Indigenous people at the forefront of the struggle to save the planet

On one side are people who live in the wild places in the world, the forests, the highlands, the plains. They are indigenous people who, according to Western standards and norms, are the poorest and most isolated but who see themselves as the guardians of nature.

On the other are people who occupy the wild places of capitalism, the boardrooms of major corporations and the governments that support them. Foremost among them are the big industries -  energy, mining, banking which see themselves as the guardians of growth and consumerism. […]

Indigenous people know what happens when their land is invaded; when their forests and waterways become denuded or polluted. […]

Unlikely as it may seem, indigenous people are at the forefront of the struggle to save the planet. Their courage and their worldview can inspire those of us who don’t think life on earth should be determined by the boardroom bottomline. We, in our turn, have a role to play in defending the defenders.

Source: Introduction Analysis by Vanessa Baird “on the real ‘clash of civilizations’ in New Internationalist issue 446, October 2011, p. 15

For more coverage on “Nature’s defenders”, visit the New Internationalist (Issue 446) or its website www.newint.org >>

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