Just energy transition: a perspective from the Wayuu nation

A key element of the TREES Research Lab proposal is to give students the opportunity to learn about new voices and perspectives that broaden their vision of inequalities. This semester, with the Just Energy Transition as a central theme, the TREES Research Lab invites to the discussion “Just Energy Transition: a view from the Wayuu nation”. 

Andrés Álvarez, professor at the Faculty of Economics at Uniandes and director of the GIHPTE seedbed, points out the importance of thinking about the energy transition from particular social contexts, such as the case of the Wayuu indigenous population in La Guajira: “they are populations that will be directly affected by this transition problem”. From his seedbed, they have proposed the need to broaden their vision to new cultural contexts and think about the justice component not only from the “knowledge of economists or Western philosophy, but also from other points of view”.   

For this reason, the Research Lab will have the presence of Weildler Guerra, PhD in Anthropology from the Universidad de los Andes and former director of the Observatory of the Colombian Caribbean, to share with students the cultural perspective of his Wayuu people about the changes brought by the energy transition. The meeting will take place next Monday, October 30, at 5:00 p.m., in room RGD 112-113 of the Universidad de los Andes.  

About Weildler Guerra: Exemplary Colombian Award (2021). National Culture Award in the area of Anthropology. Member of the 2019 International Mission of Wise Men of the Colombian Academy of History and of the Honorary Commission of the Bicentennial.  

A just transition is at the center of Colombia's energy plans, but to what extent does it reflect indigenous visions of energy justice? Download Wayuu Winds, recently published by Weildler Guerra.