Andean Cosmovision and Diplomacy for Life

The concept of ‘Vivir Bien´ or ´Good Life’ has emerged in Bolivia’s political, policy and diplomatic discourse after the ascension to power of Evo Morales in December 2005, the first person of indigenous ethnicity to be President of Bolivia. In South Asia and other parts of the world much is known about Bhutan’s Index of Happiness, but little is heard about ‘Vivir Bien’ or ‘Good Life’, the ideology of Life, Politics and Diplomacy emanating from Bolivia, in the heart of Latin America. ‘Good Life’, now the core of Bolivian polity, arises from the Andean Cosmovision which places Nature at the centre of Life and the need to maintain balance and harmony in one’s interaction with Mother Nature. Bolivia is attempting to put back on centre stage the original peoples of the land—the Aymara, the Qechua and the Guarani—and their ancient yet timeless wisdom of Life in Harmony with Nature.