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St. John’s Preparatory School
Model United Nations Conference
January 20, 2007
Organization of American States
Indigenous Poverty in Latin America
Chair: Bill Foshage
Co-Chair: Miguel Galvez
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Letter from the Chair
The world today has unfortunately been separated into the “haves” and the “have-nots.” Those
with wealth have a considerable amount of it while those without wealth have next to nothing. The
”haves” are aware of poverty in the world, but few have any idea of the extent of that poverty or of the
dangerous circumstances that it creates. However, the ignorance of citizens from wealthier countries
does not just apply to global poverty, human rights violations in Darfur, the Middle East Crisis, or
human cloning. Most educated and privileged global citizens recognize that these issues exist, but their
willingness to learn more ends there. If you are reading this briefing paper, you are not part of that
group. We, as members of the Model United Nations community, do our best to investigate a global
problem and resolve it in a way that will benefit all parties involved. We sincerely hope that each and
every one of you will take your country’s position to heart. We challenge you to engage in meaningful
research, to develop fresh and interesting solutions to the extremely difficult problem that we will
consider in this committee. Through your research you should seek alternative ways of viewing the
problem that will generate a better understanding of this incredibly complex issue. Finally, we, the cochair and I, extend our best wishes to you, and we look forward to the debate and the resolutions that
you will create during the conference. If you have any problems with your research, positions, or the
topic itself, please, DO NOT hesitate to contact either of us.
Best of Luck,
Bill Foshage, Chair
[email protected]
Miguel Galvez, Co-Chair
[email protected]
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OAS Indigenous Poverty SJP MUN
Organization of American States
The Organization of American Statesi (OAS) brings together the countries of the Western
Hemisphere in order to strengthen cooperation and advance common interests. It is the region’s
premier forum for multilateral dialogue and concerted action. The OAS constitutes just the latest
and most complete collation of America States to form a regional alliance. It has its roots in the
Congress of Panama, which was called by Simon Bolivar in 1826. After World War Two, the
nations of the Americas realized that they needed a regional body to act as a forum in which all
of the nations could voice their thoughts and opinions in order avoid a similar situation to that
which led to both world wars. Thirty-four nations from North, Central, and South America are all
represented in the OAS. Cuba, however, was banned after 1962 from the voting in council
matters, for the OAS ruled that “an adherence by any member of the Organization of American
States to Marxism-Leninism is incompatible with the inter-American system and the alignment
of such a government with the communist bloc breaks the unity and solidarity of the
hemisphere.”ii
At the core of the OAS mission lies its unequivocal commitment to democracy, as
expressed in the Inter-American Democratic Charteriii: “The peoples of the Americas have a
right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.” Building
on this foundation, the OAS works to promote good governance, strengthen human rights, foster
peace and security, expand trade, and address the complex problems caused by poverty, drugs
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and corruption. Through decisions made by its political bodies and programs carried out by its
General Secretariat, the OAS promotes greater inter-American cooperation and understanding.
Some milestone achievements of the OAS in the past fifty years include the creation of
the following international bodies as well as the passage of the following treaties: the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights in 1959, the American Convention on Human Rights
ten years later, the Inter American Court for Human Rights, NAFTA in 1994, and the InterAmerican Democratic Charter in 2001, which tries to further democray throughout the region.
Moreover, the OAS member states have intensified their level of cooperation since the end of the
Cold War, taking on new and important challenges. In 1994, the region’s 34 democratically
elected presidents and prime ministers met in Miami for the First Summit of the Americas at
which they established broad political, economic and social development goals.iv Through the
ongoing Summits of the Americas process, the region’s leaders have entrusted the OAS with a
growing number of responsibilities to advance the countries’ shared vision of peace and justice,
to promote their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their sovereignty,
territorial integrity, and independence.
Statement of Problem
As members of the OAS, we must find a way to curb increasing poverty rates among
Latin America’s indigenous populations. We must simultaneously bear in mind the longstanding history of political and militaristic oppression, racism, and corruption. We must also
dedicate ourselves to promoting greater access to education, job markets, and basic health
services while limiting the negative impact of globalization on the indigenous peoples’ native
cultures and languages.
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History
Throughout history, dating back to the Age of Exploration in the 1500s, the indigenous
people have always faced tremendous struggle and oppression, initially created by conquistadors
of Spain and Portugal. In the case of Latin America, the indigenous people have been leery of
modern society with its technology and exploitative business practices. Because of ethnic and
economic discrimination, many indigenous groups have become culturally reclusive, and their
retention of original languages and customs only fuels the fire of racism. In the Amazon, for
example, the indigenous people have strictly shunned modern societies for multiple reasons,
including pride, fear, and also contentment. But in a few cases some have tried to participate in
their nations’ politics and societies but were not allowed to speak or participate. In reaction, in
the 1970s and 1980s indigenous people created social movements that called for greater
recognition of human right of indigenous peoples.
Militaristic oppression of indigenous people also constitutes a major hurdle to alleviating
poverty in Latin America due to the influence of political and business leaders from Latin
America and beyond. Several examples of oppression reveal the exploitation of indigenous
people by wealthy entities, from the countries’ own upper classes and political leaders to U.S.
and European companies and governments. In Panama, the controversial General Omar Torrijos
gained control over and then refused to give up the Panama Canal.v His dictatorial actions, which
he claimed would bring great benefits to the nation’s poor, generated much hatred in his own
country and abroad. After years of conflict with the U.S. government and several influential
politicians, he was killed in a plane crash, only to be replaced by the U.S. backed strongman
Manuel Noriega,vi who eventually posed an even greater threat to United States’ interests. In
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Guatemala, Jacobo Arbenz Guzman attempted to redistribute land owned by the United Fruit
Company—a company with several U.S. ties—and a CIA-sponsored coup soon followed his
attempts.vii Thus, many attempts at economic liberalization that would have aided the indigenous
and non-indigenous poor in Central America resulted in failure due to outside influences on
many of these countries.
When indigenous people do petition for reform and fair wages, they often meet severe
oppression and even murder. In El Salvador and Guatemala, the indigenous populations were
plagued for decades by “death squads,”viii whose secret purpose was to prevent social reform
among the indigenous peoples. For years, large multinational corporations have used indigenous
labor on their plantations to harvest and process their
crops, and these corporations pay wages that barely
feed indigenous families.
Arguably the most famous of the reform
movements occurred with the Zapatista rebellion in
Chiapas, Mexico, in 1994,ix when some 2,000 armed
rebels took control of twelve towns, including their
police stations, because of anger over the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)x between
Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The Indian
people saw the NAFTA as an inherently inequitable treaty because it significantly lowered crop
prices for indigenous growers. Under the treaty, international corporations wrested control over
export markets, which eliminated export opportunities for the indigenous people. In El Salvador,
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Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated on March 24, 1980 after growing concern from the
military and government that Romero could spark a broad social movement among the poor
farmers, who at the time lived under the harsh rule of the military government.xi
In addition to conflicts with outside groups, indigenous groups faced inner-tribal
problems, such as sexism and intercultural conflict. Indigenous women are not allowed to
participate in traditionally male activities, and vice versa. In the Huaroni tribe, only women
operate the company’s oil plant, for they claim that if the men of the tribe work, they will waste
their money on alcohol and prostitutes.xii Local wars between tribes have also complicated the
situation, as have attempts to modernize and Christianize the native peoples of Latin America,
especially in the Amazon regions.
Overview
In 1994 the United Nations proclaimed the last next ten years the “International Decade
of the World’s Indigenous People.”xiii According to Finance and Development,xiv a quarterly
magazine of the International Monetary Fund, indigenous peoples in the work force have a 42%
“unexplainable” difference in wages compared to non-indigenous wage earners. The rate of
indigenous poverty has remained constant over the past decade while during the same time
period, the percent of non-indigenous people in poverty has decreased by between five and
fifteen percent, depending upon the nationxv. Of all of the countries that sit on the OAS, only
three—Bolivia, Guatemala and Mexico—registered a decline of the average poverty rate among
their indigenous peoples. These countries also experienced a significant decline in the number of
indigenous people who self-identify themselves as indigenous in their census. Another common
trend that has held true for indigenous people over the past half century is that they are more
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adversely affected when economic depressions occur. Likewise, they tend to recover much more
slowly as their countries’ economies improve.
Indigenous people, when compared to non-indigenous populations, have less access to
basic health care services such as vaccinations, regular check-ups, and antibiotics. The
indigenous populations also experience infant mortality at a rate five times higher than that of the
general population. In addition, children in indigenous families experience malnutrition at more
than double the normal rate of the general population in OAS member states. For example, on
average 6% of children nationwide in Bolivia are underweight, compared to 20% of Bolivia’s
indigenous children.xvi
Governmental repression constitutes another hardship endured by indigenous peoples. In
Latin America, where, on average, ten percent of the population is indigenous (see Doc 1A/B),
indigenous people have suffered for many years under governmental oppression. They face
discrimination based on their heritage and the fact that they are natives of the land without either
a Spanish or Portuguese pedigree. Most indigenous children attend four fewer years of school
than their non-indigenous counterparts. In Bolivia, non-indigenous children have ten years of
basic education while indigenous children have only six. Considering that education remains the
principal way to escape poverty, indigenous children’s chances of escaping poverty are thus
significantly reduced. Although the gap in years of education between non-indigenous and
indigenous children has been reduced by 5% in the past ten years, the rate of improvement is not
enough. Indigenous people need job training and skills that will satisfy the requirements of
employers in the countries in which they live. However, the fact that they receive less education
than the general population might also obscure the true problem. The real culprit may lie in the
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quality of education that indigenous children receive. On a recent standardized test, indigenous
children scored an astonishing 17% lower than the average student.xvii
Consider a hypothetical case: an indigenous family owns a few acres of arable land.
When crops flourish, the family has no way to export its crops because large corporations housed
in their Latin American nation control the export market and can set cheap prices because of
cheap labor. This leaves the indigenous family farmers with no outlet for their products other
than local markets with no price control. In short, due to stagnant poverty, lack of education and
job opportunities, and political and economic oppression, the family has no recourse but to
deliver its goods to a local market that will not offer the family the highest and fairest prices for
its crops.
Thus, you, as a member of the OAS, must find fresh approaches that will mandate
dramatic change and rectify the growing economic crisis for indigenous people in Latin America.
Current situation
Today, the indigenous people are suffering from the lack of the most basic needs. They
have fewer opportunities than the non-indigenous population, primarily due to a lack of
education. In 2005, in a suburb of Guayaquil, Ecuador, the school system received next to no
funding. The Ecuadorian government had set aside 30% of its budget for education though it
actually distributed only 14% of the budgeted amount.xviii Compounding the problem was the
fact that only 2% of the allocated money was delivered to schools in poor areas. Also, within
these groups the issue of globalization has greatly affected their lives, and many are forced to
work in extremely low wage factories. The situation for the unemployed is more dangerous, for
they are stuck within their indigenous groups with little hope of escaping their economic plight.
For example, the poverty rate of indigenous people in Ecuador is 86%, and in Peru, 43% of all
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poor are indigenous.xix Given the lack of high-paying jobs, many are forced to work in factories
and other labor-intensive jobs with no medical insurance. The countries with the greatest
numbers of indigenous people are Mexico, Bolivia, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Peru (See Doc 1A).
The poverty rates of indigenous people in these countries are inexcusable; moreover, indigenous
people have no political representation in their local or federal governments. Forced submission
to poverty and discrimination leaves the indigenous populations of Latin America vulnerable to
the whims and passing blows of multinational corporations and other forces of globalization.
When the original inhabitants of a land are ignored and pushed aside, the country loses its
uniqueness and ultimately bows before the forces of international supply and demand. The OAS,
as the premier force for change in the Americas, cannot afford to ignore these alarming trends.
Possible Solutions
The first problem the OAS must address is how to provide the indigenous people of Latin
America with an education that fits the lives that they must lead, a curriculum that is custom
tailored to their needs. The curriculum should include bilingual education both in the commercial
language of the country, such as Portuguese in Brazil and Spanish in Belize, and in the native
language of the indigenous group. Also, the elders of the tribe or the parents must participate in
setting the curriculum in order to ensure that the children’s education will serve them and their
community in the future. For example, in Guatemala, a bilingual education produces higher
attendance, promotion rates, and lower dropout rates.
The second important step to reducing indigenous poverty lies in raising the standard of
healthcare. However, the success of a program would depend on disease prevention as well as
treatment. While treatment is often necessary, sometimes remote locations and the language
barriers can prevent proper treatment. If indigenous peoples learn about and take preventive
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measures for fighting sickness, such as vaccinations and vitamins, they can reduce the rates of
infection, especially of highly contagious diseases like malaria. This new healthcare system, like
the education system, must cater directly to the indigenous people, have doctors who speak their
language, and offer choices between modern and traditional medicine.
Our challenge lies in discovering methods and funding to ensure these reforms. Over the
past decade many governments, NGOs, and charitable institutions have tried to reduce the
poverty rate among indigenous people, but they have generated lackluster results. Often those
who attempt to aid these peoples do not take into account the history and traditions of which the
indigenous people are so proud. In our session, we must respect the right of indigenous people to
preserve their culture and retain their independence, for they are justifiably wary of the modern
world and the noble intentions of those in the global community who would support them. We
must find a way to help alleviate their economic poverty while respecting their desire for selfdetermination, arriving at the most efficient and equitable solutions to economic, social, and
political injustice for indigenous peoples in Latin America.
Further Reading
While the following list of websites is not required reading for the conference, we
encourage you to visit these sites that we found helpful in understanding the issues that we will
consider at the conference.
1. http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/5session_factsheet1.pdf
2.http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/indigenous/#ConflictingIssuessuchasEnvironmentB
iopiracy
3. http://www.survival-international.org/index.php Survival International is a European-based
non-profit organization devoted to indigenous issues around the world.
4.http://www.survival-international.org/stories.php?n=null
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Read first-hand accounts of problems encountered by indigenous peoples around the world, and
broader accounts of tribal relations with national governments
5.http://www.survival-international.org/resources.php?category_id=1
Explains the conflict between legal systems, land ownership, etc.
6.http://www.survival-international.org/tribes.php?region_id=2
Map of indigenous peoples
7.http://www.survival-international.org/tribes.php?region_id=2
Survival's message to the UN
8. http://www.culturalsurvival.org/home.cfm
Cultural Survival is a non-profit organization "promoting the rights, voices, and visions of
Indigenous Peoples."
9.http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/
UN permanent forum on Indigenous Issues
10.http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSOCIALDEVELOPMENT/E
XTINDPEOPLE/0,,menuPK:407808~pagePK:149018~piPK:149093~theSitePK:407802,00.html
World Bank and Indigenous Peoples - operational policy + bank procedures
11.http://www.cs.org/search/basicsearch.cfm?pagecount=1&search=&pubtype=win&order=desc
This section of the Cultural Survival site has an extensive and excellently referenced archive of
news articles relating to Indigenous Peoples. A sample of some articles appears below.
12.http://www.cs.org/publications/win/win-article.cfm?id=2083&highlight=
WORLD: Secretary-General highlights contributions of indigenous peoples
13.http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/
News article: Chavez grants land titles to indigenous groups
14.http://www.cs.org/publications/win/win-article.cfm?id=2696&highlight=
News article: Argentina - Government intervenes in land auction
15.http://www.cs.org/publications/win/win-article.cfm?id=2427&highlight=
News article: Guatemala - Indigenous peoples protest at capital.
16.http://www.cs.org/publications/win/win-article.cfm?id=2111&highlight=
WORLD: Indigenous peoples call for full participation in climate change policies
17.http://www.cs.org/publications/win/win-article.cfm?id=2089&highlight=
GUATEMALA: Indigenous peoples demand political inclusion
18.http://www.cs.org/publications/win/win-article.cfm?id=2040&highlight=
CHILE: Mapuches call for self-determination
19. http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/region/indigenous/
Latin America Network Information Center
20. http://www.cwis.org/index.htm
The Center for World Indigenous Studies is a non profit 501c(3) research and education
organization
21. http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/indigenous/identify_focus.asp
i
http://www.oas.org/
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ii
http://www.oas.org/columbus/docs/OEASerCII.8Eng.pdf
iii
http://www.oas.org/charter/docs/resolution1_en_p4.htm
iv
http://www.summit-americas.org/eng/miamisummit.htm
v
Psacharopoulos, George, and H.A. Patrinos (eds.), 1994, Indigenous People and Poverty in Latin America: An
Empirical Analysis (Washington: World Bank).
vivi
Immerman, Richard H. The CIA in Guatemala: The Foreign Policy of Intervention. University of Texas Press,
Austin, Texas, 1998. (70).
vii
Hall, Gillette, and H. A. Patrinos (eds.), 2005, Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin
America
viii
http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/hnp/hddflash/hcnote/hrn007.html
http://www.zapatistarevolution.com/
ix
x
http://www.citizen.org/trade/nafta/
xi
http://salt.claretianpubs.org/romero/romero.html
xii
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Cabana/4580/huaroni.html
http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf/(Symbol)/A.RES.49.214.En?Opendocument
xiii
http://www.un.org/rights/indigenous/mediaadv.html
xiv
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2005/12/hall.htm
xv
http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/hnp/hddflash/hcnote/hrn007.html
xvi
Human Resources Development and Operation Policy, Indigenous People in Latin America: Vol 8, June 7, 1993
xvii
http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:gOo_8HC2b_kJ:www.quechuanetwork.org/yachaywasi/IndigenousPovertyLA.
pdf+indigenous+poverty+in+Latin+America&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=3
xviii
http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:gOo_8HC2b_kJ:www.quechuanetwork.org/yachaywasi/IndigenousPovertyLA.
pdf+indigenous+poverty+in+Latin+America&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=3
xix
http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/hnp/hddflash/hcnote/hrn007.html
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