It is good to see how articles published in the Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor can inspire others to do
research in related fields and thus expand the pool of knowledge; and, eventually, enlarge the available literature on indigenous
knowledge topics and sustainable development. The article by Ms Valentina Mazzacuto in the April issue, dealing with the gap
between economics and anthropology (IKDM 5(1):3-6), aroused the interest of several researchers in the IK network. One
of them, Ms Patricia Uberhuaga who works at CERES/FTPP in Bolivia, has already promised to write an article about her
own research on the indigenous economic system as it relates to forest management. And in the present issue, we are pleased
to have an article on the integration of peasant spatial knowledge and GIS by Mr Gerardo Bocco and Mr Víctor M. Toledo,
researchers at the Centro de Ecología in Mexico. This article clearly elaborates on earlier work and publications in the
Monitor, notably the articles by Mr Joseph E. Tabor and Mr Charles F. Hutchinson (IKDM 2(1):2-6) and by Ms Rhodora
M Gonzalez (IKDM 3(1):5-7).
The opening article of the current issue is written by the director of one of the Nigerian IK resource centres, Professor Dan
Obikeze of CIKPREM. It documents and analyzes indigenous postpartum health care practices among the Igbo in
southeastern Nigeria. Professor Obikeze recommends that some of these rites and observances be adapted and incorporated
into the primary health care programme, to benefit not only the new mother and child but also society as a whole.
Also in Africa, in Tanzania, live the Matengo people, whose indigenous farming system is analyzed by Mr Deogratias F.
Rutatora. The article ends with the question: will the labour-intensive system be able to cope with the changes that are
occurring in and around Mbinga district?
Next, we 'leave' Africa for Western Europe and the Americas with a contribution by Ms Angelique Beekhuis. Ms Beekhuis
researched the use of khat among Somalis in the Netherlands and found that chewing the herb together is a way of redefining
their identity and reinforcing their self-esteem as migrants in an alien society. These social aspects of the use of khat have thus
far been overlooked in the West, which has still not been able to formulate a clear policy regarding the herb's official status.
And finally, we feature an article that might instigate another discussion in the Monitor (cf. the contribution by Mr Arun
Agrawal in IKDM 3(3) and the discussion that evolved in the three subsequent issues). Mr Lars Christian Smith poses the
question: how can indigenous knowledge best be used to benefit the people who possess it? He presents the view that one
should approach IK in exactly the same way a management consultant approaches the indigenous or expert knowledge in a
business organization, and introduces a methodology called MIKS.
We are looking forward to keep receiving your contributions, comments and reactions. Please send your contributions to the
editor. The most important functions of the Monitor – providing a vehicle for the exchange of information and a platform for
debate – are very much dependent upon your active cooperation!
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