Strack Diaz, Julia Gabriela (2023) Guarayo organic leadership and its existence in relation to external stakeholders; marginalised narratives on subjugation, ethnoromanticism, and gender. Bachelor thesis, Global Responsibility & Leadership (GRL).
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Abstract
Whilst indigenous self-determination and autonomy over land and resources is claimed to be ensured by the Bolivian government, many communities must contend with the power dynamics of wider society and the conflicting as well as inflicting interests of different stakeholders, such as the state, businesses, or NGOs. Such is the case for the Guarayo people of the Bolivian lowlands, clearly facing the consequences from the expansion of large-scale agribusiness and extractive industries. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of community leadership in protecting the rights of the Guarayo people, when facing the challenges from various stakeholders. The study examines mechanisms of oppression, such as the subjugation of Guarayo lands and resources, and identifies the main actors involved. It includes a literature review and ethnographic investigation into the experiences of leaders in the Bolivian lowlands, with a focus on the Guarayos. The main findings reveal a misalignment between state-appointed leaders and the organic leadership structures and aspirations of the indigenous communities they represent. Various tactics, ranging from persuasion, bribery, and manipulation in less severe cases, to more infringing actions such as the framing, incarceration, and abduction of opposition figures, are used to maintain control over the leadership positions. Furthermore, on the topic of gender, female leaders, which may be perceived as non-traditional and influenced by external actors like NGOs, actually fosters greater resilience against succumbing to the state's internal colonial agenda, as women showed more resistance, particularly against deforestation and political clientelism.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
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| Name supervisor: | Emlen, N.Q. |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Sep 2023 09:58 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Sep 2023 09:58 |
| URI: | https://campus-fryslan.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/285 |
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