Abstract
The search is on for sustainable and equitable alternatives to the dominant economic development model, and the emerging concept and practice of ‘radical ecological democracy’ can contribute to this search. This new framework places the goals of direct democracy, local and bioregional economies, cultural diversity, human well-being, and ecological resilience at the core of its vision. It arises from the myriad grassroots initiatives that have sprung up in India and other parts of the world. Although efforts to amplify and spread such a paradigm face the enormous challenge of overcoming the resistance of entrenched institutions and mindsets, current practice suggests opportunities for making progress. Ultimately, the wide embrace of radical ecological democracy will require the spread of the core values underlying the framework, a transition guided not only by hard-headed rationality but also by a strong ethical and emotional foundation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
An interesting version of this idea is proposed in Falk and Strauss (2000).
To learn more about the People’s Linguistic Survey of India, visit http://peopleslinguisticsurvey.org/Default.aspx. To learn more about the Bhasha Trust, visit http://www.bhasharesearch.org/.
‘Indigenous Peoples Climate Change Assessment’, United Nations University, accessed 20 February 2014, http://www.unutki.org/default.php?doc_id=96.
India has a number of activity-based learning initiatives that promote culturally diverse and ecologically relevant systemic knowledge for rural and urban populations and all ages. Examples include schools like Pachasaale in Andhra Pradesh (http://www.ddsindia.com/www/psaale.htm and http://www.ddsindia.com/www/Education.htm) and Adharshila in Madhya Pradesh (http://adharshilask.tripod.com/aboutadh.html), colleges like Adivasi Academy (http://www.Adivasiacademy.org.in) in Gujarat, specially oriented to indigenous students, and non-institutionalized learning for middle classes like Swaraj University in Rajasthan (www.swarajuniversity.org) and Bhoomi College (http://bhoomicollege.org/) in Bengaluru.
See also the Deccan Development Society (www.ddsindia.com).
See the outcomes of the World Parks Congress in 2003, the 7th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2004, and World Conservation Congresses in 2008 and 2012; see also www.iccaconsortium.org for material on Indigenous Peoples and Local Community Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCAs).
For a few examples, see http://celdf.org/rights-of-nature-background.
Note that here and subsequently, ‘national’ is not necessarily equated to the ‘nation-state’ but extends to peoples considering themselves nations, such as Canada’s indigenous peoples or the ethnic communities in ‘plurinational’ Bolivia.
See an evolving list of such values in the Peoples’ Sustainability Treaty on Radical Ecological Democracy at http://radicalecologicaldemocracy.wordpress.com.
References
Acosta, Alberto (2013) ‘Extractivism and Neoextractivism: Two sides of the same curse’, in Miriam Lang and Dunia Mokrani (eds.) Beyond Development: Alternative visions from Latin America, pp. 61–86, Quito: Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, and Amsterdam: Transnational Institute.
Adams, William M., Ros Aveling, Dan Brockington, Barney Dickson, Jo Elliott, Jon Hutton, Dilys Roe, Bhaskar Vira and William Wolmer (2004) ‘Biodiversity Conservation and the Eradication of Poverty’, Science 306 (5699): 1146–1149.
Alexander, Samuel (2014) ‘Post-growth Economics: A paradigm shift in progress’, Post-carbon Pathways Working Paper Series 2/14, Melbourne: Melbourne Sustainable Society Group, University of Melbourne, http://www.postcarbonpathways.net.au/2014/02/07/post-growth-economics-a-paradigm-shift-in-progress/, accessed 1 July 2014.
Bakshi, Rajni (2009) Bazaars, Conversations and Freedom: For a market culture beyond greed and fear. Delhi: Penguin.
Brockington, Dan (2002) Fortress Conservation. The preservation of the mkomazi game reserve. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Dowie, Mark (2009) Conservation Refugees: The hundred-year conflict between global conservation and native peoples. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Falk, Richard and Andrew Strauss (2000) ‘On the Creation of a Global Peoples Assembly: Legitimacy and the power of popular sovereignty’, Stanford Journal of International Law 36 (2): 191–220.
Hasnat, Syed (2005) ‘Arvari Sansad: The farmers’ parliament’, LEISA Magazine, December, http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/magazines/global/practice-and-policy/arvari-sansad, accessed 1 July 2014.
Jones, Andy, Michel Pimbert and Janice Jiggins (2011) Virtuous Cycles: Values, systems and sustainability. London: International Institute for Environment and Development and Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy.
Kalpavriksh (2013) Globalisation in India: Impacts and alternatives, Pune: Kalpavriksh, http://www.kalpavriksh.org/images/CLN/Globalisation%20Brochure.pdf, accessed 1 July 2014.
Kapoor, Rakesh (2007) ‘Transforming Self and Society: Plural paths to human emancipation’, Futures 39 (5): 475–486.
Kelly, Marjorie (2012) Owning Our Future: The emerging ownership revolution. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Korten, David (2013) Agenda for a New Economy: From phantom wealth to real wealth. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Kothari, Ashish (2014) ‘Decoding Manifestos: What they say about the things that really matter’, India Together, 16 April, http://indiatogether.org/comparison-of-congress-bjp-aap-manifestos-government, accessed 1 July 2014.
Kothari, Ashish and Aseem Shrivastava (2012) Churning the Earth: The making of global india. Delhi: Penguin.
Kothari, Ashish and Aseem Shrivastava (2013) ‘Economists on the Wrong Foot’, Economic and Political Weekly 43, no. 33, August, http://www.epw.in/web-exclusives/economists-wrong-foot.html, accessed 1 July 2014.
Levins, Richard (2008) Talking About Trees: Science, ecology and agriculture in Cuba. New Delhi: LeftWord.
Muhlberger, Steve (1998) ‘Democracy in Ancient India’, World History of Democracy, 8 February, http://www.nipissingu.ca/department/history/muhlberger/histdem/indiadem.htm, accessed 1 July 2014.
New Economics Foundation (2009) National Accounts of Well-being: Bringing real wealth onto the balance sheet, London: New Economics Foundation, www.nationalaccountsofwellbeing.org, accessed 1 July 2014.
Nickels, Scott, Chris Furgal, Mark Buell and Heather Moquin (2005) Unikkaaqatigiit – Putting the human face on climate change: Perspectives from inuit in Canada. Ottawa: Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Nasivvik Centre for Inuit Health and Changing Environments at Université Laval and the Ajunnginiq Centre at the National Aboriginal Health Organization.
Prada, Raúl (2013) ‘Buen Vivir as a Model for State and Economy’, in Miriam Lang and Dunia Mokrani (eds.) Beyond Development: Alternative visions from Latin America, Quito: Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and Transnational Institute, 145–158.
Pulsford, Ian, Gary Howling, Rob Dunn and Rosemary Crane (2013) ‘Great Eastern Ranges Initiative: A continental-scale lifeline connecting people and nature’, in James Fitzsimmons, Ian Pulsford and Geoff Wescott (eds.) Linking Australian Landscapes: Lessons and opportunities from large-scale conservation networks. Collingwood: CSIRO.
Raskin, Paul (2012) ‘Scenes from the Great Transition’, Solutions 3, no. 4, pp. 11–17, http://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/node/1140, accessed 1 July 2014.
Roper, Brian (2013) The History of Democracy: A marxist interpretation. London: Pluto Press.
Singh, Simron Jit, Fridolin Krausmann, Simone Gingrich, Helmut Haberl and Karl-Heinz Erb (2008) ‘India’s Biophysical Economy, 1961–2008: Sustainability in a national and global context’, Ecological Economics 76: 60–69, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/50921800912000456.
TEBTEBBA Foundation (2008) Indicators Relevant for Indigenous Peoples: A resource book, Baguio, Philippines: TEBTEBBA Foundation, http://ilcasia.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/indicators-resource-book1.pdf, accessed 1 July 2014.
United National Environment Programme and International Labour Office (2008) Green Jobs: Towards decent work in a sustainable, low carbon world, Nairobi: UNEP, http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_emp/@emp_ent/documents/publication/wcms_158727.pdf, accessed 1 July 2014.
Acknowledgements
This article was originally published by the Great Transition Initiative at www.greattransition.org, under a Creative Commons BC-NC-ND copyright http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Additional information
Critiques the dominant economic development model on the basis of South Asian experiences and gives examples of ‘radical ecological democracy’ as a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable alternative
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kothari, A. Radical Ecological Democracy: A path forward for India and beyond. Development 57, 36–45 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1057/dev.2014.43
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/dev.2014.43