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 Maldives IGF 2022 Male 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 AI at Maldives IGF can be reinterrogated from this lens.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of Maldives IGF 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 Maldives'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 national-level IGF (Maldives IGF) is an attempt to redefine the modern category of the nation-state in the digital era.
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 2022 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "AI"
Discussion of "AI" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a central problematic. In Maldives's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around AI are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "気候変動"
Discussion of "気候変動" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a derivative problematic. In Maldives's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 気候変動 are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "デジタル経済"
Discussion of "デジタル経済" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Maldives's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around デジタル経済 are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "国内法整備"
Discussion of "国内法整備" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Maldives's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 国内法整備 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "政府＋民間協働"
Discussion of "政府＋民間協働" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Maldives's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 政府＋民間協働 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 Maldives.
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 Maldives
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 Maldives IGF.
- Maldives IGF 2022 Male 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.*
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第1稿投稿 2026年6月10日 19時26分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
