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The article explores the political effects of popular consultations as a means of direct democracy in struggles over mining. Building on concepts from participatory and materialist democracy theory, it shows the transformative potentials of processes of direct democracy towards democratization and emancipation under, and beyond, capitalist and liberal democratic conditions. Empirically the analysis is based on a case study on the protests against the La Colosa gold mining project in Colombia. The analysis reveals that although processes of direct democracy in conflicts over mining cannot transform existing class inequalities and social power relations fundamentally, they can nevertheless alter elements thereof. These are for example the relationship between local and national governments, changes of the political agenda of mining and the opening of new spaces for political participation, where previously there were none. It is here where it's emancipatory potential can be found.

In Lateinamerika setzen Protestakteure im Rahmen von Konflikten um Bergbau zunehmend direktdemokratische Verfahren als Mittel des Protests ein. Seit 2002 fanden in sechs Ländern der Region 91 lokale "Volksentscheide" (consultas populares) statt. Unter welchen Bedingungen es zum Einsatz solcher Verfahren kommt und welche politischen Effekte sie haben, ist Gegenstand des vorliegenden Working Papers. Die Analyse basiert auf eigenen Forschungen zur Mobilisierung von consultas in Kolumbien und bestehenden Fallanalysen. Gezeigt wird, dass sich der Einsatz direktdemokratischer Verfahren in Anti- Bergbauprotesten durch ein Zusammenspiel aus langfristigen politisch-institutionellen Wandelprozessen (Institutionalisierung politischer Rechte und Verfahren direkter Beteiligung), kurzfristigen Veränderungen struktureller Kontextbedingungen (lokale Regierungswechsel, Gesetzesänderungen, neue Allianzen) sowie (in-)direkten Mechanismen der Verbreitung erklärt. Politische Effekte von consultas zeigen sich in Bezug auf Projektverläufe (Änderung, Verzögerung von Projektplänen), strukturelle Kontextbedingungen (Machtverhältnis zwischen nationalen und lokalen Regierungen, Partizipation in bergbaupolitischen Entscheidungen), Mobilisierung, Bewusstseinsbildung sowie politisches Agendasetting. ; In Latin America social actors and local politicians increasingly apply popular consultations in conflicts over mining as a means of protest. Since 2002 91 so called consultas populares have been taken place. The Working Paper at hand examines under what conditions procedures of direct democracy become a means of protest against mining, and with what political effects. The analysis builds on own research in Colombia and existing case studies. It shows, that the occurrence of popular consultations as a means of protest results from the interplay between long-term changes in political-institutional structures (institutionalization of political rights and forms of direct participation), short-term changes in political opportunities (change of local government, passing of a new law, new alliances), as well as direct and indirect mechanisms of diffusion. Political effects of consultas are changes in the design and timetable of mining projects. Furthermore consultas have an effect on mobilization, awareness raising, political agenda setting, and on structural context conditions such as the power relations between the national and local governments or social participation in mining issues.

In Lateinamerika setzen Protestakteure im Rahmen von Konflikten um Bergbau zunehmend direktdemokratische Verfahren als Mittel des Protests ein. Seit 2002 fanden in sechs Ländern der Region 91 lokale "Volksentscheide" (consultas populares) statt. Unter welchen Bedingungen es zum Einsatz solcher Verfahren kommt und welche politischen Effekte sie haben, ist Gegenstand des vorliegenden Working Papers. Die Analyse basiert auf eigenen Forschungen zur Mobilisierung von consultas in Kolumbien und bestehenden Fallanalysen. Gezeigt wird, dass sich der Einsatz direktdemokratischer Verfahren in Anti- Bergbauprotesten durch ein Zusammenspiel aus langfristigen politisch-institutionellen Wandelprozessen (Institutionalisierung politischer Rechte und Verfahren direkter Beteiligung), kurzfristigen Veränderungen struktureller Kontextbedingungen (lokale Regierungswechsel, Gesetzesänderungen, neue Allianzen) sowie (in-)direkten Mechanismen der Verbreitung erklärt. Politische Effekte von consultas zeigen sich in Bezug auf Projektverläufe (Änderung, Verzögerung von Projektplänen), strukturelle Kontextbedingungen (Machtverhältnis zwischen nationalen und lokalen Regierungen, Partizipation in bergbaupolitischen Entscheidungen), Mobilisierung, Bewusstseinsbildung sowie politisches Agendasetting. ; In Latin America social actors and local politicians increasingly apply popular consultations in conflicts over mining as a means of protest. Since 2002 91 so called consultas populares have been taken place. The Working Paper at hand examines under what conditions procedures of direct democracy become a means of protest against mining, and with what political effects. The analysis builds on own research in Colombia and existing case studies. It shows, that the occurrence of popular consultations as a means of protest results from the interplay between long-term changes in political-institutional structures (institutionalization of political rights and forms of direct participation), short-term changes in political opportunities (change of local ...

Seit Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts haben soziale Konflikte in Lateinamerika stark zugenommen. Gestritten wird nicht nur um die Realisierung von Projekten, sondern auch um demokratische Mitsprache, territoriale Selbstbestimmung und die Anerkennung von Rechten. (APuZ)

The inequality implications of nature exploitation, utilitarian representations of nature and processes of (global) environmental change are substantial. In Latin America social inequalities are historically rooted in unequal allocation systems of land rights or mining rents. Current investments in natural resources or elements thereof tend to generate new or reinforce existing patterns of inequality. Despite these evidences and despite the increasing recognition of the social dimensions of environmental change, linking the analysis of social inequalities with (global) environmental change, politics and forms of nature appropriation and production is still incipient. Based on first empirical findings from the Research Network on Interdependent Inequalities in Latin America (desiguALdes.net) the aim of this paper is to draw conclusions on how inequalities can be researched through the lens of societal nature relations. The paper reveals ways to theoretically conceptualize and analytically understand social inequalities as historically rooted expressions of contingent spatio-temporal societal nature relations, taking different research fields and social theories as points of departure. The key fields addressed are environmental justice, political ecology and social and cultural anthropology. In addition, core analytical categories such as time, space and physical materiality are introduced in order to show how they operate in empirical analysis. The paper concludes with a summary of the main findings.