EL DERECHO A ORGANIZARSE Y DERECHOS CULTURALES ESENCIALES AL MANEJO COMUNITARIO DEL BOSQUE

This internal report by Friends of the Earth International (December 2020) argues that the right to organize and the protection of cultural and spiritual rights are essential for the success and full development of Community Forest Management (MCB). It positions these rights as collective and historical, emphasizing that legal frameworks should be used as one tool within a broader strategy of communication and mobilization to defend the territories of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

• Community organization is a prerequisite for Community Forest Management (MCB) because the forest is a collective space and the practice requires an organized community to succeed. Without organization, the report asserts that MCB cannot exist and communities may stagnate, lacking the capacity for collective struggle or the improvement of living conditions.
• The right to organize can be exercised through formal legal entities or de facto organizations. While legal status can facilitate administrative tasks and funding, it may also impose requirements that conflict with traditional organizational forms or represent an imposition from the dominant society.
• The right to association is supported by several international frameworks, including Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
• Effective community organization for MCB should prioritize the full participation of the entire community, specifically promoting the inclusion of women and youth, utilizing collective decision-making processes, and establishing mechanisms for resolving differences.
• Cultural and spiritual rights—including the maintenance of traditional knowledge, languages, and customs—are inextricably linked to the territory. The report argues that protecting the territory is the primary means of protecting the culture and spirituality of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
• International instruments such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and UNESCO's World Heritage Convention recognize the link between biological diversity and cultural heritage. The report highlights that the 'biocultural' approach is essential for a global biodiversity framework post-2020 to stop the loss of traditional knowledge and languages.
• Legal action should be viewed as only one dimension of the struggle for rights and not a substitute for justice. The report warns that relying solely on the legal system risks demobilizing communities and placing their future in the hands of third parties, such as judges who may lack context.

APA

Rojas, I. (2020). EL DERECHO A ORGANIZARSE Y DERECHOS CULTURALES ESENCIALES AL MANEJO COMUNITARIO DEL BOSQUE. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/El-derecho-a-organizarse-y-derechos-culturales-esenciales-al-manejo-comunitario-del-bosque_Amigos-de-la-tierra-internacional.pdf

Chicago

Rojas, Isaac. EL DERECHO A ORGANIZARSE Y DERECHOS CULTURALES ESENCIALES AL MANEJO COMUNITARIO DEL BOSQUE. Friends of the Earth International, 2020. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/El-derecho-a-organizarse-y-derechos-culturales-esenciales-al-manejo-comunitario-del-bosque_Amigos-de-la-tierra-internacional.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rojas |first1=Isaac |title=EL DERECHO A ORGANIZARSE Y DERECHOS CULTURALES ESENCIALES AL MANEJO COMUNITARIO DEL BOSQUE |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=December 2020 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/El-derecho-a-organizarse-y-derechos-culturales-esenciales-al-manejo-comunitario-del-bosque_Amigos-de-la-tierra-internacional.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rojas2020derecho, author = {Rojas, Isaac}, title = {{EL DERECHO A ORGANIZARSE Y DERECHOS CULTURALES ESENCIALES AL MANEJO COMUNITARIO DEL BOSQUE}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/El-derecho-a-organizarse-y-derechos-culturales-esenciales-al-manejo-comunitario-del-bosque_Amigos-de-la-tierra-internacional.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }