THE INSTITUTE OF THIRD
WORLD
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
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Is a
point of encounter
for
social sectors,
Its
purpose is strengthening
the
defence of nature
and
sustainable cultures and communities,
by means of environmental education
from the perspective
of the peoples of the South.
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EL INSTITUTO
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Joan
Martínez Alier, durante la presentación
del Instituto de Estudios Ecologistas del Tercer Mundo
en agosto de 1996.
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The
Institute of Third World Environmental Studies into
being in response to the need of organisations and communities
of the countries of the South for the creation of new
paradigms of social and economic organisation that challenge
the terms of exchange terms imposed by the market economy,
that respect the human being in all peoples, respect
natural and cultural diversity, and ensure the health
of the ecosystems of the planet.
It
arises in the context of a need to improve skills in
the defence of the environment through the provision
of opportunities for professionalisation and specialised
knowledge of topics pertinent to environmentalism, respecting
the knowledge and the processes of the different cultures
and peoples of the so called Third World.
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Given
this need,
Acción Ecológica together with others concerned
about the continuous social and environmental, local and global
deterioration, created the Institute for Third World Environmental
Studies in 1996. The Institute is constituted as a legal entity
under the auspices of the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment.
The Institute is a point of encounter for environmentalists,
academics, political and social movements and popular sectors.
Its purpose is to promote environmental thought from the perspective
of the Third World, and to contribute to the debate about,
and defence of sustainability, sovereignty, collective rights,
and to the participation of societies in decisions related
to the local, national and international environment.
Since August 1996, the Institute has offered courses and seminars
with a cross-disciplinary focus, and has promoted exchanges
of experiences and training for organised sectors in their
initiatives in defence of the environment and of their sources
of livelihood.
Due to the topical nature of the issues dealt with, the quality
of the professors, as well as the opportunity of participating
in the educational events that the institute offers to rural
and indigenous, social and environmental organisations, the
Institute has now become a reference point on the national
and international levels, for environmental analysis from
a Southern perspective.
The issues dealt with in the various courses have strengthened,
by means of environmental arguments, the influence and participation
of the social organisations in different national and international
forums related to the defence of nature and life, of sustainability,
biodiversity, collective and environmental rights, and of
societies threatened by the current development model.
To create an environmental culture is a long term objective.
It is a permanent task of reflection and formation. It signifies
the recovery of the true values of life that liberate us and
allow us to act harmoniously as human beings, in harmony with
the nature. This is our challenge.
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GOAL
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To
facilitate the processes of social participation in
the defence of nature, the sovereignty of peoples and
sustainable societies, by providing local, national
and international social sectors with information, research
and training in the different aspects related to environmentalism
from the perspective of the Third World.
Course
on "Development on a Human Scale" Antonio
Elizalde. Univ. Bolivariana of Santiago de Chile
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OBJECTIVES
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to
offer opportunities for reflection and research on local
and global environmental problems, on development, the sovereignty
of peoples, social participation and sustainable societies
from a Third World perspective.
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to
provide education and an exchange of knowledge to environmental
and social groups working on environmental issues in different
countries, thus facilitating their interaction.
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to
integrate actions in defence of the environment, academic
knowledge and environmental thought.
MEMBERS
OF THE INSTITUTE
Chancellor:
Dr. Joan Martínez Alier. Professor of Economy
and Economic History at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Member of the Board of Directors of the International Society
of Ecological Economy. Coordinator of the Magazine Political
Ecology
General coordination:
Cecilia Chérrez. Social Communicator. Member
of Acción Ecológica .
Aurora Donoso. Founding member of Acción Ecológica
and of the Institute of Third World Environmental Studies.
Academic coordination:
Elizabeth Bravo. PhD. in Ecology of Micro-organisms.
Member of Acción Ecológica. Member of Oilwatch.
University Professor.
Academic Council:
Alberto Acosta. Economist. University Professor. Advisor
to Social and Indigenous Movements. International Consultant.
Author of several books.
María Fernanda Espinosa. PhD. in Environmental
Geography at the University of RUTGERS, USA. Masters in Amazon
Studies FLACSO-Ecuador. Teacher at FLACSO.
Carlos Larrea. Phd from the University of York, Canada,
Social Consultant. Professor at the Latin American Faculty
of Social Sciences-FLACSO.
Ana María Varea. Bsc in Biology. Professor at
the Salesian Polytechnic University. Editor of several publications
on socio-environmental conflicts.
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ACTIVITIES
South-South
Conference on Globalisation, Ecological Carbon Debt
and Sustainability". Benin, Africa
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The
geographic ambit of the Institute is the countries of
the South, and its head office is in Quito, Ecuador. The
courses are not held only Ecuador but increasingly in
other countries such as Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Bolivia
and in the near future in Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil and
Argentina. It has also organised events in Benin, Africa
and in Prague, República Checa.
The Institute offers environmental education programs,
national and international courses and seminars. All the
courses deal with the environmental situation from the
perspective of the South. |
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International
courses and seminars. On topics which are a high-priority
for the Third World, with national and international professors
and participants. These events are held in Ecuador and other
countries in Latin America. The courses and seminars have
a duration of 3 and 4 days, 21 to 28 academic hours. On
an annual basis the Institute organises an average of 6
courses and 2 international encounters.
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Educational
Programs on socio-environmental topics.
For organisations and social groups in the country that
have a need to broaden their analysis of the socio environmental
situation in both Ecuador and other countries of the Third
World, its relationship with the global situation, and to
discuss their role in the defence of nature and their sources
of livelihood.
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Forums.
Periodic organisation of forums on topical issues,
dealt with from an environmental perspective and
aimed at involved social groups and the media.
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Research.
Promote research that provides an environmental
response to the problems caused by the environmental
crisis.
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Publications.
These materials are gathered and published for
circulation.
The
Institute also organises conferences, encounters
and workshops.
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Forum:
"Impacts of the 'Law for the Promotion of
Investment and Civic Participation (Trolleybus Law
II)
on the natural heritage of the country" |
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INFLUENCE OF THE INSTITUTE
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Encuentro
Internacional “Ayuda
alimentaria y transgénicos”
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Amongst
the important processes promoted by the Institute through
its environmental education activities are:
The strengthening of the concept of food sovereignty
and the defence of biodiversity and the sustainability
of indigenous peoples and rural communities, by means
of courses and international conferences such as: "Wild
and Agricultural Biodiversity", "Forests and
Plantations", "Ecology and Economy of Rural
and Indigenous Communities", "Agroecology
", "Pesticides and Food Sovereignty",
"Methodology for an participatory inventory of
natural resources and popular knowledge".
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These
courses have enabled leaders of indigenous and small farmer
organisations to integrate in their demands the recognition
of peoples and communities as custodians of biodiversity as
well as their fundamental role in maintaining the food sovereignty
of nations
The Institute has promoted opportunities for discussion on
the genetically modified organisms through international events
such as: "Biodiversity and Biosecurity", "Biosecurity
and Genetically Modified Organisms", "Genetic Engineering:
Dream or Nightmare"? "Food Aid and GMOs". Through
these events it contributed to the strengthening of national
and Latin American GMO Free campaigns as well as research
into, and denouncing of Food Aid containing GMO foods.
The Institute has contributed to the recognition of collective
and environmental rights of peoples through courses such as:
"Environmental Rights", "Intellectual Property
and Collective Rights", "Collective Intellectual
Property Rights", "The Office of the Public Defender
and Collective and Environmental Rights", "Farmers
Rights". These courses have allowed the members of social
organisations to get to know the rights that may help them
in the defence of their territories and sources of livelihood,
and to include them in their proposals such as in the case
of the Constituent Popular Assembly and the Constituent National
Assembly in Ecuador.
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The
Institute has opened up opportunities for reflection on
the relationship between the local situation with the
process of the globalisation of the economy and the local
and global, social and environmental impacts, with events
such as: "Global Ecological History", "Ecological
History of Latin America" "Global and Local
Ecological Problems" "Foreign Debt and Ecological
Debt", "Ecology, Technology and the Rupture
of the Human", "Political Ecology", "Ecological
Economy", "Local and Global Environmental Conflicts"
"The Recolonising of America: The case of Repsol
in Ecuador and Bolivia" "Ecological Debt due
to Biopiracy" "Environmental liabilities of
Mining". These courses allowed the participants to
understand the relationships between the local, national
and global economies. |
South-South
Conference on "Globalisation, Ecological Debt,
Climate Change and Sustainability", held in Benin,
Africa
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To understand
the interests and mechanisms used by the transnational corporations,
the financial institutions and international banks in order
to control the global economy and the natural resources of
the planet. And to understand the local impacts of these exploitation
mechanisms and policies.
The Institute
has promoted reflection on the importance of local communities
in the defence of life, through courses such as: "Popular
Environmentalism", "Sustainability, Socio-environmental
Conflicts and the Right to Resistance", "Resistance,
a road to Sustainability", "Active Non Violence
in the defence of Nature". These courses have strengthened
local struggles in defence of their life, livelihood, rights
and natural resources. As a result of these and other courses,
the "Environmental Network" was formed, composed
of members of communities affected or threatened by the activities
of intensive extraction of natural resources or export monocultures.
The Institute has also contributed to the recognition of the
impacts of development and free trade initiatives. In March
2001, it organised, In Quito, the Andean Conference on The
Economic and Ecological Impacts of the Free Trade Area of
the Americas (FTAA), previous to the Americas Summit, which
took place in Quebec.
Since this event, the Institute has become an important reference
point for analysis of the impacts of the FTAA, both for political
decision makers and local communities seriously affected by
free market policies in Ecuador and Latin America.
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PROFESSORS
The
Institute has also had the good fortune to count on the
collaboration of a number of very well known and prestigious
professors, in particular from Latin America. LINK
with the section of Events Held Invitees
from Asia and Africa have also participated, such as Dr.
Mae Wan Ho of the Institute of Science and Society, Dr.
Gurdial Nijar of the Third World Network of Malaysia,
and Dr. Nnimmo Bassey of Environmental Rights Action in
Nigeria.
The
professors invited by the Institute all have a long history
in their fields of study related to the analysis of environment
problems from the perspective of Third World countries.
They are people linked to debate, reflection, research,
and influence on national and international environmental
policies, and in many cases to environmental struggles. |
Gurdial
Nijar of the Third World Network
of Malaysia, in the Course on Collective Intellectual
Property Rights
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José
Augusto Padua of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
during the course on Ecological History of Latin America
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These
professors make an important contribution through the
sharing of their knowledge and experiences, and through
the production of articles and books of great interest
and topicality for those concerned about strengthening
the defence of nature through a deepening of the knowledge
of the national, regional and global social and environmental
situation. |
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PARTICIPANTS
It is
a characteristic of the Institute to cater to a heterogeneous
public that with its knowledge and experience gained from
different perspectives, contributes to collective reflection
on the topics under discussion. The participants not only
come to learn but also to teach.
As the courses are open, those who are linked to the issue
or simply interested in it, can participate without the need
for academic requirements. More important is their experience
of the problem to be dealt with in the event, and their experience
in the defence of life.
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The
courses are open and are aimed at members of local and
national communities and social organisations from the
different countries of Latin America. Men and women
who defend nature, their culture, and their sources
of livelihood in the face of threats from the intensive
and extensive extraction of natural resources.
They are aimed at teachers and university students.
Young men and women concerned about social and environmental
problems and the impacts of globalising policies; technicians
and government and non government organisation officials
connected to environmental issues; professionals of
diverse fields; and political decision makers.
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Miguel
Palacín, President of CONACAMI of Peru, participates
with his experience in the course on "Active Non
Violence in the defence of Nature" presented by
Pietro Ameglio, La Salle University, Mexico
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Representatives
of the Guambiano people of Colombia participate in the
Latin American Conference on
"The Ecological Debt of Biopiracy"
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The Institute also offers courses for specific sectors
on issues related to those sectors. For example, courses
for economists on Multi Criteria Evaluation of Projects,
or for scientists a course on Genetic Engineering, etc.
In some cases the courses and seminars will offer credits
to university students, in the case of a prior agreement
with the respective academic institutions. |
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NATIONAL
AND INTERNACIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
The
Institute offers a limited number of complete and partial
scholarships to national and international participants
from the countries of the South who are linked with
social and environmental organisations. Gender balance
is sought in the awarding of scholarships.
CERTIFICATES
The
Institute offers certificates of attendance to its events.
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"Biodiversity, food sovereignty and the rights
of peoples" dictated by Víctor Toledo of
the UNAM, Mexico
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COOPERATION AGREEMENTS
The Institute
has developed cooperative links with diverse institutions
and organisations both within the country and in the exterior.
It has established cooperation agreements with the Simón
Bolívar Andean University and with the Latin American
Faculty of Social Sciences - FLACSO, both regional academic
institutions that operate in Ecuador, and that reach high
levels of academic achievement. Cooperation with these institutions
allows to the Institute to co-organise different academic
events (cycles of international courses, round tables, forums,
encounters, etc.) counting on their technical backing and
infrastructure. The Institute also co-organises events with
the Latin American Institute of Social Research (FES-ILDIS).
María Fernanda Espinosa moderates the Forum
on "Environment and Dollarisation": underrated
consequences? with Ivonne Ramos, of Acción
Ecológica, Adolfo Shacay of CONFENIAE and Fernando
Pozo of the Magazine Gestión
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The
Institute has agreements and undertandings with sister
institutions, such as the IEP (Institute of Political
Ecology) in Chile, and the School of Sustainability in
Paraguay. In this same way, the Institute has established
relationships with professors of different academic centres
such as: the Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM, the
Bolivarian University of Santiago de Chile, the University
of Buenos Aires, the Rural University of Rio de Janeiro,
the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the National University
of Colombia, the National University of Costa Rica. |
Relationships
are also operative with non governmental organisms such as:
Grain of Spain, REDEH of Uruguay, AIDESEP of Peru, the Organisation
of Black Communities of Colombia, CEJIS of Bolivia, AMIGRANSA
of Venezuela, CECOIN, of Colombia, PROCAM of Colombia, Madreselva
of Guatemala, Sobrevivencia of Paraguay, AECO of Costa Rica,
CESU of Bolivia, Centro Humboldt of Nicaragua, the Rio Lempa
Foundation of El Salvador, CODEFFAGOLF of Honduras, Iriria
Tsotchok Foundation of Costa Rica. The Institute has connections
to international networks such as OILWATCH, Friends of the
Earth International, and the World Forest Movement.
In Ecuador the Institute
also has cooperation agreements with national academic instances,
such as the Salesian Polytechnic University, the University
of Cuenca, and the National University of Loja, among others.
The Institute maintains relationships with indigenous and
rural organisations, NGO's, Ecuadorian environmental and ecological
groups in Ecuador, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
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SUPPORT
During
its existence the Institute has received valuable support
from the following institutions and organisations: Hivos,
the Dutch Embassy, the British Embassy, FES-ILDIS, the City
Council of Barcelona, the World Council of Churches, Kairos,
amongst others.
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