Final document of the First National Dialogue on Green and Inclusive Growth in Bolivia within the project of LATN Network, focused on knowledge creation and knowledge brokering from a political economy approach.

1. FIRST NATIONAL
DIALOGUE ON GREEN
AND INCLUSIVE
GROWTH IN BOLIVIA

2. Can Green and Inclusive Growth
contribute to overcome the primary export
pattern in Bolivia, under the Law of Mother
Earth and Development for Living Well?
2

3. 3
Executive Summary
Based on the case study of Green and
Inclusive Growth in Bolivia, performed by
MA. María Rosa Gamarra C. supported
by the PhD. Ludwig Torres C. within the
regional project of LATN Network, took
place the “First National Dialogue on
Green and Inclusive Growth in Bolivia:
Can The Green and Inclusive Growth can
contribute to overcome the primary export
pattern in Bolivia under the Law of Mother
Earth and Development for Living Well?”
This time, the concept of Green and
Inclusive Growth was presented and
identified as an innovative and interesting
framework because it encompasses
three approaches that have been handled
individually so far: the approach of natural
resources and environmental protection,
the sociological approach and the
economic approach.
In the course of the event, both structural
(exporting primary pattern) and more
current issues (Law of Mother Earth and
its implementation) were discussed. In
this sense, discussion blocks were put
together, working within a structure that
allowed participants to receive information,
in some cases conceptual information and
in others instrumental information of the
topics described above, and thus make
contributions based on the exchange of
experiences and knowledge.
In the first block the actual situation in
Bolivia, as well as some projections, has
been presented, beside the framework of
the Law of Mother Earth and its treatment.
In the second block, the application of the
law in a particular case was presented. In
the third block, which was the focus of the
event, the project of the LATN Network
and the case study on Green and Inclusive
Growth in Bolivia were discussed. The
fourth and last block complemented
and closes the topic with two particular
perspectives, productive and sociological
development.

4. About the Dialogue
4
“Environmentalism within the concept
of Green Economy is a new double entry
colonialism, first is a colonialism of nature,
to commercialize the natural sources of life,
and second is a colonialism to the South to
carry on their shoulders the responsibility to
protect the environment, which is destroyed
by the industrial capitalist economy of the
North.”
(Evo Morales, 2012, Rio+20)
Given the current reactive position of Bolivian government, to
discuss any issue related to the Green Economy topic is a major
challenge. While the concept provides a framework for studies
within the project of the LATN network, and it’s not limited
by the concept proposed by the United Nations Environment
Programme1, the perception of various stakeholders are strictly
associated to it. For this reason any activity related to this
concept, with intention to add value, requires the development
of special strategies to motivate participants to exchange their
knowledge considering the context is in processes of structural
change and setting new regulatory frameworks.
The First National Dialogue on Green and Inclusive Growth
was implemented by the Center for Research, Training and
Technical Assistance - Latin America (CICATAL)2 , whose
mandate is focused on making knowledge accessible to both
individuals and organizations, using efficient and sustainable
channels designed to increase the ability to absorb and adapt
new knowledge. Ultimately, the main goal of CICATAL is to act
as a connector in real time, to build bridges of understanding
between the different actors involved in the process.
Under this mandate, the event was designed with the aim of
create an intellectual space for actors in the Bolivian society
involved in promoting sustainable development through
the exchange of knowledge, concepts, mechanisms and
alternatives that contribute to address structural problems that
limit development of the country, where each and every one of
the participations are valid and valuable.

5. 5
Why a dialogue? Paulo Freire suggests that dialogic
situations produce new forms of emancipatory reflection
from the confrontation of knowledge and experience. To build
knowledge we have to get out of our comfort zone and be able
to look beyond our own limits. In this sense, the dialogue is an
appropriate modality to promote processes of transformative
action, which can only be developed on a territory by the same
participants who construct their own collective learning.
The focus of the dialogue was knowledge; knowledge that each
participant may contribute from their own context and from which
concrete actions can contribute to the public policy agenda. In
this case, the issue of multiculturalism that exists in the country,
rather than a barrier, was conceived as an opportunity, not only
to enrich the dialogue but also to encompass a broader range
of actors involved and contribute in their context. At the end of
the day, the focus of the event was to propose concrete actions.
1The Green Economy concept has
existed for several years, but was
officially introduced to the discussion
table when the General Assembly
decided to convene the UN Conference
on Sustainable Development in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil 2012
2 Event sponsored by the LATN Network
and the IDRC of Canada.

6. Programme
Participants
6
As mentioned above, the articulation of the event was strategic
to achieve synergy among the participants and between the
knowledge that they could provide. In this sense, the dialogue
was based on the question: “Can the Green and Inclusive
Growth contribute to overcome the primary export pattern in
Bolivia, under the Law of Mother Earth and Development for
Living Well?”
This approach allowed glimpsing new issues in the country, such
as Green and Inclusive Growth, trying to delve into historical
issues such as exploitation of natural resources that has
occurred since the birth of the country as well as other issues
such as the Law of Mother Earth. In this regard, to discuss
important issues for the Bolivian context allowed the actors not
only to share their experiences and knowledge, but also collect
the others’.
The schedule was divided into four discussion blocks. Each
block consisted in two presentations by experts in the field that,
in turn, opened the discussion in two related questions from
which participants had to reach concrete conclusions.
Taking the different contexts where each of the participants
came from into consideration, round tables of discussion were
organized in order to encourage dialogue between them.
Bolivia is a country of multiple languages, multiple nationalities,
and multiple sociocultural contexts, which come from the hand
of very different visions and perceptions by the actors who
represent it. In the event this diversity of contributions was
rescued, and enriched the dialogue between the participants at
the time of share their knowledge and experiences.
It was attended by actors who are not only involved with the
development of the country, but also interested in changing
their reality, whom showed the kind of discussion that can be
articulated when values and commitment take place to make
agreements based on respect, honesty and truth, and in which
not necessarily consensus among all parties are reached, but
where the dialogue is a result itself (which means listening rather
than talk).

7. Blocks of discussion
7
First Block: Overview and situation of
the Bolivian regulations
As introduction, in the first discussion block
was presented a Prospective Balanced
Development Agenda for Bolivia, by the
PhD Luis Carlos Jemio - Senior Researcher
INESAD (Institute of Advanced Studies in
Development). Forward-looking agendas
not only allow us to have an idea of the
economic situation of the country and
the region, but also get a long-term vision
which leads to develop growth targets
related to the projected scenarios, where,
for the realization of these objectives, it is
necessary that all sectors contributes.
In this sense, the type of analysis required to
give substance to the prospective agenda
is constructed from the interconnection
of variables and the same trends found
(demographic, economic, social and
environmental trends, etc.). That is,
you need to have a broader and more
comprehensive view of the actors involved
in the process to achieve the stated goals.
As Jemio showed, per capita GDP of
Bolivia is far behind per capita GDP in the
region, only to double this number we will
need to grow at a rate of 7%, which means
to increase the rate of investment required
from 20% to 25%. However, we can’t
ignore the consequences or implications
of any growth policy on important issues
such as poverty and employment, and
in this sense it is necessary that each
policy is accompanied by other actions
to mitigate those consequences. In the
case of poverty, for example, is necessary,
in addition to growth policies, implement
redistributive policies, so beneficiaries are
not just a few.
Growth has also environmental costs and
for this reason the concept of Balanced
Development is important, it allow us
to see the whole picture of growth and
its consequences and to promote the
achievement of goals in a more harmonious
manner with all sectors.
In the same block, was presented the
framework of the Law of Mother Earth
and Integral Development for Living Well,
by Mr. Ricardo Rojas – Director of Joint
Mechanism (Plurinational Authority of

8. Mother Earth). This presentation aimed to
provide additional information of the Law,
its conceptual framework and the state of
its application.
As expressed by Rojas, the context under
which the law was built rise from the
declared position of Bolivian government
against the Green Economy, describing it
as a false solution to the climate crisis. In this
regard, the Bolivian proposal was based
on two principles: the complementarity
of rights and a relationship between
conservation of systems of life and the
use and exploitation of them.
Given the history that preceded it, the
Law of Mother Earth incorporated into
her conceptual framework the approach
of integrated development, which,
according to Rojas, is an intermediate
stage for the realization of the paradigm
of Living Well, besides establishes its
foundations to ensure the livelihoods
and conservation. It has four aims: to
determine guidelines and principles of
systems of life (access component), to
set development goals, to guide laws and
to define the institutional framework.
Also, the conceptual framework is
divided into three approaches: sectorial
approach, programmatic and utilization
approach, and use and conservation of
resources, which are referred to mitigation,
adaptation and assembly, respectively.
Under this line and according to the
speaker, the economic and knowledge
transfers are important.
8
How this materializes? Rojas claims
that it materializes by the principle of
complementarity of rights, which refers
to the complementarity between the
rights of indigenous people with integral
development, as well as the right to live
free from poverty and the rights of Mother
Earth (this time as a subject). In three
steps, the path that is being followed
includes: characterize systems of life,
reach agreements between actors and
stay in line with conservation.

9. 9
Second Block: Application of Bolivian
regulation in a particular case
For the second block, Mr. Carlos Carafa,
Executive Director of Sustainable Water
(NGOs), made an important contribution
to analyze the impact and implementation
of the Law of Mother Earth in the case of
Mauri and Desaguadero Basin, where the
challenge is to align the work in this region
with the approach of the Law.
In a political context where foreign policy
is very active in contrast to what has been
done inwards and where these policies
are related to extractivism, predation and
megaprojects, according to Carafa, in
the Law of Mother Earth predominates
discourse and a framework conditioned to
mega-investments.
He said that Bolivia is a country with large
institutional weaknesses, where too much
emphasis is made on the rights and almost
nothing in the duties and obligations,
leading to a vague idea of the pursuit of
common good.
Furthermore, although the country has
a large population mobility (urban-rural
dynamics very strong), and we can’t deny
the fact that Bolivia is a much more urban
country than a rural one, socio-culturally
speaking, still is a rural country, where
three types of economy coexists (that
are often opposed): household economy
(sponsorship), market economy (supply
and demand) and natural economy
(resource extraction).
In this context, he said that, although the
fundamental principles of the law intended
to ensure the regeneration of nature, if a
culture of common good isn’t built, the
existing problems will be worst in the
future. Life systems have limits in its ability
to regenerate and humanity has limits
in its ability to reverse its actions, in this
sense, public concurrence is essential to
implement regulations.
As he indicated, there are too many
resources in this country that have not
a proposal, due to the drama of the pre-investment
and feasibility studies, beyond
the drama of the bureaucracy after the
award of the project. With these limitations,
we must rescue project initiatives with
the adaptive approach, i.e., we must
implement what we have and what there
is, developing capacities of individuals by
forming them, whom are equipped with
instruments to transform.

10. Third Block: Green and Inclusive Growth
10
For the third block, which was the focus
of the First National Dialogue, PhD (c)
Juliana Peixoto (FLACSO Argentina -
Red LATN), presented the Green and
Inclusive Growth Project Latin America,
who showed the general context in which
the First National Dialogue is inserted.
According to Peixoto, the main goal of
the network are to produce oriented
public policy knowledge, articulating
different stakeholders and views, and
contribute to the consolidation of a Latin
American expert community so that it
can, in the medium term, import less
foreign theoretical framework and create
more of their own. Under this line, the
maturation of the research agenda of the
network has taken into account the risks
and opportunities for the implementation
of various agreements and regional
integration strategies.
As background, she mentioned the crisis
in the late ‘90s, where it began to present
many questions and demand for research
on the distributional impacts of trade,
and in a context of wider integration,
investigates the link between the trade
and growth patterns. Distributional
impact of them (and its capacity for
inclusion) became more relevant.
But the study of growth patterns would
not be complete without the big question
about their sustainability and sustainability
of the patterns of specialization and
integration, which refers to how articulate
production integration in the countries
and its relationship with other countries,
said Peixoto.
Now, the green is a new trend and
since a conceptual framework was
needed, because there were disparity
between concepts in the region and a
general rejection by actors, was set a
conceptual basis of three dimensions:
environmental sustainability, including
social and economic growth. According
to Peixoto, this represents an additional
challenge, since the major stresses to
analyze these variables simultaneously
focus on the traversed of the north-south
discussion and the motorized growth
for the exploitation of natural resources.
In this sense, the main objectives of the
initiative are to understand the tensions
between the different actors and sectors,
to search and find successfully examples
of applications and to give visibility to the
debate.
For Peixoto, the great engines of
growth are often economic sectors with
resistance to the green concept, but green

11. 11
can’t be a barrier over exclusion. Some
characteristics of the region, such as
the great inequity, the general weakness
of the welfare state to absorb excluded
groups in their transition to green and
often ineffective regulatory framework
generate this rejection.
In the same block, MA. María Rosa
Gamarra C. presented the Case Study
on Green and Inclusive Growth in Bolivia,
which she developed with the support of
PhD. Ludwing Torres C. for the regional
project of the LATN Network.
Under the premise that Latin America
is not a flat region and has large
asymmetries in terms of their visions of
development, the researcher remarked
the common conceptual framework of
Green and Inclusive Growth defined by
LATN network, to make the regional study
comparable.
To enter in the landscape of green and
inclusive growth in Bolivia, according
to Gamarra, was necessary to analyze
the evolution of the Bolivian position
on Climate Change (where Climate
Change and Green Economy appear
overlapped). Given the obvious rejection
to the proposed mechanism of Green
Economy, and a direct linking of this
position claiming to create a mechanism
for climate justice, the framework of
the Law of Mother Earth was created.
Which means a big progress, since is a
precedent, at a regulatory level, to the
recognition of the importance of the topic.
However, it also was noted that since
2005, Bolivia seems to have begun to
show symptoms of the “Dutch Disease”,
since the real exchange rate started to
appreciate in response of the boom of
natural resource exports, which generates
less competitive national industries and
productive sectors, unrelated to mining
and hydrocarbons. To Gamarra, the
concern is not that there is growth in
certain periods at some point, but rather
when that growing stops.
Analyzing the economic performance
of the country in the recent decades,
regardless of the development model is
more liberal or more statist and the higher
economic growth is achieved in a particular
period, she indicated that the fact that
the economy is based on this pattern
of extractive primary export, this factor
appears as a cause of the persistence of
poverty, problems of inequality and poor
long-term development. Gamarra said
that this pattern is a key factor limiting
social development, and that despite
the good economic performance in
recent years, there are still poverty and
inequality in the distribution of resources,
i.e., the majority of the Bolivian population
doesn’t benefit from this growth.
Under this line, the aim of the study was
to identify potential sectors that enable
towards Green and Inclusive Growth in
Bolivia, according to current models of
development and growth patterns, and
identify key policies that would help
their achievement and overcome major
challenges. Thus, within the study three
sectors of the Bolivian economy were
proposed, which the authors identified
with the greatest potential for Green
and Inclusive Growth. The criteria for
selection were based on those sectors
which had the highest contribution to
GDP, generation of employment, most
developed environmental policies, fewer
years of education were required from
their workers, etc.
The three proposed sectors in the study

12. 12
were mining, agricultural and energy
(electric) sectors. They found that
agricultural sector, although its great
potential for social development has
serious problems in terms of consistency
between the laws, the vision held for
development of the sector and what in
reality happens. The mining and energy
sectors are capital intensive but have a
minimum contribution in number of jobs
and should be taken into account that the
production in this sector isn’t a result of
domestic market demand, but depends
on the global market demand and is
mainly controlled by the multinationals.
Although the government’s efforts made
significant progress in this sector, this
have not been enough to generate social
development in the long run and neither
has addressed environmental protection
as it should, since it is a highly polluting
sector.
The agricultural sector is administrated
by a corporate state model that guided
development, although its decline in
the GDP contribution (32% to 15% in
recent years), the authors acknowledge
its importance when growth and
development policies are proposed,
since the food security depends on it.
The sector represents high economic,
environmental and social challenges.
According to Gamarra, these three
sectors, despite the fact they have different
characteristics, have common problems
like the gap between policy and reality, in
addition to the serious problems relating
to economic, social and technological
development, and unwillingness for
cooperation and collaboration between
actors involved in them.
In this sense, the main conclusion is that
the formulation of new policies should be
done in dialogue processes with a broader
participation of relevant actors from
the beginning, because it is necessary
to overcome the inconsistencies that
exists in the laws at different levels, and
their implementation, since there is a
significant gap between the normative
part (speech) and reality.

13. Fourth Block: Other relevant perspectives
13
The concept of Green and Inclusive Growth
has multiple perspectives, including
productive and social development. In
this sense, in the fourth and final block,
although not exhaustively, contributions
on these two issues were presented.
Mr. Ivan Larrazabal, Manager of
Industrial Promotion and Foreign Trade
of the National Chamber of Industries,
presented the situation of Bolivian
industry and environmental pollution in
the country, as well as the main features
of the Environmental Regulation of
Industrial Manufacturing Sector (RASIM)
and concludes, in general terms, that the
current regulation should be reviewed
because it is outdated and has not
evolved according to urban and industry
growth.
For Larrazabal, environmental issues are
complex, and as he indicated, after an
audit made by the Bolivian competent
authority, very critical issues were found
regarding to environmental standards
showing that maybe are not being
implemented, including: not conducted
efforts to build systems for water
treatment, failure of the authorities control
in critical areas, institutional weakness,
etc.
What concern in this case is that if some
actions don’t take place soon, costs will
not only affect environment but people
health, because contamination reaches
production and then consumption
due to the use of contaminated water.
It is necessary to consider the low
productive development of the country,
which demonstrates that it is necessary
to address industrialization incentives
and support policies in order to support
effectively a sustainable development in
this field.
In addition, in order to conclude the
presentations part, Inclusion of vulnerable
populations in the process of integrated
development and Green Growth, was
presented by Mr. Javier Castro, Director
of HelpAge International Bolivia.
Castro started with the phrase: “being
indigenous, born in the rural area and
being a woman today is a disadvantage,
to get older in such circumstances is a
very cruel situation.” And he added is
the situation of most of the vulnerable
population in the country. According
to Castro, the vulnerability is the result
of exposure to risks combined with the
inability to face and to actively adapt
them.

14. 14
The fact that vulnerable population is
an important part of society can’t be
ignored, according to the presented data,
62% of the population is identified with
one of the country’s 36 ethnic groups,
41% identify themselves as indigenous,
49% live in extreme poverty and do not
have enough income to feed themselves
adequately, 1 in 3 indigenous children
are malnourished and stunted, 70%
of people living in extreme poverty are
women, 9 out of 10 women are victims
of some form of violence, 8.9% of the
Bolivian population is over 60 years (older
adult) and according to projections, by
2050 one of four Bolivian people will be
elderly.
The data detailed above not only concern
but also surprise, and are a sign that
this reality needs to be changed, and as
Castro indicated, there are advantages
of including vulnerable sectors within
Green Growth, for example the elderly
(the vulnerable population from which
Helpage is concerned) have a unique,
extensive and historical local knowledge
that needs to be rescued, combined with
technology, also they are still a part of
the productive and active population of
Bolivian society.

15. Results and Conclusions
15
The First National Dialogue on Green and
Inclusive Growth in Bolivia was attended
by actors who came from different
backgrounds and regions, and it was
conceived as an opportunity to enrich the
dialogue and the conclusions that were
reached, although the contrast of visions
also represented a major challenge.
According to the participants’ conclusions,
Bolivia is a country with great potential in
the field of Green Growth because it is
a country rich in natural resources, and
the concept proposed, although it is a
complex and interesting concept that can
serve as a basis to build more concrete
things, needs to go further, in the sense
that is necessary to clarify the way in
which it articulates its parts. However,
they also expressed some opposed
views, who claimed that the theoretical
proposal has no future because of the
position of the Bolivian state, which does
not share the same vision.
Regarding the Case Study on Green
and Inclusive Growth in Bolivia that was
presented, it was clear that it is necessary
to update the laws established, promote
socialization and empowerment of the
people in the development process of
different environmental policies, and
to find new effective mechanisms of
implementation laws. To strength the
institutions in the country is essential to
effectively implement what is written.
Also strength regional autonomy could
be a basis to use and get more specific
productive potential of each area.
While some participants found that
perhaps the approach of Green and
Inclusive Growth is an opportunity to
reach full development and could allow us
to walk out of the primary export pattern,
some opposed views stated that Bolivia
is and it will always be an extractive
country, but the important thing is that the
benefits of such activity may be intended
to encourage the production under a
comprehensive development vision and
to generate attitudinal changes in the
population through the development of
human capital.
In order to enrich the central block of
the First National Dialogue, the PhD
Gover Barja, Director of Master of Public
Policy and Management Masters for
Development of the Bolivian Catholic
University, made an assessment of the
contribution of the concept of Green and
Inclusive Growth for the Bolivian context.
He stated that, in first instance, to achieve
effective protection of the environment,
we must internalize the costs caused

16. by production activities and their
externalities. Once internalized the costs
is through technological innovation that
we can make proposals to reduce them.
He also mentioned that there are two
strategic ways to reduce inequality and
poverty, one is to encourage economic
growth (which in turn increases
employment and income of the people)
and the other is try to reduce the gaps by
the transfers made to the most vulnerable
groups with higher unmet needs. In
Bolivia we have done both, and it is a
fact that the strategy that contributed
the most to the reduction of inequalities
is economic growth, so it is clear where
national policies should aim.
Barja remarked that the concept of
Green and Inclusive Growth is interesting
and innovative because it puts together
relevant approaches that normally are
handled separately. Combine the concern
for the environment, the appropriate use
of natural resources, and poverty and
inequality; and its implementation should
be based on an exhaustive treatment of
individual subjects, in all its details.
16
From his perspective, while natural
resources and the exploitation of these
may be a growth strategy to get economic
development for the country, it “can’t be
eaten”; once sold and converted into
capital, it should be invested so we can
gain a profitability from its operation,
otherwise we might fall into the curse of
natural resources, which is the equivalent
to “eat up capital.” The reality, he said,
is that Bolivia can’t leave the primary
export pattern, at least until the national
industry is developed. In this sense, the
problem of institutions is the first problem
to be solved, as it involves serious
organizational problems that hinder the
capacity to solve problems and to fulfill
established policies, and make public
and private management processes poor.
One thing that has become clear, after
hearing all the contributions of the
participants, is how important it is for them
to feel they are being taken into account
when the decisions are made. That’s the
reason why the concept of “inclusion”
must be central for public policies.

17. CICATAL
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gerencia.general@ci-cat.com
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