coming:
Adaptation and development: Interdisciplinary perspectives on subsistence
and sustainability development in developing countries
Bandung (Indonesia), 11-15 July, 1994.
The Indonesian Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (INRIK) of the Universitas Padjadjaran in
Bandung (Indonesia) is organizing an international seminar in order to review the current status of
indigenous knowledge systems. The seminar will also identify priority areas for research, and mobilize
interested individuals and institutions for the purpose of strengthening international cooperation and
networks related to indigenous knowledge and development.
The university is organizing the seminar in collaboration with the local government of West Java, and
with support from LEAD at Leiden University. Other sponsors are being approached for additional
support. The seminar will take place at Universitas Padjadjaran in Bandung (Indonesia).
Indigenous knowledge in 14 areas will be explored: agro-ecology, social forestry, environment and natural
resource management, ethno-botany, animal health, non-agricultural technologies, local organization,
education, aqua-culture, ethno-pharmacology, women and health, architecture, customary law, and ethno-
communication.
Participants are invited to register by sending their name, address, institution, telephone number, fax
number and areas of interest to the secretariat. Abstracts and titles of papers for presentation at the
seminar are also welcome. These too should be sent to the secretariat.
Further information can be obtained from the secretariat:
LPM/UNPAD, JL. Banda 40, Bandung 40115, Indonesia. Fax: +62-22-435938 (Prof. Dr. Kusnaka
Adimihardja) or Fax: +62-22-2504982 (Dr. Nani Djuangsih and Dr. Oekan S. Abdoellah).
Incorporating social values into ecosystem health objectives: Addressing the
challenge
Ottawa (Canada), 19 June, 1994.
This workshop is being organized jointly by Environment Canada and Health Canada, in conjunction with
the First international symposium on 'Ecosystem health and medicine' (20-23, June 1994).
The purpose of this one-day workshop is to expose participants to international experiences in the
emerging field of ecosystem health objectives. The procedures for developing these objectives will be
discussed, as well as the vital role societal values play in the process. The morning of the workshop will
feature presentations by leading international figures. Some of the approaches used and the challenges
encountered will be covered, with a focus on success stories and practical advice. The afternoon session
will consist of two 'hands on' exercises. One exercise will examine a local community that has a problem
of environmental management, while the second exercise will consider a long-range global approach to
environmental management using the example of Arctic ecosystems in which integrity has been preserved.
The workshop is aimed at facilitating a meaningful exchange of ideas and experiences, at fostering
networking among practitioners, and at increasing appreciation for the need to incorporate people's values
into ecosystem planning and management. With the First International Symposium on Ecosystem Health
and Medicine acting as an additional attraction, it is expected that this workshop will draw participants
from around the world.
For more information, please contact:
'Incorporating social values into ecosystem health objectives: Addressing the challenge' Workshop, c/o
Stephanie Meakin, Evaluation and Interpretation Branch, Ecosystem Conservation Directorate,
Environmental Conservation Service, 7th Floor, 351 St. Joseph Blvd., Hull, Quebec, K1A 0H3 Canada.
Fax: +1-819-953 0461.
Indigenous knowledge systems and rural development in China
Beijing (China), 15-25 April, 1994.
This workshop on IKS and rural development in China is being held at the Centre for Integrated
Agricultural Development, of Beijing Agricultural University, in Beijing (China). The workshop has two
purposes: to provide an opportunity for people who are interested in IKS and rural development to share
experiences and exchange information; and to make the public more aware of the importance of IKS for
rural development. The role of indigenous knowledge in various areas of rural development will be
discussed, including farming and livestock breeding, the organization of environmental protection, and
sustainable development. Because modern technology has failed to meet new challenges, and is
increasingly seen to invade and disrupt local social systems, consideration must be given to improving the
quality of rural development. This can be done by focussing on local knowledge, and using it as the basis
for further development.
The themes of the workshop are:
Indigenous practices of soil and water conservation in Africa
Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), 6-9 June, 1994.
This international workshop is organized by the joint research programme entitled 'Indigenous soil and water conservation in Africa'. It will be
attended by 25 Anglophone researchers who are working on 20 case studies in 12 different countries
across the continent. Since the workshop is taking place at the moment that the participating researchers
will have just finished their fieldwork, it will help them with the final writing-up of their case
studies.
During the first two days of the workshop the participants will discuss their findings and share their
experiences in small working groups. On the basis of the preliminary results, a comparative analysis of
the various case studies will be attempted. Analysis will revolve around several common themes, which
have been prepared by the participants in advance. The third day will be used for a fieldtrip to the area
around Addis Ababa. During the final day discussion will focus on research methods and on the follow-
up phase of the research programme mentioned above. The workshop is being organized in close
cooperation with the Ethiopian participants.
Contact: Ben Haagsma, CDCS, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1115, 1081 HV Amsterdam,
The Netherlands. Tel: +31-20-5485030. Fax: +31-20-6462320.
Ecotechnology for sustainable
development
January-September, 1994.
This international, electronic conference deals with many facets of human life and management of the
natural environment. It will however give special focus on aspects related to research, development and
applications of environmentally and ecologically sound technologies and practices that contribute to
sustainable development.
The four main themes of the conference are:
past:
Listening to the people: social aspects of dryland management
Nairobi (Kenya), 14-17 December, 1993.
The international workshop 'Listening to the people: social aspects of dryland management', which was
hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), brought together nearly 100 social
scientists, representatives of government and non-government organizations, and staff of UN and donor
agencies. The workshop's specific objectives were: to find ways of implementing recommendations of
Agenda 21 that involve social aspects of dryland management; to offer guidance to institutions regarding
such programmes as UNEP's Desertification Control Programme Activity Centre (DC/PAC), which deals
with dryland management; and to provide inputs for both the Commission on Sustainable Development
(CSD) and the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Elaboration of a Convention to Combat
Desertification (INCD).
The participants met in working groups and plenary sessions throughout the week. They shared
experiences and exchanged research results. Presentations were made on: traditional and western
techniques for managing natural resources; participatory approaches to research, project planning and
management; issues of land tenure and common property; gender issues in dryland management; donor
experiences; government policies; and environmental refugees. The common themes that emerged from
these sessions were incorporated by the participants into a set of recommendations that included strategies
for combatting desertification, and suggestions for ways of following up the workshop. These were
debated and agreed to by the participants at the end of the meeting.
A common theme throughout the workshop was the fact that if strategies for dealing with land
degradation are to be meaningful, they must result in fundamental changes in the power relationships
between the various actors at international, national and local levels. Effective communication channels
are needed in order to enable communities in drought-prone areas to express their needs and development
priorities. Such channels would enable communities to negotiate with representatives of government and
with other groups whose interests and activities have an impact on their livelihood.
Governments were urged to create an enabling environment for true bottom-up development by assigning
importance to people-based development strategies. The actions suggested included a review of
inappropriate policies and legislation, and the creation of favourable market conditions. Participants called
for reforming land-tenure rights on the basis of existing systems of ownership, and for providing security
by guaranteeing access to land. Both of these approaches foster the proper management of resources.
The group noted that a prerequisite for the success of any intervention affecting a local community is that
the planners recognize the institutions, systems of indigenous knowledge, and management structures that
already exist. This includes local knowledge regarding production, consumption and marketing. In
particular, governments and the international community should support local communities' efforts to
develop environmentally sustainable systems for marketing renewable natural products from dryland areas,
and should counteract exploitation that tends to degrade them. On gender issues, participants stressed the
importance of supporting mechanisms that enable women to participate equally in the decision-making
process, and that increase their capacity for production and for earning their own incomes.
In a series of follow-up recommendations, the workshop participants suggested that UNEP seek
partnerships with governments, NGOs and international donors in order to implement the group's
conclusions; and that NGOs and social scientists, with donor support, help to sensitize 'developers' to the
socio-cultural factors of natural resource management. (Daniel Stiles)
For further information, please contact:
Daniel Stiles, DC/PAC, UNEP, P.O. Box 47074, Nairobi, Kenya.
Empowerment and accountability for sustainable development: towards
theory-building in the social sciences
Quezon City (The Philippines), 9-10 December, 1993.
This third national social science conference was held in the Philippine Social Science Center in Quezon
City. Panel discussion centred on three topics: sustainable strategies for natural resource management,
industrialization for sustainable development, and democratization for sustainable development. In small
groups, participants worked out theoretical frameworks for each subject. The members of the first panel
recognized and strongly emphasized the importance of indigenous knowledge for development. (Dr.
E. Mathias-Mundy)
For more information, please contact:
Prof. Ruben Trinidad, Philippine Social Science Council, Philippine Social Science Center,
Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, The Philippines.
Herbal medicine
Manila (The Philippines), 3-5 February, 1994.
The First National Conference on 'Herbal medicine' was held in Manila at the Communication
Foundation for Asia. It was sponsored by the Department of Health. This conference attracted over 150
participants from government, NGOs, and other organizations. Among them were hospital-based and
community-based health workers as well as indigenous healers and herbalists. Several Filipino scientists
and Dr. Chen Ken (WHO) described the history and status of research on herbal medicine and its use in
The Philippines and Asia. In The Philippines, scientists have been studying the efficacy, safety and
propagation of medicinal plants since 1972.
Recently, the Department of Health endorsed ten scientifically tested herbs that are used to treat common
ailments, and established a unit for traditional medicine that will be institutionalized by executive order in
the near future.
After the keynote speeches, workshop participants assessed the status of herbal medicine as practised in
communities, and formulated a joint statement on the current and potential role of herbal medicine in
primary health care. (Phoebe Maata)
For further information, please contact:
Ms. Ely Lumdang, Community Management Institute, Fersal Condominium II Unit 6, Kalayaan Avenue,
Diliman, Quezon City, The Philippines.
Preservation of indigenous knowledge about medicinal plants
Nadave (Fiji), 23-28 August, 1993.
A regional workshop on traditional medical practitioners was held to give encouragement to the
documentation and promotion of indigenous knowledge about medicinal plants. The workshop was
conducted jointly by the South Pacific Action Committee for Human Ecology and Environment
(SPACHEE), the YWCA of Fiji, the Fiji Forestry Department, and the University of the South Pacific
(USP). Assistance was given by the South Pacific Forestry Development Programme, IWDA/AIDAB, the
Fiji-German Forestry Project, and CIDA. Participants represented government and non-government
organizations in Tahiti, Cook Islands, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji.
The workshop brought together traditional medical practitioners, conservationists and donors. The aim
was to explore the practice of traditional medicine in the Pacific. Participants from Fiji brought samples of
the plants they use for traditional medical treatment, and participants from elsewhere in the region brought
photographs of their medicinal plants. There was much excitement when participants learned that other
islanders were using the same plant species, or that plants they were not currently using had medicinal
uses in other places.
Participants noted that traditional medicine is important for the health and well-being of Pacific Islanders,
but that some plant species are becoming hard to find. Another issue they dealt with was the proper
identification of medicinal plant species, and the health conditions which they were being used to
treat.
SPACHEES's chairperson, Dr. William Aalbersberg, talked about the need to document traditional
medical practice. He also addressed the issue of indigenous knowledge and how researchers should
recognize this knowledge, as well as landowners' rights to compensation for the use of their plants. Dr.
Ken Chen and Dr. Dominique Lefevre spoke about WHO's interest in traditional medicine and stressed
that traditional medicine has an important role to play in achieving WHO's goal of 'Health for all by the
year 2000'.
At the workshop, participants made plans for promoting traditional medical practice and the conservation
of traditional medicinal plant species. The plans include the establishment of national associations for
traditional medicine, and demonstration gardens. Participants agreed to assess the need for a network of
traditional medicine associations in the South Pacific, but went one step further as well by actually
establishing a Traditional Medicine Association for the region. Workshop participants appointed a
provisional executive committee to develop a constitution for the association, to foster the development of
national follow-up plans, and to plan for next year's workshop, which will assess the progress made in
terms of documentation and promotion. (Kerrie Strathy)
For more information:
SPACHEE, P.O. Box 1168, Suva, Fiji.
Sustainable agriculture: the importance and contribution of traditional
agriculture
Puebla (Mexico), 1-4 December, 1993.
This symposium was held for the third time, and was organized by the Environmental Studies Committee
and by CEICADAR, of the Colegio de Postgraduados. The main topics were:
Traditional sciences and technologies of India
Bombay (India), 28 November - 3 December, 1993.
This congress was organised by the Patriotic and People-Oriented Science and Technology Foundation
(PPST) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). It was an effort to bring together the living aspects
of tradition and assess it contemporary relevance. Steering away from an 'either-or' position, the congress
sought to further a dialogue between the traditional and the modern systems so that they can be equal
partners in a joint endeavour. Eleven topics were covered: healthcare and nutrition, water management,
agriculture, vermiculture, forestry, architecture and building materials, metals and materials, textiles,
traditional industries, theoretical sciences, and social organization. More than 1000 delegates-- academics,
activists, students and farmers--attended the congress. There were 350 scientific papers presented, 100
exhibition stalls and a book exhibition.
(V.B. Dubey)
Contact: IIT Bombay, Powai, Bombay 400 076, India.
or:
PPST Foundation, P.O. Box 2085, Adyar, Madras 600 020, India.