Origins of a Maya Sustainable Development Movement

Abstract

This chapter discusses the emergence of a strong indigenous challenge to mainstream development that emerged in Guatemala. The historical and global changes that contributed to this idea are explored in detail. So are the deep cultural roots of Maya cosmovision, in which this idea is embedded. The chapter focusses around the story of one particular Maya organization called El Centro Pluricultural para la Democracia (the Pluricultural Centre for Democracy), from which the indigenous idea of culturally sustainable development emerged.