Sumaq amaña is an Andean concept difficult to translate from
Quechua, but CAFOD’s very own LiveSimply gets close. Sumaq amaña
builds on the values of solidarity, living in harmony with
nature and reciprocity, meaning I help you when I can, in the
knowledge that someone will help me when I need it. Sumaq amaña
is about “living well collectively” rather than individual well-
being or living better than others. It is an anti-status and
anti-private ownership interpretation of well-being, tied in
closely to people’s indigenous identity. Sabino Mamani, a
Bolivian indigenous leader explains: “We don’t want to lose our
identity as indigenous people. This land is used in common. We
decide which areas are used for pasture and which for planting.
We all live as one family.” I can hear you think “That sounds
nice, but it’s ideological, not practical”. But if there is one
thing I am learning from the Andean people, is that ideology and
pragmatism are not mutually exclusive. For example, where Sabino
lives soils are so poo