The Andean Indian Programme of United Nations (1950-1960s)

At the beginning of the 1950' s, five agencies of the United Nations (UN, WHO, ILO, WFP, Unesco) launched a far reaching program, called the Andean Indian Program (AIP) in Latin America. It was implemented until the 1960' s. It involved various countries (first Bolivia countries) and comprised four sections : cultural, sanitary, economical and social issues. Its goal was to help Andean Indians, who had been living in extreme poverty for centuries, to reach economical, social and cultural "development". This far reaching program was confronted to political problems and contradictions and was characterized by some paternalistic and conservative elements. Nevertheless, it seems to have been quite popular among Indians. It testifies in any case that the UN agencies had a clear preoccupation for autochthonous people and had reflected upon the meaning of the notion of indigenous work. That program also shows to what extent there exists relations of cooperation as well as of competition between those various UN agencies.