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Between Policies and Life: The Political Process of Buen Vivir in Ecuador

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Abstract

The emergence of Buen Vivir (living well) as a political project in Ecuador can be thought of as the result of the confluence of two processes: (i) the cumulative struggles of highly organised indigenous movements against the implementation of neoliberal policies and (ii) the emergence of a popular centre-left government implementing public policies through state institutions . The emergence and rise of Buen Vivir have been the result of political actions by various groups with opposing views. It is possible to identify definitions stressing and highlighting different aspects of the concept according to the interests , goals, and visions of the actors supporting them. The objective of this chapter is to identify what elements are placed at the centre of these definitions to draw political boundaries between forces in a renewal of political settlements.

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Correspondence to Daniela Bressa Florentin .

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Bressa Florentin, D. (2018). Between Policies and Life: The Political Process of Buen Vivir in Ecuador. In: Bache, I., Scott, K. (eds) The Politics of Wellbeing . Wellbeing in Politics and Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58394-5_6

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