Guus von Liebenstein
Active networking requires adequate instruments for the exchange of
information. CIRAN publishes the Indigenous Knowledge and Development
Monitor, the newsletter of and for the international network for
indigenous knowledge and development, which reaches over 3000 individuals
in 120 countries. To explore the possibilities for creating a sustainable
basis for the future of the Monitor, CIRAN sent out a questionnaire to all
its readers, the tentative results of which are presented in this article.
A network consists of individuals who undertake joint activities and exchange information on a voluntary basis. It creates mechanisms to mobilize its members and offers them a platform for general debate and an exchange of ideas. One such network is made up of people interested in the potential contribution of indigenous knowledge to development. This international network for indigenous knowledge and development can only be an active one if all the members recognize their respective interests, and if those interests are properly served. A newsletter is one of the instruments designed to promote active networking, by facilitating communication and the dissemination of information.
At the international conference on 'Indigenous knowledge and sustainable development' held in September 1992 in Silang, in the Philippines, a plan of action was adopted. Among other things, it was agreed that CIRAN would produce the Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor.
Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor
Since February 1993 CIRAN has produced the Monitor in close cooperation
with CIKARD, LEAD and all the other indigenous knowledge resource centres
(see section General, Addresses IK
Resource centres). As the Monitor supersedes CIKARD News, people
may conclude that the Monitor is the newsletter of CIRAN. This is not the
case. The Monitor is the newsletter of the network of individuals in 120
countries who have an interest in the field of indigenous knowledge and
sustainable development. It facilitates and promotes the process of active
networking by those individuals. It does this by providing:
The Monitor is published three times a year. The editorial policy is to give priority to contributions from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The focus is on knowledge that has been generated by communities in those continents in order to cope with their natural and social environment in a sustainable manner. The national and regional IK resource centres play a crucial role in recording this knowledge, and the Monitor functions as an instrument to communicate their findings to others. Another reason for giving preference to Asian, African and Latin American contributors is that, in doing so, we offer them an opportunity to publish and to communicate, as in their respective countries there are often only limited publication facilities on an international level.
Judging from the many reactions we have received, the Monitor has proved to be a powerful instrument for communication. It has provided a platform for debate and a forum for the exchange of information on current research, and recent initiatives and publications. For the established IK centres, the Monitor is an adequate and cost-effective vehicle for the communication of information worldwide.
Recipients of the Monitor
As of mid-April 1994, the number of registered recipients of the Monitor
was 3004, spread over 120 countries. A registered recipient is someone who
has returned her/his questionnaire to CIRAN. On average, some 20
questionnaires reach us each week, and we estimate that by the end of 1994
the number of registered recipients will be around 3500.
On the basis of the information on the completed questionnaires, the following basic data on the readers of the Monitor can be presented**1: Some 56% of the registered recipients consider themselves active participants, and 44% passive participants. Researchers make up 33.5% of the recipients and practitioners 33.1%. The rest of the group can be divided into individuals with a general interest in the subject, advisors or consultants, funders, librarians, documentalists, representatives of the media, policy makers, development workers, and trainers. The groups most likely to be active participants are researchers (67%), practitioners (59%) and policy makers (58%). Data show that active participation is highest in developing countries.
The percentage of registered recipients per continent is as follows: USA/Canada (31%), Africa (24%), Europe (19%), Asia (20%) and Latin America (6%). The predominance of recipients in the North stems from the large number of U.S. readers, and is related to the fact that the Monitor supersedes the USA-based CIKARD News. Readers of the Monitor are found in various sectors such as government agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, international agencies and the private sector, in both developing and developed countries.
The contents of the Monitor seem to have a real appeal for readers at various institutions and at various levels. This is reflected in the reactions of both individuals and organizations. All reactions speak of the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge and the need to explore ways to put indigenous knowledge to good use for sustainable development. It would appear that the task which the Monitor has taken upon itself, i.e., to facilitate the exchange of information and to promote active networking, is highly appreciated. The articles and information which appear in the Monitor are also used for education and training, for example in research, by institutions in the South.
One indication of the success formula of the Monitor is the fact that CIRAN has no issues of volume 1 (1993) left. Another, and more solid, indication of the viability of the Monitor is the growing number of registered recipients.
Marketing strategy
Throughout 1993 and 1994 the Monitor has been distributed free of charge,
thanks to grants from the Netherlands organization for international
cooperation and higher education (Nuffic) and the International Development
Research Centre (IDRC). In order to establish a solid future for the
Monitor, CIRAN has been looking into possible marketing strategies.
In considering a marketing strategy, we must take into account the costs involved in the production and air mail distribution of the newsletter, and the importance of keeping it accessible to those readers and users who cannot afford the full--or even partial--cost of a subscription; this includes most readers/users in the South. Moreover, it must be kept in mind that the Monitor has a facilitating role to play in the exchange of information among the national and regional IK resource centres, and in the promotion of active networking within the global network. It is important that the marketing strategy should be based on a combination of cost recovery and social benefit.
The annual budget required to produce and disseminate the Monitor (3 issues per year) to 3500 recipients amounts to Dfl. 200.000 ($106.000). Some methods for funding the Monitor might include advertisements, external funding and subscription fees. In order to collect information on the possibility of charging a subscription fee, we sent out a questionnaire to all the subscribers who were on our permanent mailing list as of April 1994.
Results of
survey
In May 1994 questionnaires were sent to 3004 recipients with the following
basic questions: Are you able to pay for a personal or institutional
subscription; if so, are you prepared to pay for a personal annual
subscription of $37.00 (or less) or an institutional annual subscription of
$55.00; if not, are you still interested in receiving the Monitor?
The deadline for the return of the questionnaire was 1 July 1994. At the end of July, some 42.07% of the questionnaires from the North and 36.79% from the South had been returned. The results are presented below.**2
The South: 9.64% of the respondents are able to pay for a personal full
subscription of $37.00; 18.91% are able to pay between $10.00 and $25.00,
while 0.55% would be willing to pay between $25.00 and $35.00. Some 40.18%
said they could not pay for an individual subscription.
In the case of institutional subscriptions, 5.4% of the respondents are
able to pay a full subscription of $55.00; 5.09% are able to pay between
$10.00 and $25.00; 0.55% between $25.00 and $35.00; and 0.35% between
$35.00 and $50.00. A total of 18.18% of respondents are not able to pay for
an institutional subscription.
The North: 20.98% of the respondents are able to pay for a full
subscription of $37.00; 29.65% are able to pay between $10.00 and $25.00
and 1.42% between $25.00 and $35.00. A total of 23.34% of the respondents
said they were unable to pay for an individual subscription.
With regard to institutional subscriptions: 8.8% of the respondents are
able to pay a full subscription of $55.00; 2.84% are able to pay between
$10.00 and $25.00; 0.32% between $25.00 and $35.00; and 0.47% between
$35.00 and $50.00. Some 8.9% of the respondents are unable to pay for an
institutional subscription.
We also asked our readers for information on potential donors, and other funding ideas. We were impressed by the many suggestions put forward on possible funding agencies, and the ideas for reducing the production costs. These valuable comments will help us in defining our future policy.
Conclusion
As not all the questionnaires have been returned, it is still too
early to draw any firm conclusions with regard to the continuity and
funding of the Monitor. However, at present the idea of creating a
sustainable basis for the Monitor by introducing a system of paid
subscriptions does not appear feasible. This has to do with the
unexpectedly high percentage of individuals and institutions in the North
that are not able to pay for the newsletter. For this reason, we are now
looking into possible sources to funding which will enable us to continue
to distribute the Monitor, in particular among those in the South who are
not able to afford a full or partial subscription. The amount of additional
funding will determine whether the Monitor will also be distributed among
those recipients in the North who cannot afford a full or partial
subscription.
G.W. von Liebenstein
Director
Nuffic-CIRAN
P.O. Box 29777
LT The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel: +31-70-4260321
Fax: +31-70-4260329
E-mail: lieb@nuffic.nl
Endnotes
**1 Source: 'Expertise on indigenous knowledge:
Directory of the participants of the international network for indigenous
knowledge and development', Nuffic-CIRAN, The Hague, July 1994, 2nd draft
version. (Not available for distribution)
**2 Persons who have not yet returned their
questionnaires are kindly requested to do so. If we do not hear from them,
their names will be deleted from the mailing list.