Indigenous Knowledge and Development
Monitor, March 1999 Indigenous Knowledge and Development
Monitor, March 1999
Contents IK Monitor (7-1) | IKDM Homepage | Suggestions to: ikdm@nuffic.nl | (c) copyright Nuffic-CIRAN and contributors 1999.
IMPORTANT NEW BOOKS
The appearance of important new publications is reported here, and the books are briefly described. We have requested review copies, which will be sent to experts for their opinions regarding the books' practical usefulness. The reviewers' comments will be published in a subsequent issue of the Indigenous Knowledge andDevelopment Monitor.
Margoluis, Richard and Nick Salafsky (1998) Measures of success: Designing, managing, and monitoring conservation and development projects. 363 pp. ISBN: 1-55963-612-2. USD35. Island Press, 1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009, USA.
This book was written by Richard Margoluis, director of
the Analysis and Adaptive Management Program of the Biodiversity Support
Program (BSP), and by Nick Salafsky, a senior programme officer and
scientist in BSP's Biodiversity Conservation Network. BSP is a
USAID-funded consortium of the World Wildlife Fund, the Nature
Conservancy, and the World Resources Institute.
Measures of success
is a practical, hands-on guide to designing, managing, and measuring
the impacts of community-oriented conservation and development projects.
It presents a simple, clear, logical, and yet comprehensive approach to
developing and implementing effective programmes, and can help
conservation and development practitioners use the principles of
adaptive management to test assumptions about their projects and to
learn from the results. The guide will be reviewed by Ms Claudia
Knab-Vispo, whose first impression of the book is that it '...looks at
first glance like an excellent recompilation of techniques for
com-munity participation and the application of local knowledge in the
design, management and monitoring of projects.'
The publisher informs us
that the book presents a systematic approach to improving the focus,
effectiveness, and efficiency of projects. It offers specific guidelines
for:
- designing a realistic conceptual framework based on local
conditions;
- developing clearly defined goals, objectives, and
activities;
- creating a monitoring plan that can be used to assess
whether goals and objectives are being met;
- integrating social and
biological science techniques to collect the most relevant and useful data in
the most cost-effective way;
- using the information obtained
through the monitoring plan to modify the project and learn from the
results.
Pasquale, Sigrid, Peter Schršder and Uta Schultze (eds) (1998) Lokales
Wissen fŸr nachhaltige Entwicklung: Ein PraxisfŸhrer (Local knowledge
for sustainable development: a practical guide). 160 pp. ISBN
3-88156-709-7. DM19 / OES139 / SF18. Verlag fŸr Entwicklungspolitik
SaarbrŸcken GmbH, Auf der Adt 14, D-66130, SaarbrŸcken, Germany.
Tel.: +49-6893-9860 94.
Fax: +49-6893-9860 95.
E-mail:
vfesbr@aol.com
This guide, written in the German language but with indexes in English, is based on the 1995 special edition of Entwicklungsethnologie, a periodical published by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Entwicklungsethnologie e.V. (AGEE). It has three parts: an introduction to the theme, which uses many examples to describe the different dimensions (spatial, temporal, and social) of local knowledge. Part 2 contains a detailed bibliography on the subject of indigenous expertise and experience and their relationship to development work. Some 120 recent books and articles are listed with keywords, and a number of the publications are critically reviewed. Part 3 lists more relevant sources of information: IK resource centres and international networks; various journals, including the Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor; and ongoing research projects involving IK and sustainable development.
Semali, L. and J. Kinchloe (eds) (1999) What is indigenous knowledge?
Voices from the academy. 300 pp. ISBN 08-1533-452-4. GBP21.50 plus
GBP6.50 for postage & packing (airmail). Taylor & Francis, ITPS,
Cheriton House, North Way, Andover Hants SP10 5BE, UK.
Tel.:
+44-1264-343 071.
Fax: +44-1264-343 005.
E-mail:
maryellen.james@itps.co.uk
The International Consortium for Indigenous
Knowledge (ICIK) announces the release of the new book What is
indigenous knowledge?, which examines the social, cultural, and
political dimensions of the issue and focuses on the benefits to be
derived from including indigenous knowledge in the curriculum at all levels.
The book's authors are from many parts of the world; each discusses the
various dimensions of IK from the vantage point of their own discipline
and geographical location.
What is indigenous knowledge?
is the second volume in a new series called Indigenous Knowledge and
Schooling. The first, by Seana McGovern, is Education, modern
development, and indigenous knowledge (1999), New York: Garland. The
series is a
response to the widespread frustration at the fact that there is hardly
any literature on indigenous knowledge that was written for local
communities themselves. Moreover, the few suitable publications that are
available are difficult to obtain. This lack of written materials seriously
hampers efforts to achieve local empowerment. Academically speaking, the
series is an attempt to integrate post-colonial studies, cultural
studies, and recent innovations in social theory into a discipline
firmly grounded in indigenous knowledge systems.
In the introductory
chapter, the editors argue that indigenous knowledge is an ambiguous
topic. Not only are scholars unsure as to what we are talking about, but
many analysts are uncertain as to who should be talking about it.
Although the editors are acutely aware of these complex dynamics and the
threats they present, they perceive the benefits of the study of
indigenous knowledge sufficiently powerful to merit the risk. The many
subjects covered in the book include school curriculum, indigenous literacy,
indigenous research, ecological literacy, ethnomathematics, spirituality
formation, indigenous languages, extension education, and vocational
education.
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