Participation and representation: REDD+ in the native communities of Belgica and Infierno in the Peruvian Amazon

This Master’s thesis illustrates the process of arrival of REDD+ and the changes preparatory activities are producing on representation in indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Based on data gathered in interviews with community members, communal authorities, project developers, government authorities, and other relevant actors, I examine the reasons by which communities end up engaging in REDD+, the mechanisms for democratic participation and representation employed in the process, and the rules and institutions that are being created or changed as a result of projects’ activities. The study shows that access to economic benefits from carbon sales and land titling are the two main reasons why communities engage in REDD+. During the process of negotiation of entry, consent and development of the activities, communities employ existing governance structures and mechanisms for representation and participation in decision making and benefits that reproduce exclusion, inequality and elite capture in some sites where representation is not democratic. Under these conditions, the creation of rules for social order and access to resources influenced by REDD+ may cause people to lose important assets and freedoms. The study shows on what people gain or lose in the process, indicating the need for the development of social protections not only to avoid adverse outcomes, but also make positive contributions to poverty alleviation