People For Earth

The Lecture

People for Earth’s second Yujae Special lecture by Dr. Armando Antonio De Negri Filho was held at 7PM on February 26, 2019 at its new office Yujae. Dr. Negri Filho is a medical doctor from Brazil. In his lecture, he talked about Buen vivir(Sumak Kawsay; the Good way of Living) - how it is applied to production and consumption and how social and environmental justice can be achieved within sustainable development. Ko-eun Kim, Arirang TV translated the lecture.

Dr. Armando Antonio De Negri Filho

Dr. Negri Filho is a public health expert and has worked internationally for the past 17 years in the fields of public health and human rights. He holds a dual citizenship of Brazilian and Italian and speaks Portuguese, Italian as his native languages as well as English, Spanish and French at the proficiency levels. He earned a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Ph.D in medicine from Brazil and received his medical and public health training in Canada, Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and France. Since 2002 he has taught International Relations course in universities in the US, Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, India and South Korea. Many of his public health publications, including human rights approaches to the quality of life and health, have been published in Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Brazil. 

Buen Vivir is, 

“The Ecuadorian concept of sumak kawsay, meaning a full life in kichwa. Part of this concept also emphasizes living in harmony with other people and nature. Buen Vivir has gained new popularity, spreading throughout parts of South America and evolving as a multicultural concept. Social consensus led to the inclusion of Buen Vivir in Ecuador's new constitution, supported as an alternative to neoliberal development. The constitution outlines Buen Vivir as a set of rights, one of which is the rights of nature.” 

(Gudynas, Eduardo. 2011. Buen Vivir: Today's Tomorrow Development)

Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador 2008 

Constitution of the Republic of Ecuado in its Preamble shows the intention of the people of Ecuador - A new form of public coexistence, in diversity and in harmony with nature, to achieve the good way of living, the sumak kawsay. The reason why we should pay attention to the Ecuador’s Constitution is not only it recognizes the right of nature but also it defines harmony with nature as the good way of living. 

Sumak Kawsay

Sumak kawsay is originated from the indigenous people’s world view which emphasizes the value of coexistence between nature and human in a community system. This indigenous philosophy goes beyond the ‘humanism’ framework of modernity as it is in line with ‘universal ethics’ that connects and interrelates all beings including humans, animals, plants, and objects.