Cultural Survival and Change

Describe the conflicts discussed in the two articles: (1) between biodiversity conservation efforts and human rights and (2) between tourism-based development and cultural continuity. Using each of the author's works combined with your own creative reflection, discuss: (1) how biodiveristy conservation could actually be related to cultural survival and empowerment of local peoples and (2) how the tourism industry could be changed in ways that would facilitate cultural survival of indigenous peoples.

 

In the article African Wildlife: Conservation and Conflicts, by Robert K. Hitchcock, it discusses the conflicts that arise from biodiversity conservation of the wildlife in Africa and the effect it has on the native Africans. The Government almost seems to view the conservation for the wildlife more important than the lives and sustainability of the people. Their human rights are not given much thought. Hitchcock mentions in this article the conflict that people come across in regard to their lives. Many times, Hitchcock explains, " Local peope were subjected to imposition of restictive wildlife laws and periodic search-and- seizure operations" showing no regard to human rights whatsoever. The government trying to prevent the extinctions of their wildlife, which occurs through poachin, has created antipoaching operations to " reduce the rate of destruction of such endangered or threatened species as rhinoceros and elephant. " ( Hitchcock 83). I belive that it is important to preserve wild life, especially when it is endangered, but like Dr. Kirner pointed out this is the view of an outsider. Which I am, because I don't have encounters with that wildlife to the point of which they stampeed through my front yard. Therefor no inconviniece to me but it is to the natives of Africa that have to deal with it almost on a daily basis. Many times when a wildlife consevation is created the inhabitants don't receive a warning to find another place to live but are forced out of their homes with nothing to carry at times. This is another major conflict that arises from the biodiversity conservation efforts. Although some organizations have been created to fight for human rights many time the people are left with no home and no resources to be able to feed their families because the official don't honor their word to provide for them a promised. The human rights organization are trying to work with the government to reach an equilibrium on how to best benefit the biodiversity wildlife conservation efforts but at the same time provide for the African people. Therefore they can still have their land for resources and hunt certain animals wich are part or the way they sustain their families. There should be an median in where the African government can reach with the people to either compensate them so they can relocate without suffering the hardships they encounter when they use the resettlement programs. People should still be able to keep their land or have the government buy it from them. That way they will still be able to maintain some of their resources needed to maintian their families.

In the article Mass Tourism on the Mexican Caribbean: Pervasive Changes, Profound Consequences, by Oriol Pi-Sunyer and R. Brooke Thomas, it discusses the affects of toursim in Quinta Roo located on the Yucatan peninsula and Mexico and the effects it has on cultural continuity of Mayan Villages. The large influx of tourism is able to bring in a lot of money but unfourtunately the economic gain that tourist would normally generate does not stay within their local businesses but it goes to help the national economy outside of Quinta Roo. The Mayans face forced social change for the tourism that is occuring around in their homeland but at the same time the tourist want to observe the Maya's traditional way of life, as if no time has passed by. Unfourtunately this is not the case, due to the large influx of tourist many of their forest have been taken down and builings have come up to accommodate the tourist coming to their land. I believe their culture would be hard to maintain because with the deforestation occuring in their home land, which is vital to their traditional way of life for hunting, gathering plants, and herbs that would also be helpful for their curanderas (healers or witch doctors) which rely heavily on them. This is hard to imagine and to react to as a native to their land, because your own society is telling you to assimilate to the changes that are brought forth due to tourism, but at the same time to maintain you tru culture to amuse the tourist ( who what to view Mayan Culture, as a tourist attaction).