Page 50 - CARILEC CE Journal Nov 21

We are including autonomy as one of the four Kabakaburi in Guyana. The sustainability index
ballasts that can be in surplus in a sustainable society. is established and the scope for development is
Autonomy is self- determination and being able to identified. The assessment also indicates areas
control one’s own means of production. The most for policy, utility engineering design and economic
unsustainable lack of autonomy would be slavery. initiatives.
The condition of poverty of autonomy would be an
indentured servant. Subsistence level of autonomy 4.1. Kabakaburi
would entail being reliant on some entity outside of Kabakaburi is an Amerindian village that is located
the culture for resources or sustenance, but with a on the bank of the Pomeroon River in Guyana. This
good relationship with the providers. Prosperous area is within the Amazonian region. It consists of
autonomy would be economic freedom. We tend to predominantly Amerindian natives who are the
think of this in terms of being debt free. But consider descendants of the Arawak tribe and have been living
the indigenous perspective. Everything they need is there for more than 200 years. The literacy rate in the
available from their territorial bio-capacity or from village is about 85% and the human development
their own labour, exerted according to their own index is 0.67 [21]. There has been a steady increase
decisions, in order to produce trade goods to acquire in dwellings (114 at the time) and population. The
the remainder of their needs from trading partners. average life expectancy is 68 years [22]. The number
of residents per household is approximately 6, and
4. Case study – Kabakaburi, Guyana the average age per household is 31 years. Figure 2,
This section presents case study results of the highlights the people, activity, and major places in
sustainability balance applied to the village of Kabakaburi.

Figure 3. The ballast theory of sustainability requires that the eight social ballasts and the utility infrastructure remain in
the safe range above subsistence, but not overshooting prosperity by incurring unmanageable debt.

21. United Nations. Human Development Report 2019 Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today: Inequalities in human
development in the 21st century; The United Nations, 2019.
22. United Nations. Annual Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana/United Nations Country Results Report; The United Nations, 2018.

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