IK Monitor Database (7-2)

Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, July 1999

Contents IK Monitor (7-2) | IKDM Homepage | Suggestions to: ikdm@nuffic.nl | © copyright Nuffic-CIRAN and contributors 1999.

Mailing Lists

In this new Communications sub-section, we would like to draw readers' attention to interesting and relevant 'mailing lists', which are made possible by e-mail and the Internet. A number of such electronic discussion groups on the subject of indigenous knowledge and/or sustainable development have been operational since the start of the Monitor. One good example is the INDKNOW mailing list, which was started in September 1993. We reported on that list in the December 1993 issue (Volume 1(3), p. 30). Others are quite new, such as the Ethno-Veterinary Mailing list (EVM), which was officially launched on 7 June 1999. We propose to describe new lists in terms of the subjects they deal with, whether they are open or require a subscription, whether or not an archive of the discussion is kept, the number of subscribers, the background of the moderator(s), and information about how to join. As to lists that have been running for some time, we would like to have these reviewed in the Monitor instead of just describing them. The editor welcomes suggestions for both categories.
Please send your suggestions for this sub-section to:
Editor, IK&DM, Nuffic-CIRAN, P.O. Box 29777, 2502 LT The Hague, the Netherlands.
Tel.: +31-70-4260 324.
Fax: +31-70-4260 329.
E-mail: ikdm@nuffic.nl

Ethno-veterinary mailing list
The new Ethno-Veterinary Mailing list (EVM) aims to foster networking on the subject of local animal healthcare and production. The mailing list is supervised by an international team of moderators from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and the USA and it is hosted by Nuffic-CIRAN.
The field of ethno-veterinary medicine offers great potential for development. It covers everything that livestock farmers have learned from years of trial-and-error and deliberate experiments in order to keep their animals healthy and productive. This includes herbal medicines, local tools and management practices, and information and beliefs about animal diseases, production and breeding.
Efforts to develop livestock production have been slow to build on ethno-veterinary knowledge, and rarely take advantage of traditional practices. A major reason for this is that up to now there have been few formal links between the people who are concerned with ethnoveterinary medicine those who are concerned with the development of livestock production. Stronger links would make it possible for these specialists to learn from each others' successes and failures.
The EVM list is open to anyone with an interest in ethnoveterinary medicine. Within two weeks of its official launch, 102 people from all parts of the world had subscribed. They include veterinarians, livestock specialists, and various scientists, including ethnobotanists, pharmacologists, economists and social scientists, but other people will find the discussion interesting as well: practitioners in the field, clinicians, staff of government and non-governmental organizations and training institutions, extensionists, healers, farmers, representatives of the private sector, and policy-makers.
Participants may take part in the discussion, ask questions, comment on relevant issues, circulate requests for information, and send announcements of conferences, books or websites.
Subscribing to the mailing list is easy, and free. Just send a blank e-mail message to: join-EVM@lyris.nuffic.nl.
If you have any questions, please contact: Gerard van Westrienen at gerardw@nuffic.nl
or: Evelyn Mathias at evelynmathias@netcologne.de.