IK Monitor Websites (8-2)

Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, July 2000

Contents IK Monitor (8-2) | IKDM Homepage | Suggestions to: ikdm@nuffic.nl | © copyright Nuffic-CIRAN and contributors 2000.

Related websites

For this issue of the Monitor, the Nuffic-CIRAN information specialist responsible for the IK Pages has restricted her search for relevant websites to the IK Pages themselves. The following are related to the subjects of the articles.

Ethnoveterinary medicine (in Cameroon)
'Ethnoveterinary medicine practices in the Northwest Province of Cameroon' is the title of an earlier article by the same authors who wrote 'Ethnoveterinary healing practices of Fulani pastoralists in Cameroon: combining the natural and the supernatural': Ngeh J. Toyang, Mopoi Nuwanyakpa, Chritopher Ndi, Sali Django and Wirmum C. Kinyuy. The first article was published in the Monitor in 1995, and is available online at http://www.nuffic.nl/ciran/ikdm/3-3/articles/toyang.html

Best Practice: Traditional ethnoveterinary medicine
A project referred to in the article cited above can also be found described as a Best Practice. The Ethnoveterinary Medicine Project began in 1989 with 11 Fulani elders who are skilled in the use of indigenous remedies for treating various animal diseases. The project was initiated by Heifer Project International in collaboration with the 11 founding members of the Cameroon Ethnoveterinary Association.
http://www.unesco.org/most/bpik3.htm

PRELUDE - Database on traditional veterinary medicine
This is an online databank of veterinary medical plants in use in rural areas in various regions of Africa. The bilingual (French and English) databank is maintained by the sub-network known as 'PRELUDE: Health, animal productions and environment'. The databank also offers a bibliography on the subjects of human and veterinary medicine. http://pc4.sisc.ucl.ac.be/prelude.html

EVM (Ethno-Veterinary Mailing list)
This electronic discussion group facilitates the exchange of information among persons interested in the study and application of ethnoveterinary medicine. It seeks to improve the recognition and use of ethnoveterinary medicine for purposes of development.
http://www.nuffic.nl/ik-pages/lists.html#EVM

Medicinal plants (in India)
'Indigenous folk-practices among Nilgiri Irulas' is an article (1993) by S. Rajan and M. Sethuraman which presents the ethno-botanical and ethno-medical knowledge of the Irulas. The Irulas' use of plants to treat common ailments is summarized. The authors' observations can be useful to development workers engaged in health-related activities in tribal areas.
http://www.nuffic.nl/ciran/ikdm/1-3/articles/rajan.html

Best Practice: Raising awareness. Awareness of sustainability issues is added to the knowledge of plants which local people share with each other.
In the Himalayas of Uttar Pradesh, local people use a number of plants as food and medicine. The plants are either collected from the wild or cultivated. CIKIHR is proposing to invite local people from one region to visit another region so that they can exchange information about the uses of plants as food and medicine.
http://www.unesco.org/most/bpik18.htm

Under the title 'Saving India's medicinal heritage', the Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (Bangalore, India) is spearheading a movement to conserve medicinal plants in South India.
http://ece.iisc.ernet.in/ernet-members/frlht.html

Directory of ethno-botanical resources, published by the Centre for International Ethnomedicinal Education and Research (CIEER)
This site offers a guide to the information regarding ethno-botanical research and documentation that is available on the Internet. It is a collection of resources (databases and reports on research projects, conferences, etc.) in two categories:-'Educational' and 'Networking'.
http://www.cieer.org/directory.html

IDRC website for research on medicinal plants
This site provides information about research being conducted at Canada's International Development Research Centre within the program known as 'Sustainable use of biodiversity'. The research deals with medicinal plants and natural products.
http://www.idrc.ca/biodiversity/projects/proj_focus_e.cfm?Focus=livelihoods

Biodiversity (in Mexico)
A search of IK resources using the keyword 'biodiversity' yielded 45 hits. Of these, we have selected:

Convention on Biological Diversity
The home page for this international treaty offers, among other things, links to the Secretariat, the Conference of the Parties, online databases, and what is called the Clearing House Mechanism. It has a search engine for locating biodiversity resources. You can also search by country. French and Spanish versions are also available. http://www.biodiv.org/

La Comisión Nacional Para El Conocimiento Y Uso De La Biodiversidad, situated in Mexico, has a website (in Spanish) at http://www.conabio.gob.mx/

The Biodiversity Support Program (BSP) is a consortium of the World Wildlife Fund, the Nature Conservancy, and the World Resources Institute. BSP works in many of the world's most biologically diverse areas to promote the conservation of biodiversity.
http://www.bsponline.org/

'Indigenous knowledge, biodiversity conservation and development' is the title of this article, which provides an overview of recent studies that clearly portray the active role that rural communities in Africa and other parts of the world have played in generating knowledge based on a sophisticated understanding of their environment and in devising mechanisms to conserve and sustain their natural resources.
(D.M. Warren, 1992)
http://www.ciesin.org/docs/004-173/004-173.html

IBIN - Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Information Network
The Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Information Network (IBIN) is a forum for exchanging information about experiences and projects, and for increasing collaboration among indigenous groups working on common causes related to the use and conservation of biodiversity.
http://www.ibin.net/

Agricultural development in Sierra Leone
Farmer's knowledge
'Let's marry the knowledge of farmers and scientists.' This article by Malcolm Sellu Jusu from Sierra Leone was published in the June 2000 issue of Spore. It discusses the fact that joint farmer-scientist exercises are feasible and offer a fruitful option for ensuring farmers' participation.
http://www.agricta.org/Spore/spore87/spore87_view.html