Indigenous Knowledge and
Development Monitor, March 2001 Indigenous Knowledge and
Development Monitor, March 2001
Contents IK Monitor (9-1) | IKDM Homepage | Suggestions to: ikdm@nuffic.nl | © copyright Nuffic-CIRAN and contributors 2001.
The complete list of addresses of Indigenous Knowledge Resource Centres is updated regularly.
Africa
Burkina Faso
BURCIK
Burkina Faso Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
(Centre Burkinabè de Recherche sur les Pratiques et Savoirs Paysans)
Dr Basga E. Dialla, Director and correspondent
INNS, B.P. 5154, Ouagadougou 02
Burkina Faso
Tel.: +226-360 746.
Fax: +226-315 003.
E-mail: emile_dialla@yahoo.fr
The Burkina Faso Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (BURCIK) reports that among its activities planned for the year 2001 is a study of traditional medicine in Burkina Faso. The centre has received a small budget from the national government for this purpose. BURCIK director Dr Biasga Dialla explains:
'We hope that the study will help to build the necessary bridge between modern medicine and traditional medicine in a complementary way, to the benefit of the larger population. You see, in Burkina Faso most people are animists, believing in non-rational or supernatural beings which affect their lives. Under such circumstances, the traditional healer is the key person. Many people in Burkina Faso go to see the doctor at the hospital only as a last resort.
The importance of traditional medicine is so great that the Burkina Faso government has funded the creation of a national association of traditional healers. In 2000 this association organized a very successful forum in Ouagadougou, which gave its members a great opportunity to meet the public and to demonstrate and sell their products. But despite this favourable government policy towards traditional medicine, we still do not have any formal links between the two types of knowledge and practice. There is, however, growing pressure to establish these links.
BURCIK will be conducting its study in collaboration with the institute in charge of health research within the wider CNRST, our national centre for scientific research. We hope that this small study will help to intensify this trend. There is a real need for cooperation between the two types of medicine.'
Dr Dialla is also author of a book review of this Monitor issue (V. Mazzucato and D. Niemeijer, Rethinking soil and water conservation in a changing society: a case study in eastern Burkina Faso).
Cameroon
CIKO
Cameroon Indigenous Knowledge Organisation
Prof. C.N. Ngwasiri, Director and correspondent
P.O. Box 8437, Yaoundé
Cameroon
Tel.: +237-318 076.
Fax: +237-318 076.
E-mail: ngwasiri@camnet.cm
Ethiopia
INRESC
Indigenous Resource Study Centre
Dr Tesema Ta'a, Director and correspondent
College of Social Sciences
Addis Ababa University
P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel.: +251-1-550 655.
Fax: +251-1-550 655.
Ghana
CECIK
Centre for Cosmovisions and Indigenous Knowledge
Dr David Millar, Director and correspondent
P.O. Box 607
Bolgatanga
Ghana
Tel.: +233-72-235 00.
Fax: +233-73-235 00.
E-mail: cecik@africaonline.com.gh
(attention Dr David Millar)
Since 1998, the Centre for Cosmovision and Indigenous Knowledge (CECIK) has been taking part in an international programme under the title 'Comparing and Supporting Endogenous Development and Bio-cultural Diversity'(COMPAS). The programme is designed to increase appreciation for the diversity of rural peoples' knowledge, to encourage local experimentation within the context of farmers' own worldviews, and to offer a forum for intercultural dialogues on farmers' knowledge and indigenous learning. COMPAS is funded by NEDA and NOVIB (the Netherlands), SDC (Switzerland), and CTA (Brussels/Wageningen).
Under COMPAS, CECIK is examining the indigenous knowledge and practices of the Bongo peoples of Ghana from a spiritual point of view. The first phase of the project was completed in 2000 despite problems with funding early in the year. All activities had been carried out as planned. CECIK director Dr David Millar has written a report on the findings up to now, the main points of which are summarized here.
CECIK's fieldwork strategy is to work with local professionals and to recruit field assistants from the local community. These resource persons work in the local language, and they and their networks help to provide workshops and training and to conduct studies and surveys.
Under COMPAS, CECIK in 2000 reviewed all the community-based action plans and programmes. These include programmes to monitor the innoculation of livestock and the introduction of new breeds, and to increase cereal production. Six training workshops were held during the year. The topics were indigenous livestock improvement, indigenous food and feeding, youth and fishing, youth and gardening, tree planting, and income-generating activities. The last workshop in particular featured unplanned activities resulting from the enthusiasm of the participants, most of whom were women. CECIK was persuaded to organize construction of a mill for grinding grain. Men provided the land and some of the labour, and women did the rest. CECIK provided all external inputs including the mill itself and its installation, and food and drinks for the teams at work.
CECIK produces a journal on rural people's cosmovisions called The Horn, which appears twice a year. Articles published in 2000 include 'Livelihoods, land, natural resources and the spirits' and 'Environmental management and indigenous knowledge'.
For 2001 and beyond, CECIK is considering exploring the idea of regionalization. Preliminary discussions have taken place with Tree Aid in Burkina Faso and Tufts University, which is currently doing work in Burkina Faso that is related to indigenous knowledge. These preliminary contacts will be expanded if possible.
GHARCIK
Ghana Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Dr M. Bonsu, Interim Director and correspondent
School of Agriculture,
University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast
Ghana
Tel.: +233-42-2240-9 / 2480-9.
Telex: 233-42-2552 UCC GH
Kenya
KENRIK
Kenya Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Dr Rashid Aman, Head
Mr Patrick Maundu, Correspondent
Mr Samuel Mwangi, Correspondent
The National Museums of Kenya
P.O. Box 40658, Nairobi
Kenya
Tel.: +254-2-742 131.
Fax: +254-2-741 424.
E-mail: nmk@museums.or.ke
http://www.museums.or.ke
Please direct all communications to either Mr Maundu or Mr Samuel Mwangi, as Dr Aman is currently on an extended leave.
Mr Samuel Mwangi of the Kenya Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (KENRIK) reports that in collaboration with the University of Stockholm, Sweden, KENRIK held a workshop on 16-17 January 2001 at the National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, under the title History and development of food production systems in East Africa. Collaboration between the National Museums and the Swedish university goes back a long way. They have both studied the centuries-old system of furrow irrigation practised in Marakwet (a community in the Kenyan Rift Valley). The findings of this research convinced scientists from both institutions that ancient and traditional systems of food production are well worth investigating and making known. Against this background, KENRIK organized the workshop with funds from Stockholm. The workshop had three general topics:
The importance of the workshop topics was reflected in the participation of two government ministers: the Minister for Agriculture and the Minister for Home Affairs, Culture and National Heritage. Participants were drawn from Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Sweden, and included 40 specialists in the fields of archaeology, history, crop science, conservation, botany and anthropology.
The workshop concluded that traditional systems of food production still prevalent in contemporary Africa are as relevant today as they were long ago. It was recommended that more work be done in this area, which could produce solutions to the problems threatening food security in the region. The maize plant was cited as an example. This grain is now a staple food in the region, having effectively replaced traditional crops like millet and sorghum. Although the nutritional value of maize is far below that of the other cereals, much energy is now being concentrated on promoting this crop and developing better and more productive strains of maize. This is done at the expense of the traditional crops. African agriculture once consisted of seeds, crops and methods that had withstood the long test of time, but these are used today only in small islands of traditional agricultural activity.
The workshop also recommended that networks be formed that would link research organizations, training institutes, government, gene banks and community-based agencies. This would ensure that the results of research and training are reflected as quickly as possible in farmers' activities. The proposed networks would be regional, initially covering Ethiopia and the three East African countries represented at the workshop. They could begin from existing partnerships and international working groups, such as those that currently include various foreign universities as well as the British East Africa Institute, the National Museums of Kenya, international bodies such as IPGRI and RELMA, and organizations such as the World Conservation Union (IUCN). All this, of course, is still tentative and will depend entirely on how much interest can be generated.
KENRIK 's own involvement in the networks would not be all that prominent since the networks' focus would be mainly historical, and history itself is not the main interest of the IK resource centre. KENRIK would be interested mainly in the efforts to ensure that farmers' activities reflect research findings. These efforts would involve a refinement of participatory methods, with farmers and scientists perhaps one day even working side-by-side. Although the logistics of this might be prohibitive, KENRIK sees such truly two-way communication at the research level as an ideal worth pursuing. Networks such as those envisaged at the workshop would provide an excellent context for this pursuit. The incorporation of IK into research could perhaps even provide a model for others to emulate.
A full report on the proceedings will be published in April. Further information can be obtained from KENRIK at the above address.
KENRIK's plans for the future include the publication of a newsletter on IK in collaboration with the Kenya Society of Ethno-ecology. Funding is still an issue, however, and any contribution would be welcome.
Madagascar
VOARISOA
Observatoire de l'environnement Madagascar
Ms Marcelline Razafimbelo, President
Alexander von Hildebrand, Correspondent
P.O. Box 80
Antananarivo 101
Madagascar
Fax: +261-20-224 1228.
E-mail: ecotox@dts.mg
http://www.ecotox-mg.com
Nigeria
ARCIK
African Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Prof. D. Olu Ajakaiye, Director ARCIK
Prof. S.O. Titilola, Coordinator
Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER)
PMB 5 - UI Post Office, Ibadan
Nigeria
Tel.: +234-2-810 2904.
Fax: +234-2-810 1194.
E-mail: arcik@niser.org.ng
The African Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (ARCIK), established at the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) in mid-1991, is dedicated to multidisciplinary research and the documentation of Africa's indigenous knowledge systems. ARCIK also has a mission to disseminate information on the indigenous knowledge (IK) systems that underlie the social, economic, political, cultural and technological life of African societies. ARCIK helps researchers to locate literature pertaining to IK systems, organises IK research, and encourages the NISER staff and other scholars in Africa to conduct IK research. ARCIK also organizes conferences, seminars, workshops and symposia on various aspects of Nigerian and African IK systems.
ARCIK takes a multidisciplinary approach to its activities. Every research department in NISER therefore continually undertakes IK research appropriate to its discipline. Since 1992, ARCIK has regularly conducted workshops. The one entitled Practising conflict management and resolution in Africa was organized in collaboration with the United States Information Agency and held on 11-12 July 1995 at NISER in Ibadan. Its purpose was to facilitate discussions and presentations on indigenous and modern (western) methods of conflict resolution, and to identify similarities and differences between these methods in order to contribute more effectively to the peaceful resolution of conflicts in Africa. This workshop drew over 35 participants from Ibadan and Lagos who represented various segments of society - academia, the media, education, religion, and politics. Among them were opinion leaders of various ethnic groups as well as facilitators from the USA, Ghana and Nigeria.
ARCIK was also engaged in various projects in association with several Nigerian institutions. These included a linkage programme with institutions in the state of Iowa (USA), which began in 1993. The purpose of the linkage programme was to build institutional capacity for research and training in key sectors of development, focusing on small business development and community banking, and on environmental monitoring and management, among other things.
Unfortunately, ARCIK's current level of activity is low as a result of Nigeria's economic situation.
CIKFIM / FIF
Centre for Indigenous Knowledge in Farm and Infrastructure Management
Dr G.B. Ayoola, Director and correspondent
Centre for Food and Agricultural Strategy
University of Agriculture
Private Mail Bag 2373, Makurdi
Nigeria
Tel.: +234-44-533 204 / 533 205.
Fax: +234-44-534 040.
E-mail: dragbede@gacom.net
The Centre for Indigenous Knowledge in Farm Infrastructural Management (CIKFIM) was established in July 1997. It is closely associated with the Farm and Infrastructure Foundation (FIF), an NGO for 'poverty reduction and livelihood improvement through participatory policy advocacy and brokerage'. CIKFIM's original mandate is to conduct research and development (R&D) activities that raise the status, both locally and internationally, of local knowledge systems for managing farms and farm infrastructure. It is engaged in five types of activity:
Since its inception in 1997, CIKFIM has conducted research and offered training in collaboration with national and international bodies such as the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and the World Bank. Among other things the Centre conducted the 1998 and 1999 audits of indigenous raw materials and processing technologies in Nigeria. These were part of the Rural Productivity Survey. This work resulted in the communication submitted to the IK Monitor in 1999 and published in the present issue.
Active networking since CIKFIM's inception has created a large intellectual resource base for purposes of studying the ethnomanagement practices of local communities and deriving concepts and theories from this work. The network includes experts at various professional levels - researchers, service providers, policy-making bodies, and civil servants - as well as farmers and representatives of rural organizations.
Since 2000, CIKFIM and FIF have been working with the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the United Kingdom to assess the potential of indigenous vegetables in Nigeria. The first joint activity was a fieldtrip in October by CIKFIM / FIF director Dr G.B. Ayoola and NRI principal agriculturalist Mr Rudy Schippers. The team visited all of Nigeria's major agro-ecological zones and spoke with key stakeholders (farmers, community workers and scientists alike). It was a successful trip that generated ideas on the indigenous, agronomic, genetic and economic aspects of promoting the use of indigenous vegetables in Nigeria. The views and information collected will be valuable input for the envisaged national workshop, which is meant to result in formulation of a development project to improve the livelihoods of the poor.
CIKFIM / FIF in the future will continue to perform its five main activities in an effort to have a positive impact on policy-makers and local systems.
CIKPREM
Centre for Indigenous Knowledge on Population Resource and Environmental
Management
Prof. D.S. Obikeze, Director and correspondent
Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Nigeria
Tel.: +234-42-770 172; 042-771 911 / 78.
E-mail: epseelon@aol.com
NIRCIK
Nigerian Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Dr J.O. Olukosi, Coordinator and correspondent
Institute for Agricultural Research
Ahmadu Bello University
PMB 1044, Zaria
Nigeria
Tel.: +234-69-50 571-4 Ext. 4322.
Fax: +234-69-50 891 / 50 563.
YORCIK
Yoruba Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Professor Layi Egunjobi, Coordinator
Dr Bolanle Wahab, Correspondent
Centre for Urban and Regional Planning
University of Ibadan
Ibadan, Nigeria
E-mail: egunjobi.wahab@ibadan.skannet.com
Please note that the mailing address for YORCIK correspondent Dr Bolanle
Wahab is P.O. Box 22182, U.I. Post Office, Ibadan, Nigeria.
E-mail: wahab@mail.skannet.com
Sierra Leone
CIKFAB
Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Fourah Bay College
Dr Dominic T. Ashley, Director and correspondent
Department of Sociology, Fourah Bay College
University of Sierra Leone, Freetown
Sierra Leone
Tel.: +232-22-7387.
South Africa
SARCIK
South African Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Alwyn Dippenaar, Executive Director and correspondent
The Institute for Indigenous Theory and Practice
P.O. Box 2355, Somerset West
7129 South Africa
Tel.: +27-21-854 3299.
E-mail: alewijn@iafrica.com
Tanzania
MARECIK-tz
Maasai Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Dr Nathan Ole Lengisugi, Correspondent
Simanjiro Animal Husbandry Vocational Training Centre (AHVTC)
P.O. Box 14288
Total Building, India Road
Arusha
Tanzania
Tel.: +255-57-4229 / 8559.
Fax: +255-57-4229.
mobile 0811 510 229.
E-mail: multicho@habari.co.tz
Zimbabwe
ZIRCIK
Zimbabwe Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Mr Washington Chipfunde, Director and contact person
78 Kaguvi Street, New Book House
P.O.B. 4209, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel.: +263-4-781 770 / 1.
Fax: +263-4-751 202.
E-mail: bookhous@ZBMT.icon.co.zw
Asia
Bangladesh
BARCIK
Bangladesh Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Sukanta Sen, Director and correspondent
3/7 Block D. Lalmatia
Dhaka-1207
Bangladesh
Tel.: +880-2-91 323 72.
Fax: +880-2-91 256 81.
E-mail: iard@bdonline.com
The Bangladesh Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK), vital as ever, has been carrying out its plans aimed at incorporating indigenous knowledge (IK) into development programmes. Monitor readers wishing more detailed information about BARCIK's current and past activities are advised to read the new book Of popular wisdom: indigenous knowledge and practices in Bangladesh, edited by Niaz Ahmed Khan in association with BARCIK director Sukanta Sen 1, or to subscribe to BARCIK's quarterly Grassroots Voice - A Journal of Resources and Development. In order to reach people in Bangladesh at the grassroots level, BARCIK publishes two bi-monthly bulletins in Bengali: Trinamul Uddyog (Grassroots Initiatives) and Amader Paribesh (Our Environment). Publication of these bulletins is funded from the Sustainable environment management programme, which is run by the government of Bangladesh with support from the United Nations Development Programmes. Regional and local workshops on IK and sustainable livelihoods is another way that BARCIK reaches development workers at the grassroots level.
IARD (Integrated Action Research and Development) recently established the BARCIK Research Fellowship Programme for postgraduate students, young researchers, development workers and indigenous organizations involved in natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. The aim of the programme is to build up resources focussing on indigenous knowledge and practices. Already six students, three development activists and one conservation organization have been awarded BARCIK research fellowships for one year. Two examples illustrate the type of research projects being supported in this way. Mohammad Monjur-Ul-Haider, postgraduate student of the Anthropology Department at Dhaka University, is doing a study of traditional astronomers in Bangladesh, one of the aims of which is to recommend ways of preserving their knowledge for practical purposes. PROMA, a conservation organization working in the Lalmai area of Camilla, has been awarded a one-year fellowship that will enable it, in cooperation with BARCIK, to make an inventory of plants and animals in the Lalmai Hills and then to develop a participatory plan to promote, regenerate and conserve biodiversity in the Lalmai Hills.
For more information on Grassroots Voice and other BARCIK publications,
contact Sukanta Sen
at the above address.
1. Dhaka: BARCIK-IARD 2000. This book will be reviewed by Dr Mansoor Shahvali in the July 2001 issue of the Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor.
India
CARIKS
Centre for Advanced Research on Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Dr Jan Brouwer, Director
Ms S.L. Meenu, Correspondent
P.O. Box 1, Saraswathipuram
Mysore - 570 009
India
Tel.: +91-821-542 467.
Fax: +91-821-542 459.
E-mail: ikdfcar@eth.net
http://iias.leidenuniv.nl/host/ccrss/cariks.htm
Please note the new e-mail address of the Centre for Advanced Research on Indigenous Knowledge Systems (CARIKS): ikdfcar@eth.net
CIKIB
Centre for Indigenous Knowledge on Indian Bioresources
Institute of Ethnobiology
C/o Dr S.K. Jain, Director and correspondent)
A-26 Mall Avenue Colony
Lucknow - 226 001
India
Tel.: +91-522-224 556.
Fax: +91-522-205 836 / 205 839.
E-mail: nbri@lw1.vsnl.net.in
The Institute of Ethnobiology, under which the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge on Indian Bioresources functions, has moved to a new address: A-27 Avas Vikas Colony, Mall Avenue, Lucknow 226 001 India. To reach CIKIB's director, Dr S.K. Jain, by telephone, readers may call him at his residence at +91-522-224 556. The institute's fax and e-mail numbers continue as before (see above).
CIKIB director Dr S.K. Jain regrets to announce the untimely death of assistant director Dr Ved Prakash on 9 November 2000, after a brief illness. Dr A.K. Goel, scientist at the National Botanical Research Institute, has been appointed to succeed him.
A project for comparative research on the ethnobiology of the Surguja in Central India (now in Chhatisgarh State), which had been extended for six months, was completed on 31 December. A 36-page booklet on the subject has been published in Hindi and distributed to officials in various government departments, including the departments for tribal welfare, forestry, and social welfare.
Director S.K. Jain took up a position as honorary scientist for three years starting on 1 January 2001. He will study the potential of various herbal folk medicines for use in healthcare throughout India.
CIKIHR
Centre for Indigenous Knowledge of Indian Herbal Resources
Dr N.C. Shah, Coordinator and correspondent
MS-78, Sector-D, Aliganj,
Lucknow - 226 024
India
Tel.: +91-522-326 489.
Fax: +91-522-326 489.
E-mail: ncshah@sancharnet.in
Please note the new e-mail address of Dr N.C. Shah: ncshah@sancharnet.in
Dr N.C. Shah, coordinator of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge of Indian Herbal Resources (CIKIHR), reports that the final report on the project A compendium to the plant based health systems project (1992-1999) is complete and has been submitted to the Science and Technology Department of the Government of India. Thirty-four NGOs worked on the project, contributing surveys of medicinal plants that describe how the plants are collected, cultivated and used for treating specific ailments. The occasion of the report's presentation was marked by a gathering of many of the people who had been involved in one way or another.
Dr Shah was invited to the colloquium on Science and religion which was held in New Delhi on 21-24 November 2000. It had been organized by the national Spiritual Assembly of the Bahias of India. Participants included a wide range of representatives of academic institutions, government, United Nations organizations, NGOs, and agencies and religious groups involved in development work. They came mainly from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, but also from the United Kingdom, the USA, Colombia and Bolivia. The colloquium opened with a message from His Excellency Shri K.R. Narayanan, President of India, which was read by Mr Soli Sorab Jr, Attorney General of India. The message stated that it is imperative that the developmental path be interwoven with the ideals of the cultural heritage and civilization and then with science. An important keynote address was delivered by Dr M.S. Swaminathan, chairman of the Swaminathan Research Foundation and holder of the UNESCO Chair in Ecotechnology.
Apart from his scientific and networking activities, CIKIHR coordinator Dr Shah publishes a newsletter in Hindi for the Sah community. These people, whose origins lie in the Kumaon region of India, are now established in all parts of the country and abroad. Nevertheless, they maintain their own culture, customs, traditions and indigenous food. The newsletter contains news and information about various Sah cereals, vegetables, and condiments - where they originate from, how they are prepared, and what their nutritional and medicinal value is. An English version of this newsletter is in preparation.
Indonesia
INRIK
Indonesian Resource Center for Indigenous Knowledge
Professor Kusnaka Adimihardja, Director and correspondent
Padjadjaran University
Room K-3, JI. Dipatiukur No. 35
Bandung 40132
West Java, Indonesia
Tel.: +62-22-2508 592.
Fax: +62-22-2508 592.
E-mail: inrik@melsa.net.id
http://www.melsa.net.id/~inrik
The Indonesian Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (INRIK) at Padjadjaran University has been involved in discussions of indigenous knowledge on various occasions over the past months. On 16 December 2000, INRIK participated in a symposium conducted in Bogor by the non-governmental organization HANDAL (Wahana Pendayagunaan Sumber Daya Alam, or the Forum for the Utilization of Natural Resources, handalin@indo.net.id). INRIK director Professor Kusnaka Adimihardja gave a talk entitled 'The revitalization of indigenous knowledge in agricultural practice'. During a discussion with the audience, it was agreed that there is a need to recognize the profile and competitive aspects of indigenous knowledge (IK), particularly in the field of agricultural practice. Other issues raised during the discussion were the urgent need to analyse the possibilities of putting IK to use, and the need to revitalize and synthesize IK in the near future.
At the end of 2000, Hikmat Nashrullah, Budhi Bakti, Femy Nazar, Arief M. Ramadhan, and Trisatya all officially left INRIK to take up challenging new jobs outside Java. Their positions at INRIK are now occupied by Ira Indrawardana and Tony Tjahjana, who is responsible for work on the intellectual property issue.
On 18 January 2001, Professor Kusnaka participated in a symposium organized by the Ford Foundation's Jakarta Office. The foundation seeks to support community-based management of forests and other resources throughout Indonesia through two initiatives: Community Forestry, and Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBRNM) in Eastern Indonesia. The symposium took place at the Ford Foundation's global office in Jakarta. It was attended by approximately 25 people from several organizations.
INRIK has been active as a consultant to the Palu field office of the Nature Conservancy Program for Indonesia. INRIK is trying to incorporate local practices into the management of the Lore Hindu National Park in Palu, Central Sulawesi. The aim is to educate the people living around the national park to use its natural resources wisely. A training programme will be conducted in Palu at the end of March. The next step will be field research to determine the potential of the natural resources present in the park's conservation area.
INRIK is still committed to helping to protect the intellectual property rights of local communities in Indonesia. INRIK is currently preparing a proposal for research to explore possible approaches, and invites funding agencies and scientists who are particularly interested in this subject to get in touch with INRIK. The activities thus far envisaged include a study to define the legal status and principles of IK, socio-legal research on IK, training on the issue of intellectual property rights, and the drafting of a law pertaining to IK in Indonesia.
The Philippines
PHIRCSDIK
Philippine Resource Center for Sustainable Development and Indigenous Knowledge
Dr Rogelio C. Serrano, National Coordinator and correspondent
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and
Development (PCARRD)
Paseo de Valmayor
P.O. Box 425, Los Banos, Laguna
The Philippines
Tel.: +63-94-500 15 to 500 20.
Fax: +63-94-536-0132 / 0016.
Email: rserrano@ultra.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph
IIRR
International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)
Silang, Cavite 4118
The Philippines
Tel.: +63-969-9451 or +63-2-582 659.
Fax: +63-2-522 2494.
E-mail: iirr@phil.gn.apc.org
http://www.cav.pworld.net.ph/~iirr/
Sri Lanka
SLARCIK
Sri Lanka Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Dr D.M.S.K. Ranasinghe, Director
University of Sri Jayewardenapura
Department of Forestry and Environmental Science
Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
Tel.: +94-1-854 685.
Fax: +94-1-437 879.
E-mail: hemanthi@lgo.lk
Europe
Greece
ELLRIK
Elliniko Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Dr C. Lionis, Coordinator and correspondent
Medical School, Department of Social Medicine
University of Crete
P.O. Box 1393
Heraklion, Crete
Greece
Tel.: +30-81-394 621.
Fax: +30-81-394 606.
E-mail: lionis@med.uoc.gr
The Netherlands
CIRAN
Centre for International Research and Advisory Networks
Mr G.W. von Liebenstein, Director
Nuffic-CIRAN
P.O. Box 29777, 2502 LT The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31-70-426 0321.
Fax: +31-70-426 0329.
E-mail: ciran@nuffic.nl
ikdm@nuffic.nl
http://www.nuffic.nl/ciran/index.html
Nuffic-CIRAN has been contracted by UNESCO's Information and Informatics Division to develop a way to incorporate indigenous knowledge into the day-to-day practice of multi-purpose communication telecentres (MCTs). A pilot project was set up with the Nakaseke Telecentre in Uganda to develop guidelines for recording and storing indigenous knowledge (IK) in publicly accessible databases and for verifying and validating IK. The project will also examine the issue of IK and intellectual property.
To launch the project, a workshop was held on 23-26 October 2000 at Nakaseke Telecentre under the title Incorporation of indigenous knowledge in MCT activities. The workshop was organized by the Uganda National Commission for UNESCO in cooperation with Nakaseke MCT and Nuffic-CIRAN. It was sponsored by UNESCO's Information and Informatics Division.
The workshop was attended by over 50 people, most of them representatives of Nakaseke and Kasangombe communities. The workshop's aim was to mobilize these communities, to familiarize them with various aspects of IK, to consult them, and to explore their interest in participating in an activity for sharing and preserving IK in their communities. Nuffic-CIRAN was represented by Karen Bakhuisen (CIRAN policy advisor) and Guus von Liebenstein (CIRAN director), who gave a tailor-made training course. Although the training was designed primarily for the Nakaseke MCT information specialists, the training sessions were attended by all workshop participants, including the local community representatives. This was in line with the intention to explore at the same time the role the Nakaseke MCT could perhaps play as a community-based IK resource and documentation centre. The community representatives took active part in the discussion and demonstrated their commitment by spontaneously establishing two IK committees which will play a substantial role in the follow-up activities.
The workshop was a success. A document entitled 'Sharing Indigenous Knowledge: capacity-building for community-based management of indigenous knowledge' is being finalized for distribution among the workshop participants and stakeholders.
CIRAN's director, Guus von Liebenstein, participated in the Sixth UNESCO-ACEID International Conference on Education, held on 12-15 December 2000 in Bangkok, Thailand. The title of the conference was Information technologies in educational innovation for development: interfacing global and indigenous knowledge. At one of the concurrent sessions Mr Von Liebenstein presented a paper entitled 'Interfacing global and indigenous knowledge: towards an IK Information System'. (For the fuller report on the conference , see 'Conferences')
Recent developments in two other UNESCO-related activities in which Nuffic-CIRAN is involved deserve mention here. First, as readers might know, Nuffic-CIRAN and the organizers of UNESCO's MOST programme are working on the format and terms of reference for the second phase of collecting information for the IK Best Practices database. This initiative was described in the November 2000 issue of the Monitor, but the dates for the second phase will be later than indicated in the article. Joint decisions must first be made regarding the format and terms of reference. As soon as there is any news, it will be published on the IK Pages of the Nuffic-CIRAN website: http://www/nuffic.nl/ik-pages. When the questionnaire is ready, it will be published on the UNESCO website at http://www.unesco.org/most/bpikques.htm as well as in the IK Monitor.
The second recent development related to UNESCO is that Nuffic-CIRAN is participating in a joint project called Indigenous knowledge and water interactions, which will be sponsored by UNESCO's Participation Programme. Its aim is to identify and describe 15 best practices in the area of natural resource management, with particular emphasis on indigenous practices for managing water resources. As soon as more information is available, readers will be informed about the procedure for submitting cases for consideration as best practices.
LEAD
Leiden Ethnosystems And Development Programme
Professor L. Jan Slikkerveer, Director
Ms Diana Bosch, M.A., Correspondent
Institute of Cultural and Social Studies
Leiden University
P.O. Box 9555
2300 RB Leiden
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31-71-527 3469 / 3403.
Fax: +31-71-527 3619.
E-mail: bosch@fsw.leidenUniv.nl
In November 2000, LEAD's director Professor L. Jan Slikkerveer signed a memorandum of understanding with Professor Choy-L. Hew, head of the Department of Biological Sciences. They agreed to extended collaboration in the fields of biology, ethnobotany, and anthropology between LEAD and the Raffles Museum for Biodiversity Research (RMBR) of the National University of Singapore.
Shortly thereafter, Professor Slikkerveer and Ms Diana Bosch, M.A., contributed to the Interdisciplinary promotive seminar on Primary Health Care, which was organized by the Rectorate and the Faculty of Medicine of Universitas Padjadjaran and held in Bandung, Indonesia, on 21 November 2000. Both presented papers: Professor Slikkerveer 'The TWINMAP programme on medical anthropology and community health' and Ms Bosch, M.A., 'The role of telecommunication networking in community health-care training in Indonesia'. During the seminar, Professor A. Himendra, Professor P. Idjradinata, and Dr F.F. Wirakusumah also underscored the importance of the inter-university cooperation for community health training and research in Indonesia.
While in Indonesia, Ms Bosch visited various healthcare facilities and delivered a lecture at the Islamic Hospital, Bandung, to radiographers, radiologists and administrators of 11 mainly private hospitals. She spoke about infection prevention using simple methods and about problems related to radiation protection and the care of high-tech equipment.
On 26 November Professor Slikkerveer delivered the 'Cleveringa lecture', an annual lecture for alumni of Leiden University which commemorates the courageous conduct of this famous Leiden professor during the Second World War. In his lecture, Professor Slikkerveer focused on 'Innovative wisdom in the Leiden tradition: towards synergy of Western science and Oriental wisdom of medicinal plants'. He delivered the same lecture at the Erasmushuis of the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta and also before a group of university alumni in Singapore.
Mrs Alfreda Ibui, M.A., of the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya, came to LEAD on 15 January 2001. As a visiting fellow she will continue her pioneering research on fossil plants and indigenous knowledge, which will eventually result in her PhD thesis.
On 30 January, Dr Nunning Barwa of the Martha Tilaar Foundation in Jakarta, Indonesia, delivered a very interesting guest lecture on achieving a healthy Indonesia by 2010 through the use of Jamu - traditional Indonesian medicine. It was attended by staff members of LEAD and the Leiden University branch of the National Herbarium in the Netherlands.
Latin America
Brazil
BRARCIK
Brazilian Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Dr A.J. Cancian, Director and correspondent
UNESP, Dept. Biologia
14870.000 Jaboticabal, SP
Brazil
Tel.: +55-163-232 500.
Fax: +55-163-224 275.
E-mail: brarcik@jab000.unesp.ansp.br
Mexico
RIDSCA
Mexican Research, Teaching and Service Network on Indigenous Knowledge
(Red de Investigacion, Docencia y Servicio en Conocimientos Autoctonos)
Dr Antonio Macías-López, Coordinator and correspondent
Colegio de Postgraduados
Campus Puebla
Apartado Postal l-12
C.P. 72130
Col. La Libertad, Puebla, Pue.
Mexico
Tel.: +52-22-851 442 / 851 448 / 851 447.
Fax: +52-22-851 444.
E-mail: mantonio@colpos.colpos.mx
Urugay
URURCIK
Uruguayan Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge
Pedro de Hegedüs, Coordinator (Correspondent)
CEDESUR
Casilla de Correo 20.201
Codigo Postal 12.900, Montevideo
Uruguay
Tel.: +5-982-308 1603.
Fax: +5-982-308 1603.
E-mail: phegedus@adinet.com.uy
The Uruguayan Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (URURCIK) has not been as active as it would like to be. Coordinator Dr Pedro de Hegedüs reports that efforts have been limited largely to disseminating information on indigenous knowledge such as provided by the IK Monitor. This keeps interest alive, which can be rekindled when time and resources permit. For this reason Dr Hegedüs asks Monitor readers to keep his name on their mailing list and to continue to send information. It is greatly appreciated.
Venezuela
VERSIK
Venezuelan Resource Secretariat for Indigenous Knowledge
Dr Consuelo Quiroz, Coordinator and correspondent
Centre for Tropical Alternative Agriculture and Sustainable Development (CATADI)
University of The Andes, Núcleo 'Rafael Range'
Apartado Postal # 22
Trujillo 3102, Estado Trujillo
Venezuela
Tel.: +58-72-360 467.
Mobile +58-0166-721 152.
Fax: +58-72-360 467.
E-mail: consuelo@cantv.net
Middle East
Iran
RRC
Rural Research Centre Iran
Dr Mohammed H. Emadi, Head
Esfandaiar Abbassi, Correspondent
Ministry of Jihad
P.O. Box 14155-6197
Teheran, Iran
Tel.: +99-11-889 7197.
Fax: +99-11-889 1942.
E-mail: rrciri@neda.net
RSIS
Rural Station for Indigenous Studies
P.O. Box 37815/36
Mahallat, Markazi Province, Iran
Tel.: +98-866 335-3207.
Fax: +98-866 335-3207.
E-mail: rrciri@neda.net
The Rural Resource Centre (RRC) in Iran reports that it has put together a presentation on its innovative use of indigenous knowledge (IK) research in integrated community development. The presentation has already been given at an international conference organized by the Asian Productivity Organization. It focuses on experiences and lessons learned in Khorhe village, the site of RRC's Rural Station for Indigenous Studies. Readers who would like a copy of the presentation or the summary report should contact Dr M.H. Emadi at the address above.
In many developing countries, high unemployment rates combined with large numbers of people migrating from rural to urban areas present a serious problem. This situation is especially severe in Iran. Much of Iran's territory lies in one of the driest zones of the world (less than 250 mm of rainfall a year). Conditions have now been aggravated by several years of drought. The mission of the RRC as an IK research organization is to study the indigenous knowledge systems for surviving in such drylands. The systems pertain to water harvesting, farming and irrigation as well as water-related social organization and ethnobotany.
At the same time, rural communities are losing their young people to the large urban centres. As rural communities weaken and disappear, so does any IK research base and the opportunity to collect and document this source of knowledge. In view of all this, the RRC sees it a challenge to maintain a systems perspective. Its Rural Station for Indigenous Studies is an attempt to combine local community development with applied IK research. Thus far the results are encouraging. The prospects are good as well. By combining local knowledge with formal knowledge, development problems might be solved. Monitor readers will be kept informed.
North America
Canada
CTK
Centre for Traditional Knowledge
Canadian Museum of Nature
Lynda Kitchikeesic Juden, Executive director
P.O. Box 3443
Station D
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1P 6P4
Tel.: +1-613-566 4751.
Fax: +1-613-566 4748.
E-mail: LKitchikeesic@mus-nature.ca
Lynda Kitchikeesic Juden, executive director of the Centre for Traditional Knowledge (CTK) at the Canadian Museum of Nature, reports that the museum has contracted her to write a newsletter for them. This will take her away from CTK activities for a while, but she will continue to be available to answer queries and receive information. She will also take part in the Indigenous Caucus on article 8j RE: the UN Declaration on Biodiversity.
United States of America
CIKARD
Center for Indigenous Knowledge for Agriculture and Rural Development
Dr Shu-min Huang
Iowa State University
Department of Anthropology
318 B Curtiss Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-1050, USA
Tel.: +1 515 294 9503.
Fax: +1-515-294 1708.
E-mail: cikard@iastate.edu
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~anthr_info/cikard
Please note the correct telephone number and address for CIKARD as given above.
The Center for Indigenous Knowledge for Agriculture and Rural Development (CIKARD) is slowly but surely reorganizing several aspects of the services and products it offers. The CIKARD Internet database is currently undergoing improvement and expansion. Data on the document collection, including abstracts, is available online. This information can be accessed from the CIKARD website. CIKARD graduate assistant Pernell Plath explains: 'We hope to make the database easier to use and more versatile for different types of searching. We expect to have completed the changes within the next several months. We are also revising and expanding our collection of periodicals. Watch our website for this updated information.'
CIKARD has begun the process of entering new material in the database. It has been a long time since this was done so there is a rather large backlog of documents to be entered. New titles include Integrating indigenous knowledge in project planning and implementation by Alan R. Emery, Ph.D.; Ethnoecology: situated knowledge / located lives by Virginia D. Nazarea; Seeding solutions: Volume 1 - Policy options for genetic resources: People, plants and patents revisited by The Crucible II Group. CIKARD expects by August of this year to have added nearly 400 new documents to its database.
Monitor readers without Internet access who are seeking information on a particular topic may send a request to Ms Pernell Plath at the address above, and she will do her best to help them find what they are looking for.
ICIK
Interinstitutional Consortium for Indigenous Knowledge
Ladi Semali, Director and correspondent
The Pennsylvania State University
254 Chambers Building
University Park, PA 16802
USA
Tel.: +1-814-865 2246.
Fax: +1-814-863 7602.
E-mail: lms11@psu.edu
http://www.ed.psu.edu/ci/ICIK/index.asp
Director Ladi Semali of the Interinstitutional Consortium for Indigenous Knowledge (ICIK) was on sabbatical year from July 1999 to July 2000. Field research took him to three countries during his year away from the campus.
In Taiwan he visited the Aborigines in the south of the country. Despite the language barrier, Dr Semali was able to gather information that helped him to understand how nations across the globe endeavour to preserve and nurture their indigenous knowledge.
Dr Semali then visited South Africa, where he met with Khoisan-speaking people and learned how they have managed under very difficult circumstances to preserve their cultural identity, languages, and traditional institutions. These are now providing them with a valuable network and resources for fighting the effects of apartheid.
The last country Dr Semali visited was Scotland. He attended a conference in Edinburgh on the Indigenous peoples of Africa. He reports that the discussions were informative, 'fiery' at times, but mostly useful nonetheless. 'I have not even begun to pull all this information together let alone to begin to understand it, now that I am back on campus again,' Dr Semali says.
During Dr Semali's absence, ICIK did not stand still. Progress was made on the ICIK Indigenous Knowledge and Schooling Book Series. Monitor readers may recall that Volume 2 in this series (L. Semali and J. Kinchloe (eds), What is indigenous knowledge? Voices from the academy, 1999) was reviewed in the July 2000 issue of the IK Monitor. Volume 3 of the series (R. Sambuli Mosha, The heartbeat of indigenous Africa: a study of the Chagga educational system) was published in 2000. It is reviewed in the present issue.
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