This allows Western governments and institutions to justify forcing change on indigenous peoples without acknowledging the need for change in their own societies. Thus one of the first steps to indigenous peoples achieving their right to be different requires that Western society understands and respects the richness and diversity of indigenous cultures and world views. Indigenous peoples' world view differs between nations and peoples. However, they share several characteristics. Their world view is rooted in the land, their community and the spirit that joins the two.
Time is cyclical and therefore sustainability is a pervasive influence in all areas of life.
The mainstream Western world view sees the land as a resource, places individual interests above those of the community, and has little room for spirituality. Thus the form of development imposed on non-Western cultures is one that seeks to maximise consumption. It is argued that this can best be achieved through rapid industrial expansion, domination and exploitation of nature and the replacement of local authorities with globalised structures to govern people and the environment. The two world views are fundamentally different. Their associated forms of development are equally divergent.