International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2007
Recognition of Aboriginal Economy
Joan Gibbs, University of South Australia
Economic justice is a pathway to human dignity and respect. The sustainable economy of Aboriginal people was, and is, based on three main principles of the indigenous economy:
- Reciprocity, the principle of fair exchange, based on values given to people and environment
- Sharing, the principle of equitable distribution of resources, based on surplus and equity
- Respect, the principle of recognition of rights to
resources, based on land and culture
(Alcoze 1998).
The present Western economy needs to take home some lessons from these Aboriginal principles. The globalized economy is sick and dying because corporate law protects those who profit by consuming Earth’s resources without replacement, by disregarding social conscience and by denying the natural justice of the three principles of a sustainable economy.
Working on a research project at a local scale, we have been privileged to experience the true meaning of a just economy. The project, which started as research on getting Aboriginal entrepreneurs to enter the mainstream economy, has taught us a fresh view of financial independence with social inclusion. The following is a simple guide to community economics taught to us from several Aboriginal networks:
- The social network – is the foundation of a healthy economy
- The environment – cannot be compromised by long-term over-exploitation
- The sustainable economy – can be recognised by the three principles of Indigenous economy
The social network has these qualities:
- A social conscience, that recognises rights of cultures that look after the land,
- Networking is a full time job, and business must be responsive to the network,
- Harmonious function of networks requires a peaceful, cooperative code of conduct;
Environmental justice requires return of renewable resources for these reasons:
- The land and environment are the inheritance of the grandchildren,
- Earth is the source of all human needs and aspirations, so degrading the resources, decreases the ability of Earth to meet the needs and aspirations of all living things;
A sustainable economy has these features, mentioned at the beginning:
- Reciprocity: charges fair prices and pays something back to the Earth and society;
- Sharing: trades the surplus, which is produced by hard work; we make profit after we feed ourselves and our families; profits must first benefit the community;
- Respect: recognises boundaries of culture and land, which means we can live together in peace.