Territory
This article serves as a basic definition of the corresponding keyword on the site socioeco.org. |
This term has different meanings dependent on languages and cultures. For us, a territory is the local basis of social existence, where are organized interpersonal relations, culture and activities of production, by residents, and not simply - or even primarily - a tract of land under a political authority.
They are social relations:
- between inhabitants that share the destiny of one living area (whether native born, of adoption or migrants)
- between organizations with multiple features (enterprises, local authorities, state, networks, mutual aid, etc,)
- between these individuals and the organizations with their natural environment.
These systems of territorial relations are necessarily open and connected to the outside. For in today's world, interdependence has increased. Solving concrete problems as housing, food, development, infrastructure, employment, use of natural resources, the allocation of resources, etc., must take into account:
- Constraints and opportunities of production and distribution of globalized goods and services;
- Shortcomings of current international governance in the organization of a fair, just and appropriate territorial management of natural resources «the global common goods».
Source
Pactes Locaux, 2009, [1] Territoire
