Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, December
1997 Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, December
1997Calls for cooperation
Calls for information
Calls for papers
Calls for research assistance
Use of laboratory facilities for nutritional research on the fruit of the
chiuri tree
The School for Ecology, Agriculture and Community Works (SEACOW) was founded in 1992 as an
initiative of the Centre for Agro-Ecology and Development (CAED) in Nepal. SEACOW (the
acronym, phonetically, is the Nepalese word for 'learning') started off as a
small multi-disciplinary organization of committed Nepalese, which initially was supported
financially by individuals in the Netherlands and Belgium. SEACOW, convinced that true and
meaningful development is really the enhancement of people's capabilities, has been
working with the Chepang tribe living in the hills of northern Chitwan. This tribe is also
known as the Praja.
Considered to be hunter/gatherers until recently, and still practising shifting cultivation, the self-governing Praja community has been victimized rather than served appropriately by mainstream development efforts.
SEACOW has been successful in establishing a basis for dialogue with the Praja. From this, a project has emerged for the purpose of co-developing sustainable practices of resource management. The current focus of the project is the multifunctional chiuri tree (Diploknema butyraceae), which is endemic to the forests of the area but has thus far remained undocumented.
The chiuri tree is rapidly becoming more than just a symbolic key resource for the community's future. The young professionals involved with SEACOW have pioneered in research on how the tree's products might be processed: chiuri fruit into highly nutritious juice, and kernel oil into a low-cost herbal cream. They foresee the development of marketable products which will translate into economic benefits for the community.
In order to move this research along, SEACOW's nutrition specialist, who is a trained scientist, is urgently looking for an opportunity to use facilities in a well-equipped laboratory anywhere in the world, for a period of several weeks. The aim is to develop processes that will not require artificial additives.
If you can offer such a possibility, or if you know of anyone who can, please contact:
Teeka R. Bhattarai at SEACOW
P.O. Box 4555, Kathmandu
Nepal.
Tel.: +977-1-257 805.
Fax: +977-1-227 691.
E-mail: chiuri@seacow.wlink.com.np
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On conflict resolution and the problem-solving process
The Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation in Kitwe (Zambia) is interested in collecting
information on indigenous methods that groups of people have developed for resolving
difficulties, and how these methods have changed over time under the influence of
urbanization, contact with the West, and other factors.
The foundation, a Pan African organization, is incorporating peace education into its curriculum. It plans to teach students about processes and skills for resolving conflicts. But teaching materials are needed, as well as material for the students to read.
Conflict takes various forms: from war to the unjust treatment of employees to abuse in families. Many of the standard responses to conflict take a heavy toll on all nations and communities—costing resources that are both tangible and psychological. The ways that peoples and societies around the world have developed to resolve these problems are themselves a resource which is in danger of being lost.
Please contact:
Janet P. Schmidt
Peace Education Lecturer
c/o Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation
Box 21493, Kitwe
Zambia
Tel.: +260-2-217 501
Fax: +260-2-211 001
E-mail: janetps@zamnet.zm
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Towards a South-South network in rural development
INASP—the International Network for the Availabilty of Scientific Publications--has
been up and running now for more than four years. Over that period it has developed a
database which now holds considerable information. In particular it has succeeded in
identifying a wide range of donor organizations, mostly in the North, and obtaining
information on the services and materials they have to offer to institutions and their
libraries in the Third World. Currently some 230 such donor organizations are listed.
Their details are published in hard copy form as the INASP Directory, which until
recently was published annually but is now published every two years. The directory
primarily describes a one-way flow from North to South. Although a number of major
institutions in the South are involved in supplying materials, they are in the minority.
There is a significant volume of information produced in developing countries which should also be made more widely available, especially on a South-South basis. Often results of research and development remain within the country where they were generated, when many of those results could be of considerable relevance to other countries in the South.
INASP therefore now proposes, with the help of UNESCO funding, to extend its database coverage to include organizations in the South which report on the results of research and experience in the South, and are willing to share these reports with similar organizations in the South. 'Rural development', in its broadest sense, is regarded as an area where this initiative is most appropriate. This is why INASP intends to concentrate on identifying more Southern networks and more international, regional and national organizations that share information on this subject or have the potential to do so.
The information on rural development can be in a conventional format (newsletters, journals, monographs) or an electronic format. The networks and organizations that will be included in the database will be identified by subject area (e.g., crop science) and by issue (e.g., environment). The information so gathered will be published in an INASP South-South Rural Development Network Directory, and also shared with INASP members in the South and anyone else who is interested.
If you feel your organization is one which has relevant material in the area of
'rural development', please contact:
Pru Watts-Russell
INASP
27 Park End Street
Oxford, OX1 1HU
UK
Fax: +44-1865-251 060.
E-mail: inasp@gn.apc.org or pru@btinternet.com
Website: http://www.oneworld.org/inasp/
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Rural livelihoods, empowerment and the environment: going beyond the farm boundary
Following the successful conferences in Montpellier (France) in 1994 and in Colombo (Sri
Lanka) in 1996, the international Association for Farming Systems Research-Extension
(ASFR-E) is holding its 15th symposium in Pretoria (South Africa), 29 November-4 December
1998.
The theme is divided into sub-themes:
Abstracts of papers to be presented at the symposium must be based on the prescribed format and written in English in no more than 250 words. The abstracts should be sent to the symposium secretariat by 31 December 1997. The authors of abstracts submitted by this date will learn by 27 February 1998 whether or not they are asked to present a paper. The papers themselves must be submitted by 29 May 1998.
Formats for abstracts and further information can be obtained from:
AFSR-E Symposium '98
P.O. Box 411177
Craighall 2024
South Africa.
Tel.: +27-11-442 6111.
Fax: +27-11-442 5927.
E-mail: cpjhb@jhb.lia.net
(See also the notice under Conferences.)
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Agricultural engineering
Abstracts in English, not exceeding 500 words, should be sent before 31 January 1998 to
Ms Tasana Sa-id
Agricultural and Food Engineering Program, AIT
P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang,
Pathumthani 12120
Thailand
Fax: +66-2-524 6200.
For more information, contact:
Professor V.M. Salokhe
Agricultural and Food Engineering Program, AIT
P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang
Pathumthani 12120
Thailand
Tel.:+66-2-524 5479.
Fax: +66-2-524 6200.
E-mail: salokhe@ait.ac.th
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Copyright in the context of Irish traditional music
For PhD research on the role of copyright in the context of Irish traditional music,
Anthony McCann is looking for any leads or contacts that may help him to examine the
practical and theoretical problems involved. His ultimate aim is to help change current
Irish laws regarding the role that copyright plays in the traditional Irish
'session'.
The increased globalization of the music industry requires the international harmonization of copyright legislation. For this reason, the Irish situation will be compared with situations regarding intellectual property rights elsewhere. The underlying issues here include: whether copyright should be seen as a right or a financial privilege, and the implications of postmodernism for music and performance.
The central focus of the thesis will be to look at copyright as a key to cultural analysis. First to be examined is the way that music is being turned into a commodity, a product—in other words, property. Then the issue of traditional music and copyright will be analyzed as an issue of common property. One research question will be: to what extent can traditional music be considered indigenous knowledge, and the issue comparable to the issue of biodiversity and the patenting of natural resources?
If you can offer any help, please contact:
Anthony McCann
The Irish World Music Centre
University of Limerick
Castletroy, Limerick
Ireland
Tel: +353-61-202 960.
E-mail: Anthony.McCann@ul.ie
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