Alternativas comunitarias para un desarrollo sostenible en Colombia: Principios teóricos y conceptuales hacia un futuro justo y equitativo

This article explores community-driven alternatives for sustainable development (ACDS Acronyms in Spanish) in Colombia, which are responses to the country's social, environmental, and economic challenges. These initiatives propose development models rooted in cooperation, self-management, and environmental responsibility, contrasting with traditional development models. The paper critically reviews literature and community experiences, focusing on the core principles of alternative theoretical proposals and key concepts for ACDS analysis. It underscores approaches like social ecology, degrowth economics, and the human rights approach, all of which emphasize social justice, economic equity, and environmental protection. The article discusses key concepts such as capacity building, aimed at empowering individuals and communities by offering opportunities and fundamental freedoms. It also considers social capital as a community resource, emphasizing the significance of collaboration networks, trust, and reciprocity. The paper examines specific initiatives like Fair Trade, the Participatory Guarantee System, and Community Ecotourism, demonstrating the practical application of these theoretical principles. It identifies challenges such as social inequality, armed conflict, and the absence of a cooperation culture in some regions. The role of the State and public policies in promoting and supporting these alternatives is highlighted. In conclusion, the article underscores the importance of ACDS in building a more equitable, just, and sustainable future in Colombia, offering theoretical and conceptual insights for its understanding and analysis. El presente artículo analiza alternativas comunitarias de desarrollo sostenible (ACDS) en Colombia como respuesta a desafíos sociales, ambientales y económicos que enfrenta el país. Estas iniciativas, surgidas desde las propias comunidades, proponen modelos de desarrollo basados en la cooperación, la autogestión y la responsabilidad ambiental, en contraposición al modelo de desarrollo tradicional. Se realiza una revisión crítica de la literatura y de experiencias comunitarias, examinando los principios centrales de las propuestas teóricas alternativas y los conceptos más relevantes para el análisis de las ACDS. Se destacan enfoques como la ecología social, la economía del decrecimiento y el enfoque de derechos humanos, que convergen en la necesidad de priorizar justicia social, equidad económica y protección ambiental. Se