Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor

FOCUS

Indigenous or local knowledge is knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. It is seen to contrast with the knowledge generated within the international system of universities, research institutes and private firms. Indigenous knowledge is used at the local level by communities in developing countries as the basis for decision-making pertaining to food security, human and animal health, education, natural resource management, and other vital activities.

The Editorial Board has a majority of members from the developing world. This reflects the journal's policy of encouraging contributions from the South. The Indigenous Knowledge Resource Centres in Africa, Latin America and Asia have always played a crucial role in providing this invaluable, demand-driven input. They continue to mobilize information for publication in the IK&DM, but their efforts are increasingly being supplemented by those of other organizations and individuals throughout the world. New channels for the flow of information have opened up as a result of the widespread distribution of the journal in developing countries, the growing impact of the Monitor online, and the Indigenous Knowledge Information System.

Indigenous Knowledge Information System
The Indigenous Knowledge Information System provides easy access to information that is relevant for sustainable development. The idea behind the Indigenous Information System is that indigenous knowledge can prove widely applicable and valuable only if it is made known and can be validated around the world. The system at present has the following components:

• IK pages, offering links to relevant information on indigenous knowledge which can be found on the Internet: http://www.nuffic.nl/ik-pages/
• IK resources, offering direct information in the form of notices, reports and articles which can be browsed through and searched online: http://www.nuffic.nl/ik-pages/ik-resources
• Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor online, offering all issues of the journal in complete form: http://www.nuffic.nl/ciran/ikdm/
• News and announcements dealing with indigenous knowledge systems and practices: http://www.nuffic.nl/ik-pages/news
• Mailing lists to facilitate discussion and exchanges of information on specific topics such as biodiversity and animal production and healthcare: http://www.nuffic.nl/ik-pages/mailinglists
• Best Practices on Indigenous Knowledge, a database maintained in cooperation with UNESCO as part of its MOST programme (Management of Social Transformations) http://www.unesco.org/most/bpikreg.htm
• An online database of professionals and organizations in the Netherlands that are engaged in development-related research and activities.

Nuffic-CIRAN will continue to build up and develop the IK Information System as a way of helping to generate 'knowledge for development'. This effort is based on the conviction that sustainable development will be achieved only through a worldwide sharing of information that results in blending local knowledge with insights derived from modern science and technology.

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