Speaking of fire: reflexive governance in landscapes of social change and shifting local identities |
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Authors: | Iokiñe Rodríguez Bjørn Sletto Bibiana Bilbao Isabelle Sánchez-Rose Alejandra Leal |
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Institution: | 1. Centre for the Study of Social Transformations, Science and Knowledge Systems, Venezuela Institute of Scientific Research (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuelaiokirod@gmail.com;3. Program in Community and Regional Planning, School of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA;4. Department of Environmental Studies Simón Bolívar University, Caracas, Venezuela;5. Development Studies Centre (CENDES) Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela |
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Abstract: | ABSTRACTThe concept of reflexive governance has to a large extent emerged from an increasing recognition of the need to consider different meanings of nature in the environmental policy-making process. Yet, so far, little attention has been paid to creating conditions for reflexive governance among different actors in intercultural settings, particularly in the context of environmental conflict and strong cultural change among indigenous peoples. This paper reviews three participatory research projects carried out in the Gran Sabana in Canaima National Park, Venezuela, which facilitated dialogue among indigenous people regarding their conflicting views of fire, in part by developing community-wide critical reflections on processes of cultural change and identity formations. These experiences suggest that once marginalized environmental knowledge is publicly acknowledged within the context of endogenous cultural processes, indigenous people feel more confident to engage in dialogue with other actors, thus allowing the emergence of reflexive environmental governance. |
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Keywords: | Fire management cultural identity reflexive governance Pemon Canaima National Park |
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