Indigenous Knowledge
and
Development Monitor

Contents IKDM 8-3, November 2000

Tables and graphs, however, always appear in their entirety, as they often contain
essential information which is not provided in the article itself.

General & Communications | Articles | IKDM 8-3 as PDF file

General Copyright Editorial Address Focus IKDM Guidelines for contributions IK Resource Centres - Addresses Editorial	Communications IK Resource Centres - News Calls Conferences Networks, international organisations Videos Publications Preview Websites
Articles
Using and sustaining natural resources: the Guajá Indians and the babassu palm (Attalea speciosa) by Louis C. Forline This article discusses the history and present-day distribution of the babassu palm, highlighting the Guajá's relationship with the tree, and the various ways in which it contributes to their livelihood. These practices may serve as a model of sustainable use and management. Local poultry management practices in southwest Iran by Mansoor Shahvali, Houshang Moinizadeh, Mohammad Amiri Ardekani This article presents the results of quantitative research in three provinces in the southwest of Iran, aimed at documenting the indigenous poultry management practices of women in rural villages. The findings will be used to adapt rural development strategies to the needs and knowledge of these women. Parade of research results Validation of traditional meteorological principles in Saurashtra, India Ethno-taxonomy of soils and their uses by the Iraqw of Mbulu and Karatu Districts, Tanzania Indigenous technical knowledge for controlling pigeonpea pod borer Conservation issues and the hunting practices of the Guaymí in Southern Costa Rica Plants used for medicinal purposes by the Koma people of Adamawa State, Nigeria Observations bearing on fieldworkers' manners and conduct Can farmers think like researchers? Experience gained while studying indigenous technological knowledge Focus on: The Ethnoveterinary Mailing List Exchanging information on local animal healthcare, through cyberspace Back in the 1970s, when I studied veterinary medicine in West Germany, one of my professors would make fun of alternative veterinary practices in his lectures. Acupuncture points could not be verified with scientific methods, he said, and how could a homeopathic remedy work if it contained so little of an ingredient in such highly diluted solutions? At that time, development projects were busy exporting conventional veterinary medicine to countries in the South and establishing veterinary schools, laboratories and services modelled on those in Europe and North America. They dismissed as 'superstition' and 'ignorance' the knowledge that local communities possess about their livestock, how to treat them, and how to keep them healthy and productive. This knowledge is what is meant by 'ethnoveterinary medicine'. Things have changed. In Europe, a growing number of veterinarians now offer alternative treatments: acupuncture, homeopathy, and phytotherapy. And development efforts now increasingly recognize the value of indigenous knowledge, both as a resource that provides alternative solutions to problems, and as a basis for understanding local communities. Guest column by Martin Khor Martin Khor is the director of the Third World Network, which consists of citizen groups in the developing world involved in development and environment issues. He can be contacted at twn@igc.org

For more information, please contact the editor:
Anna van Marrewijk
Nuffic-CIRAN
P.O. Box 29777
2502 LT The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel: +31-70-4260324
Fax: +31-70-4260329/4260399
E-mail: ikdm@nuffic.nl

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