustainable development’. For their part, autochthonous nations, which are one of the groups most affected by the degradation of the planet, are fighting for their right to free, prior and informed consent regarding projects aiming to exploit their natural resources, while advocating the rights of Mother Earth, the Pachamama. This article analyses the international agencies’ reactions to First Nation proposals and shows how two Latin American countries, Bolivia and Ecuador, conceive the notion of ‘living well’ as an alternative form of development.