Community Development Amongst the Chakra: An Analysis of State-Led Programs

The Chakra is a traditional Ecuadorian household garden that is essential to the environmental, social, and physical health of small, rural communities. This poster analyzes the relationship between the Kichwa concept of the Chakra and community development programs, which seek to promote ecotourism  and environmental conservation to preserve the cultural integrity in the Ecuador’s Archidona region. This work presents an examination of the roles of traditional landowners (chagramamas y chagrayayas), state employees, municipality programs, and outside influences. The goal of this poster is to concretely define these relationships and analyze the effectiveness of the current programs to propose potential improvements for the benefit of the community and the municipality of Archidona, Ecuador.