Under this heading the international network presents news of the activities of the various global, regional
and national indigenous knowledge resource centres. Please see Addresses IK Resourse centres for the names, addresses, telephone
and fax numbers of the centres' directors and coordinators. They will gladly supply additional
information.
CIKARD
CIKARD has had the pleasure of welcoming two Fulbright scholars for extended visits this year. Dr
Joseph Massaquoi, formerly Dean of Engineering, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, was at
CIKARD for six months. He is currently establishing a national indigenous knowledge resource centre in
Sierra Leone. Dr Lidela Ndlovu, Dean of Agriculture, University of Zimbabwe, spent two months at
CIKARD and will help to push through the centre for Zimbabwe when he returns to Harare.
In April four Nigerian experts on IK--including Dr Titilola from ARCIK--visited CIKARD on grants from
USAID. One of the products of their visit is a draft of an educational policy document proposing the
incorporation of IK case studies and materials into the current curricula of Nigerian educational institutes
such as schools, universities, teacher training colleges, polytechnics, and extension training institutes.
CIKARD was also host to two doctoral students from the Agricultural University at Wageningen, The
Netherlands, who were doing literature research in the Documentation Unit before proceeding to Burkina
Faso for two years of dissertation research on 'Indigenous approaches to natural resource
management'.
In May, Professor Pam Fernandez of the University of The Philippines at Los Banos visited CIKARD. A
few weeks ago Dr Richard Murphy, the Cousteau Society's vice president for science and technology,
paid us another visit.
The paperwork is done to bring VERSIK's Dr Consuelo Quiroz to CIKARD for a sabbatical year. With a
grant from the Kellogg Foundation, she will work on gender and IK, and develop IK materials in Spanish.
Dr Bob Fisher of the University of Western Sydney, Australia, will be at CIKARD from August 1994 to
January 1995.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by CIKARD (on behalf of the global network of
centres) and CIESIN (Consortium for International Earth Science
Information Network). The two organizations plan to pursue the resources needed to link all
of the IK centres by means of electronic communication media. (More information will be provided
in the next issue of the Monitor) Dr Rajasekaran has left CIKARD to work at CIESIN.
Through a grant from the Centre for Global and Regional Environmental Research, CIKARD has been in
a position to hire a dozen students on a part-time basis. By the end of August we expect the CIKARD
Documentation Unit to be fully operational, with a computerized database containing bibliographic
information, keywords, and abstracts of the nearly 4,000 documents in the Unit's collection. We hope that
through CIESIN many of these documents will become accessible on-line to the IK centres.
CIRAN
CIRAN obtains its funding from the Netherlands organization for international cooperation in
higher education (Nuffic). A portion of CIRAN's core funding is earmarked for the support of national
and international networks of individuals involved in research with a focus on development. Part of this
support consists in generating activities to facilitate the exchange of information on indigenous knowledge
and development.
Currently the database on IK expertise contains more than 3000 records on persons and institutions from
various disciplinary backgrounds and sectors in 120 different countries. The second draft of 'Expertise on
indigenous knowledge: A directory of the participants in the global network for indigenous knowledge
and development' was completed in July 1994. The Directory is not yet available, as additional funds are
needed to produce and distribute the final version. The July 1994 draft version has been circulated among
the participants in the Third World Network Conference on 'Redefining the life sciences' and the INRIK
seminar on 'Adaptation and development: Interdisciplinary perspectives on subsistence and sustainability
in developing countries' (see below).
Interest in the Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor is growing. On the basis of
the number of questionnaires returned thus far, we expect to have 3500 registered readers by the end of
1994. The future of the Monitor is discussed in an article by Guus
von Liebenstein.
This growing interest in indigenous knowledge and development is also reflected in the number of letters
CIRAN receives each day, either accompanying the questionnaire or separately. Questions are often raised
on how to start networking at the national level and how to initiate a focal point for indigenous
knowledge activities. All letters are answered, although there may be some delay, due to the limited
staffing at CIRAN. It would help us a great deal if readers did not direct requests for research funding,
fellowships and other financial assistance to CIRAN, as we are a facilitating rather than a funding
agency.
At the institutional level, there are increasing contacts with the established centres. After a period of
nearly two years, these contacts are proceeding more smoothly. This is an encouraging development, as
active global networking depends to a large extent on the input of national and regional centres, and other
focal points.
Professor C.N. Ngwasiri, Director of CIKO, was in the Netherlands in April 1994 and had an opportunity
to visit LEAD and CIRAN. An important topic during these joint discussions was the strategy of national
networking, including the identification of sectoral coordinators and the establishment of inter-sector
committees to promote active and effective national networking.
The director of CIRAN participated in two international meetings. 'Redefining the life sciences', which focussed on indigenous
knowledge, was organized by the Third World Network, Penang (Malaysia), 7-10 July 1994, while 'Adaptation and development: Interdisciplinary perspectives on
subsistence and sustainability in developing countries' was organized by INRIK in cooperation with
the government of West Java Province, Bandung (Indonesia), 11-15 July 1994. The director of CIRAN
was on the steering committee of the latter conference; he had the honour of delivering one of the
keynote speeches, and also prepared a paper on a strategy for IK networking.
LEAD
LEAD has been extensively involved in the coordination of a project of the European
Commission in Brussels on 'Indigenous knowledge systems for sustainable agriculture in developing
countries: towards an alternative approach to food shortage reduction in Kenya and Indonesia'. LEAD has
been primarily responsible for organizing the joint activities of four partners: LEAD, KENRIK, INRIK
and MAICH. The main activity of phase one, a joint literature survey on indigenous agriculture
knowledge systems in the tropics, is well underway. This involves identifying and documenting specific
information on indigenous agricultural knowledge systems in the context of sustainable development and
food production, as recorded in books, journals, research and project reports, etc.
Up to now more than 200 titles have been entered in a database made with the bibliographical computer
programme 'Endnote Plus'. This database has the following main categories: agriculture/agronomy; agro-
ecology, including traditional environmental knowledge (TEK); agroforestry and wild food plants; soil
science; ethnobotany; food storage and processing, including ethno-biotechnology; and water management
and irrigation. A first focus is on the main local concepts, attitudes, artifacts and institutions that are
associated with the process of agricultural food production. An alphabetical list of references on these
topics is being drawn up that will strengthen the theoretical orientation of the project. Meanwhile,
contributions are also coming in from INRIK, KENRIK and MAICH. The aim, for later in the project, is
to publish an annotated bibliography. LEAD is also making preparations for extending the bibliography to
a specially designed computer database entitled 'Indigenous agricultural knowledge systems'. This
database will soon be released and made accessible under the name 'INDAKS/LEAD'. LEAD welcomes
any additional information on the subject of indigenous agricultural knowledge systems. (See also IK Monitor 2(1), section Communications,
Calls)
At the end of March, Professor Sidik from INRIK visited LEAD. In April, Professor Ngwasiri, the
director of CIKO, visited LEAD and CIRAN on his way to Indonesia. In June 1994, Dr V. Abreu of the
Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) paid a short visit to LEAD,
where he discussed, among other things, possibilities for preparing a joint proposal to further develop
nodes in CIESIN's Information Cooperative. Nodes are envisaged for Nairobi (Kenya) and Bandung
(Indonesia).
BURCIK
There are no new developments to report.
BRARCIK
There are no new developments to report.
CIKO
The first meeting of CIKO's national sectoral coordinators was held at the University of Buea
on 25 June 1994. The meeting was attended by 14 coordinators from all over Cameroon. In his speech,
the National IK Coordinator for Cameroon and Director of CIKO, Dr C.N. Ngwasiri, thanked the sectoral
coordinators for sacrificing their time and resources to attend the meeting. He remarked that their presence
was a clear indication of their belief in the important role that IK can play in the development of
Cameroon and its people.
Dr Ngwasiri explained the role of the three global IK institutions--CIRAN, LEAD and CIKARD--in the
network. He said that although IK has been ignored for many decades, African governments are now
recognizing it as a national resource that provides the basis for sustainable approaches to agriculture and
natural resource management. The increasing acceptance of IK is evident in the growing number of IK
resource centres and the rapid spread of IK from the fields of geography and anthropology to various
other academic disciplines. Other indicators of IK's popularity are the growing number of workshops and
conferences on the subject and the fact that major international development agencies, both bilateral and
multilateral, are showing increasing interest in the role of IK in development by incorporating it into their
programmes.
Each sectoral coordinator made a presentation of work accomplished so far, in:
GHARCIK
There is general awareness that innovations introduced into traditional systems fail if the
indigenous way of life of the people has not been not considered. Despite the usefulness of indigenous
knowledge systems, there are also shortcomings inherent in some of these systems that hold local people
back from sustained development. For example, traditional approaches to weaning babies often result in
high mortality rates. Traditional methods of family planning, by which the expectant mother leaves her
husband and goes to stay with her parents until a year after delivery, do not check population growth
because men can have multiple wives. The system controls the birth rate of the individual woman, but on
the whole it increases population growth. There are shortcomings of this kind in many indigenous
knowledge systems.
As a start, GHARCIK is seeking funds from various sources so that it can study and document indigenous
knowledge systems--and its shortcomings--in Ghana. Studies will be in the areas of agriculture, health,
nutrition, child care, housing and various social issues.
INRIK
The staff and students of INRIK were intensively involved in the preparation and organization
of an international seminar entitled 'Indigenous knowledge,
adaptation and development: interdisciplinary perspectives on subsistence and sustainability in developing
countries'. This was held from 11 to 15 July 1994.
INRIK is also involved in a literature survey on indigenous agricultural knowledge systems. This is part
of phase one of a project of the European Commission in Brussels, entitled 'Indigenous knowledge
systems for sustainable agriculture in developing countries: towards an alternative approach to food
shortage reduction in Kenya and Indonesia'. The project is being carried out in collaboration with LEAD,
KENRIK and MAICH.
INRIK will also contribute to the compilation of a joint bibliography of INRIK, LEAD, KENRIK and
MAICH. Professor K. Adimihardja already provided a substantial bibliography on indigenous agricultural
knowledge systems and natural resources management in Indonesia. A selection of these references will
be entered in the joint bibliography.
The selection is underway of two junior scientists to conduct fieldwork for the European Commission
project. They will receive advanced training for short periods at Leiden University (The Netherlands) and
at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute in Chania (Greece). It is envisaged that in the course of the
second half of this year, a subsequent pilot study will be launched in the region of Mount Halimun (West
Java).
PHIRCSDIK
In the past period Phircsdik has organized a regional seminar under the title 'Indigenous knowledge in agriculture'.
REPPIKA
About a year ago, the management council of IIRR approved a proposal to hold an international
workshop aimed at compiling a manual for the recording and use of IK. It turned out to be difficult to get
the proposal funded, but at the same time it became increasingly obvious that practical guidelines for the
recording and use of IK are needed if IK is to be systematically incorporated into IIRR projects.
Moreover, such a manual would also be useful to organizations other than IIRR. REPPIKA is now
tapping IIRR's experience with participatory methodologies and preparing an internal workshop for the
actual production of the manual. The manual will be kept purposely simple so that an NGO worker at
field level can easily use it. REPPIKA is in the process of revising the proposal and preparing materials.
The workshop will be held in December of this year.
REPPIKA coordinator Dr Evelyn Mathias visited Nepal from 12 to 23 April, 1994. First she attended a
three-day MacArthur Grantees Meeting/ICIMOD Seminar entitled 'Indigenous knowledge systems and biodiversity management',
which was held at the Vajra Hotel in Kathmandu 13-15 April. Dr Mathias served as a
resource person for indigenous knowledge and led a panel discussion of methods for recording indigenous
knowledge. Subsequently Dr Mathias discussed possible collaboration with several staff members from
ICIMOD and other organizations, including Rural Reconstruction Nepal and the Community Welfare and
Development Society in Kathmandu. She also visited the Rural Development Center (RDC) in Pokhara.
RDC is a project of the United Missions that offers training in animal health care, forestry, horticulture
and water systems to farmers and the field staff of NGOs and extension services.
RIDSCA
There are no new developments to report.
SARCIK
At the invitation of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), located in
Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada) SARCIK and the Institute for Indigenous Theory and Practice participated
in a 'design workshop' that was held in Nairobi (Kenya) from 11 to 13 May. The purpose of the
workshop was to identify strategies for achieving sustainable livelihoods for indigenous communities. In
this particular workshop the focus was on arid and semi-arid regions.
SARCIK is planning to hold a second Southern Africa Conference on
indigenous knowledge and practice towards the end of 1994. At present the conference is in a
planning phase, but funding for the conference has already been secured from Otis Elevators South
Africa.
An article in the Institute's August 1993 Bulletin (E12.1) and SARCIK's report in Indigenous Knowledge and Development
Monitor 1(3):27-28 reported on SARCIK's plan to locate and collect various forms of
information on knowledge that is 'indigenous' to the Southern Africa region. Indigenous knowledge (IK)
is defined as local knowledge--knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society.
As mentioned above, earlier information indicated the major sources of information that will be used,
including SABINET (South African Bibliographic Network), which encompasses SACD (South African
Co-operative Database), ISAP (Index to South African Periodicals) and UCTD (Theses and Dissertations).
The N.A.V.O. (Human Sciences Research Council's Database) will also be used. Anyone interested in
specific guidance for gaining access to these resources may read the Institutes Bulletin and the Monitor as
referred to above.
A new database has now been established by the Institute for Indigenous
Theory and Practice, and SARCIK. It consists of references on books, periodicals, theses, dissertations
and current research on indigenous knowledge in South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana. The
database currently consists of a total of 629 references, of which 80% are dated after 1980. This limitation
on the period covered was dictated by the databases used as sources. More work will be required for
identifying materials published before 1980. The range of references is wide: from social sciences to
biological sciences, as well as the relationship between them. The most frequent references are on
traditional healers and healing and on medicinal plants and traditional medicine. This category consists in
part of material which examines the integration of traditional approaches into Western health care. It also
consists of material which examines the practices of traditional healers in their natural context: which
herbs they use and how; and which types of divination they employ, such as dream interpretation.
Customary law is the second largest category of references. Their subjects are as diverse as laws on
property ownership, and the relationship between anthropological concepts of incest taboos and the
law.
The cultivation and economic exploitation of indigenous flora, and indigenous horticulture, are also
common subjects. Indigenous plants are examined in terms of their economic potential: for example,
which oils can be extracted from them, under which conditions do they grow best, and which indigenous
plants can be used in gardens and parks in specific regions of the country. In the social and cultural arena,
there are many references to indigenous theatre and art, and indigenous literature and languages. This to is
a very diverse category which includes a wide range of topics: from wood carvings and the rock paintings
of the San, to contemporary literature and poetry in South Africa.
The database represents SARCIK's current effort to make IK accessible for public use. The SARCIK
database is available to any person or institution wishing to access the material. Write or fax the Institute
for Indigenous Theory and Practice, stating the subject or theme on which you would like information.
SARCIK also would appreciate receiving any contributions in terms of articles and unpublished material.
(See section Communications - Calls)
SARCIK is developing its database as a member of the international network of resource centres on
indigenous knowledge. Each national resource centre pledged that it will do its best to develop a database
that identifies the indigenous knowledge available within its own country, and to contribute to the more
international databases being developed by the global centres. It is planned that the information will
eventually be made available internationally through an interconnecting electronic mail service.
Contact: SARCIK, The Institute for Indigenous Theory and Practice, P.O. Box 2335, 8000
Cape Town, South Africa. Tel: +27-21-242012. Fax: +27-21-232168. E-mail: hansn@iaccess.za
SLARCIK
SLARCIK's executive council met for the first time on 21 June 1994. This council was formed
following the symposium entitled 'Indigenous knowledge and sustainable development', which was held
in Colombo last March. (See IK Monitor 2(1):22-
24) At its meeting the executive council decided on the following structure and activities:
Structure:
URURCIK
URURCIK is currently enjoying the presence of Viviane Horta (University of Leuven), who is
providing logistical support for the preparation of the action plan and research proposals that will underlie
URURCIK's core proposal for funding. She has helped URURCIK to identify organizations and
individuals who have been or are now engaged in the same area of interest. As a result, potential areas for
cooperation are gradually emerging.
Viviane Horta has also given lectures in the field of local knowledge as it relates to sustainable
development. She assigned high priority to developing a programme of research on indigenous knowledge
in the field of eco-beekeeping. URURCIK wishes to express gratitude to Ms Horta for her work and her
commitment to the development efforts of Uruguay.
URURCIK's concern with eco-beekeeping began last year. The objective of this programme is to increase
the production capacity of small farmers on a sustainable basis. Thanks to this programme it has been
demonstrated that eco-beekeeping can be an important income-generating activity among small farmers. It
can also be a means for balancing diets through the introduction of honey, which has a high nutritional
value. Eco-beekeeping, as the name suggests, includes concern for the environment. For example, to
protect valuable insects one must prevent the use of pesticides. Bees themselves help to pollinate trees
and shrubs and therefore ensure the regeneration of plant life.
The programme on eco-beekeeping is directed by Luis Cordoba. Mr Cordoba is a widely known specialist
with practical as well as research experience in eco-beekeeping. He has worked as a consultant in this
area for several international organizations, such as UNESCO, FAO, and GTZ, as well as for local NGOs.
He argues for a new approach to bee-keeping that maintains a balance between the exploitation of
renewable resources and conservation of the ecosystem. His work at URURCIK includes workshops and
seminars that train small farmers, their families, and extension workers in rural eco-beekeeping.
The programme on eco-beekeeping will come to a halt at the end of this year if no new funding is found.
URURCIK is writing proposals to secure resources so that the programme can be continued. The main
results of the programme will be disseminated through the network of IK resource centres.
VERSIK
VERSIK, and the rest of the Center for Tropical Alternative Agriculture and Sustainable
Development (CATADI), of the University of the Andes, Venezuela, were very pleased with the visit of
Dr Michael Warren (CIKARD director) and his wife Mary last May. During their visit VERSIK was able
to learn many things from their very rich experience of IK, not only through a seminar and other formal
activities, but also through the warm friendship they offered to everyone present.
Dr Consuelo Quiroz, VERSIK coordinator, was invited by the United Nations' Fund for Women
(UNIFEM) to be one of the co-authors of a document in preparation for the IV World Women's
Conference, which will be held in Beijing (China) in September 1995. The subject of the document is
gender, science and technology, and local knowledge, and the implications for national policy of the
relationships among them. The paper has been written by Dr Quiroz in cooperation with three other
researchers: Ms Helen Appleton (coordinator of the group), Intermediate Technology, London (UK); Mrs
Catherine Hill, IDRC, Ottawa (Canada); and Ms Maria Fernández, Wageningen (The Netherlands).
It was presented by the authors at a meeting held in San José, Costa Rica, 17-22 July.
In August Dr Quiroz will begin a sabbatical year at CIKARD. The programme for the year includes: