Epistemic Alterity and Buen Vivir: Narratives of Resistance from Latin America

This presentation explores the paradigm of "Buen Vivir" (Good Living), rooted in the traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples, which seeks well-being through respect for cultural and environmental diversity, as well as equality and solidarity. "Buen Vivir" offers a profound political and pedagogical vision that disrupts the prevailing logics of profit, commodification, and environmental degradation. Grounded in a holistic worldview, this paradigm emphasizes respect for nature and all living beings, advocating for a way of life that is spiritually connected, ecologically balanced, and community-centered. Indigenous knowledge presents a radical alternative to exploitative systems by recognizing nature as a living entity, entitled to rights, and even capable of legal representation. According to this point of view, the purpose of humans is to develop a spiritual and profound relationship of respect and reciprocity with the environment, based on exchange and care.

While official educational policies in Latin America still fail to respond to the needs and aspirations of Indigenous Peoples, this paper argues that incorporating the principles of "Buen Vivir" into formal education could not only foster critical thinking, but also challenge the established power structures, and disrupt the systemic inequalities that persist within the status quo. But this knowledge has been invisibilized by the hegemony of a western-centric perspective that continues to belittle the epistemic alterity of non-european peoples. We believe that education can play a central role in advancing a diversity of cultures and epistemologies and, at the same time, break with the uniform, homogenizing and colonialist traditions still prevalent in the region.