 |
| Pachamama |
"the right to life and to exist; the right to continue vital cycles and processes free from human alteration; the right to pure water and clean air; the right to balance; the right not to be polluted; and the right to not have cellular structure modified or genetically altered" among other rights.The Guardian article states that these laws have been heavily influenced by an indigenous faith focused on the deity Pachamama, best translated as "Mother World." The laws thus seek to establish a harmony between nature and humanity in the face of the massive exploitation of Bolivia's natural resources by international corporations and the threat global warming poses to the nation's agricultural life. The article quotes one Bolivian official as saying that Pachamama "is sacred, fertile and the source of life that feeds and cares for all living beings in her womb. She is in permanent balance, harmony and communication with the cosmos. She is comprised of all ecosystems and living beings, and their self-organisation." The Law of Mother Earth, in sum, is based on religious and spiritual principles.
Indigenous peoples (a.k.a. "tribal" or "hill" people) often have a degree of spirituality and sensitivity to the natural world that the rest of us can learn from. Without romanticizing them (or demonizing them as some do), it is still true that they generally tend to fit themselves into the natural world in ways that are less exploitive and less aggressive than the rest of us. As peoples, they often are more Christ-like than Jesus' own followers, and when they do become Christians they usually retain a healthy dose of indigenous spirituality. In Bolivia's case, we can only pray that the Law of Mother Earth brings real change to that nation and sets an example for the rest of us—one we follow! Amen
