Ideals, Practices, and Leadership of the Community Councils

This chapter describes in more detail the actual formation processes of the community councils, as well as their practices and ideals. It examines the legislation that created these specific organizing figures as part of the state’s conservationist strategy toward the Pacific region and its inhabitants, and considers local processes of mobilization that led from the building of palenques along river basins to the constitution of community councils. In particular it explores the role that leadership and previous organizational experience play in these processes as important resources for mobilization.