This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Latin American Indigenous Philosophy — most prominently associated with Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions — to re-read the Youth IGF USA 2020 Virtual conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.
Introduction: The Problem
Buen Vivir, rooted in Latin American indigenous thought and inscribed in Bolivian-Ecuadorian constitutions, names a concept of "good living." Debates on COVID at Youth IGF USA can be reinterrogated from this lens.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of Youth IGF USA becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.
Alternative to developmentalism
Against USA's development model, Buen Vivir centers harmony with community and nature rather than "more and faster" development. Digital infrastructure investment can be reviewed from this lens.
Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions-type problematic.
The Youth IGF practically raises the philosophical problematic of intergenerational justice.
Digital good living
Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2020 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "COVID"
Discussion of "COVID" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a central problematic. In USA's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around COVID are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "若者の声"
Discussion of "若者の声" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a derivative problematic. In USA's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 若者の声 are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "メンタルヘルス"
Discussion of "メンタルヘルス" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In USA's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around メンタルヘルス are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "若者育成"
Discussion of "若者育成" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In USA's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 若者育成 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "若者のSNS利用"
Discussion of "若者のSNS利用" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In USA's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 若者のSNS利用 are particularly at stake.
Implications for Executives and Practitioners
The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in USA.
First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña. Second, in dialogue with regulators and civil society, it suggests dimensions of consensus formation that purely technical arguments cannot reach. Third, it indicates that the long-term ground of business legitimacy lies not so much in technical advantage or market share as in participation in such philosophical-normative debates.
Academic Positioning and Future Research
The argument of this essay attempts to graft a philosophical perspective onto the mainstream political-science and legal approaches to internet governance research. Three future research questions follow.
- Verification of the applicability of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's framework to other IGF conferences
- Comparative contrast between Latin American Indigenous Philosophy and other theoretical traditions
- Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of USA
In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.
Primary Sources
- IGF Secretariat. Annual Reports of Youth IGF USA.
- Youth IGF USA 2020 Virtual Conference Materials.
- Japan IGF Support Organization. https://japanigf.jp/
- Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/
Secondary Sources (Philosophy)
- Works of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions (representative texts of Latin American Indigenous Philosophy)
*This piece belongs to the academic essays (philosophy series). The author's views do not necessarily represent those of any institutional affiliation. Feedback and critique are welcome.*
更新履歴
第1稿投稿 2026年6月7日 16時53分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
