Traditional Knowledge In Policy And Practice
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Traditional knowledge in policy and practice
Traditional knowledge in policyand practice: Approaches todevelopment and human well-beingEdited by Suneetha M. Subramanian and BalakrishnaPisupati
United Nations University, 2010The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations University.United Nations University PressUnited Nations University, 53-70, Jingumae 5-chome,Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925, JapanTel: 81-3-5467-1212 Fax: 81-3-3406-7345E-mail: sales@unu.edu general enquiries: press@unu.eduhttp://www.unu.eduUnited Nations University Office at the United Nations, New York2 United Nations Plaza, Room DC2-2062, New York, NY 10017, USATel: 1-212-963-6387 Fax: 1-212-371-9454E-mail: unuony@unu.eduUnited Nations University Press is the publishing division of the United NationsUniversity.Cover design by Mea RheePrinted in Hong KongISBN 978-92-808-1191-9Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataTraditional knowledge in policy and practice : approaches to development andhuman well-being / edited by Suneetha M. Subramanian and Balakrishna Pisupati.p. cm.Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN 978-9280811919 (pbk.)1. Traditional ecological knowledge. 2. Indigenous peoples—Ecology.3. Sustainable development. 4. Community development. I. Subramanian,Suneetha M. II. Pisupati, Balakrishna.GN476.7.T727 2010577—dc22 2010032035
Endorsement“International debates on traditional knowledge (TK) protection are ongoing. However, negotiations are not always informed by any clear understanding of the various ways that TK is so essential to sustainabledevelopment and to the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.This collection, which comprises chapters by experts from a wide rangeof backgrounds, including traditional knowledge-holding communities,should leave policy makers in no doubt that protecting TK is not only vitalfor indigenous peoples but for the common future of all of humanity.”Graham Dutfield, Professor of International Governance, School of Law,University of Leedsv
ContentsTables, figures and boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ixContributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiAcknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xixForeword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ahmed DjoghlafxxiAbbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxiiiIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Suneetha M. Subramanian and Balakrishna Pisupati11 Diversities of knowledge communities, their worldviews andsciences: On the challenges of their co-evolution . . . . . . . . . . . .Bertus Haverkort and Coen Reijntjes2 Indigenous knowledge and indigenous peoples’ education . . . .Marie Battiste3 Indigenous institutions and contemporary development inGhana: Potentials and challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephen B. Kendie and Bernard Y. Guri123152
CONTENTSvii4 Gender and traditional knowledge: Seeing blind spots,redressing inequities for women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fatima Alvarez Castillo and Maria Nadja A. Castillo725 Traditional knowledge, indigenous communities and ethicalvalues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Doris Schroeder97Supplementary feature Fostering “mindfulness” intraditional knowledge research: The Code of Ethics of theInternational Society of Ethnobiology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kelly Bannister, Sarah A. Laird and Maui Solomon6 Making space for grandma: The emancipation of traditionalknowledge and the dominance of western-style intellectualproperty rights regimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ikechi Mgbeoji1211307 Characteristics, current relevance and retention of traditionalknowledge in agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .R. Rengalakshmi147Supplementary feature Traditional land managementtechniques for climate change mitigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Oladimeji Idowu Oladele and Ademola K. Braimoh1718 Traditional knowledge and health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gerard Bodeker181Supplementary feature Knowledge and practitioners:Is there a promotional bias? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Unnikrishnan Payyappalli1949 Traditional knowledge: From environmental management toterritorial development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Guillen Calvo Valderrama and Salvatore Arico20810 Traditional knowledge and biodiversity: Can the co-evolutionof natural and social systems continue? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Suneetha M. Subramanian226
viiiCONTENTSSupplementary feature 1 The complex rite of passagefrom invisible subjects to “subjects of rights” to attainbenefit sharing in the implementation of the CBD:The case of the babassu breaker women in Brazil . . . . . . .Joaquim Shiraishi Neto, Noemi Miyasaka Porro andJosé Antonio Puppim de Oliveira240Hoodia and the San . . . . . . . . . .24811 Bridging formal and informal governance regimes for effectivewater management: The role of traditional knowledge . . . . . . . .Alphonse Kambu252Supplementary feature Cultural rehydration: Towardsustainable water governance alternatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ameyali Ramos Castillo26612 Integrating traditional knowledge in climate changeadaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Agni Klintuni Boedhihartono27213 Traditional knowledge and economic development: Thebiocultural dimension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kabir Bavikatte, Harry Jonas and Johanna von Braun294Supplementary feature 2Rachel Wynberg14 A practical approach to traditional knowledge and indigenousheritage management: A case study of Moriori heritagemanagement practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tom Lanauze, Susan Forbes and Maui Solomon32715 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Suneetha M. Subramanian and Balakrishna Pisupati344Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350
Tables, figures and boxesTable1.1 Typology of relations between different forms of knowledge.22Figures1.1 In the real world, the social, natural and spiritual worldsinteract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.1 Knowledge systems in the world. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1979Boxes4.1 Violence against women a barrier to their politicalparticipation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.2 The Nigerian Institute for Pharmaceutical Research andDevelopment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.3 The Kani tribe and plant royalties: An example of women’sinvolvement and benefit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.1 Exploitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.2 The San-Hoodia benefit sharing case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.3 The Chiapas case. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.4 Synopsis of the International Society of Ethnobiology Codeof Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.1 Social construction of traditional knowledge on soil fertilitymanagement in an agricultural community, Tamil Nadu . . . .7.2 Specialized knowledge of women in small millet cultivationand utilization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .838587100107110124150152ix
x Tables, figures and boxes7.3 Rituals and cultural practices associated with small milletdiversity management in Kolli Hills among Malayali tribals.7.4 Institutionalization of traditional knowledge and practicesabout seeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.5 Harmonizing traditional and scientific knowledge systems inrainfall prediction and utilization: The experience of afarming community, Tamil Nadu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.6 Participatory plant breeding in traditional paddy landraces,Orissa, India. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.7 Integrating scientific and traditional knowledge in coffeeberry borer management under an organic farming systemin Tamil Nadu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.1 Revitalizing Local Healing Traditions in India . . . . . . . . . . . .9.1 Traditional environmental management and the worldviewof the James Bay Cree People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.2 The intercontinental biosphere reserve of the Mediterranean,Morocco and Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.3 Traditional perceptions of marine issues, related knowledgesystems and implications for management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10.1 Some examples of best practice community partnerships. . .11.1 A working definition of water governance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11.2 Case study 1: Water clarification and purification in SingidaDistrict, Tanzania. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11.3 Case study 2: Water collection in the Sundergarh district ofIndia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11.4 Case study 3: Irrigation and water allocation in Bali,Indonesia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12.1 A story from the Ecuadorian Andes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12.2 A Nepalese story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12.3 An Ethiopia watershed story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12.4 A Nicaragua story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12.5 Harnessing traditional knowledge and modern science. . . . .12.6 Tuvalu stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13.1 Indigenous peoples declarations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13.2 The relational self . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13.3 African model legislation for the protection of the rights oflocal communities, farmers and breeders, and for theregulation of access to biological resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13.4 Raika Biocultural Community Protocol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13.5 Impacts of biocultural community protocols. . . . . . . . . . . . . .14.1 Kopi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79282289290300303305320322335
ContributorsFatima Alvarez Castillo is professor ofPolitics and Social Research at theUniversity of the Philippines,Manila. She conductsmultidisciplinary studies on issuesrelevant to human rights and justice.Women’s rights and gender inequityare consistent themes in herresearch and advocacy. Her currentresearch includes developing gendersensitive indicators of poverty andinequity, constructing a globalsystem for motivatingpharmaceuticals to invest in drugdevelopment for diseases thatplague the poor and the genderissues in benefit sharing in research.Salvatore Arico is special advisor toUNESCO’s assistant directorgeneral for Natural Sciences on allmatters relating to the environmentand biodiversity in UNESCO’sDivision of Ecological and EarthSciences in Paris, France. His areasof expertise encompass marinebiodiversity, ecosystem servicesassessments and the science-policynexus. His current area of scientificinterest and specialization isbiodiversity and the sustainabledevelopment dimensions of climatechange and in this regard he hasacted as an invited expert of theIPCC AR5 Scoping Meeting (2009).He is affiliated to severalinternational and scientific bodies.Kelly Bannister is an ethnobiologistwith expertise on ethical and legalissues in research involvingbiodiversity, indigenous knowledgeand cultural heritage. She is directorof the POLIS Project on EcologicalGovernance and an adjunctprofessor in the Studies in Policyand Practice Program, Faculty ofHuman and Social Development atthe University of Victoria (Canada)and current chair of the EthicsCommittee of the InternationalSociety of Ethnobiology. Her mainarea of interest is the intersection ofethics guidelines and localxi
xiiCONTRIBUTORSgovernance mechanisms (e.g., codesof ethics, community researchprotocols) to address powerrelations and facilitate equitableresearch practices in research thatinvolves communities. She is aconsultant for the Canadiangovernment on Access and BenefitSharing policy and an advisor onnational research ethics policy inCanada.Marie Battiste, a Mi’kmaq educatorfrom Potlo’tek First Nations, NovaScotia, is a full professor in theCollege of Education and director ofthe Aboriginal Education ResearchCentre (AERC) at the University ofSaskatchewan. She has workedactively with First Nations schools asan administrator, teacher, consultantand curriculum developer, advancingaboriginal epistemology, languages,pedagogy and research. Herresearch interests are in initiatinginstitutional change in thedecolonization of education,language and social justice policyand power, and postcolonialeducational approaches thatrecognize and affirm the politicaland cultural diversity of Canada andthe collective healing required fortransformation from colonialtrauma. She leads a national hub atthe University of Saskatchewan forthe SSHRC Canadian PreventionScience Cluster aimed at identifyingapproaches to culturally appropriateschool-based violence prevention,and she is involved in the ethicalprotection and advancement ofindigenous knowledge.Kabir Bavikatte is a lawyer and theco-director of Natural Justice, anAfrica-based network of legalpractitioners working internationallyon community rights in the contextof environmental law and policy.He has worked on issues relating tobiodiversity and law by facilitatingprocesses that secure the rights ofcommunities in Africa and SouthAsia, supporting Africangovernments in the developmentand implementation of biodiversitylaw and policy, and as legal advisorto the African Group of countries intheir negotiations towards theInternational Regime on Access andBenefit Sharing and in the WorkingGroup on Article 8j of theConvention on Biological Diversity.Gerard Bodeker is chair of the GlobalInitiative for Traditional Systems ofHealth, an international policy andresearch project, based in Oxford.An Australian, whose doctoralstudies were undertaken at Harvard,he is a senior faculty member inpublic health in the Division ofMedical Sciences at OxfordUniversity and is adjunct professorof Epidemiology at ColumbiaUniversity, New York. ProfessorBodeker has written extensively ontraditional medicine. He is editor-inchief of the World HealthOrganization Global Atlas ofTraditional, Complementary &Alternative Medicine (2005) andsenior editor of a book published in2007 by Imperial College Press onpublic health and policy perspectiveson traditional and complementarymedicine.Agni Klintuni Boedhihartono iscurrently a senior lecturer inTropical Livelihoods at James CookUniversity in Cairns, Australiaand an associate with IUCN ForestConservation Programme in Gland,Switzerland. She is a visual
CONTRIBUTORSanthropologist, ethnologist andgraphic artist. She has been workingwith multidisciplinary scientificteams in numerous countries inAfrica, Asia and Latin America onbalances between conservation andsocial, cultural and economicdevelopment and with communitiesfrom different cultures, especiallyforest-dependent people andnomads. Her main research interestis in cultural diversity, traditionalhealing practices and traditionalknowledge on use of naturalresources. Her goal is to influenceglobal efforts to support indigenouspeoples and communities to improvetheir livelihoods whilst retainingtheir cultural identity, diversity,natural assets and traditionalknowledge.Ademola K. Braimoh is a professor atthe Center for SustainabilityScience, Hokkaido University, Japanand executive director of the GlobalLand Project, Sapporo Nodal Officein Japan. His research interestsinclude soil quality–land useinteractions and the application ofgeospatial technology for landchange studies, vulnerabilityassessment and environmentalmanagement. His recent publicationis Land Use and Soil Resources, anedited volume that analyses thepattern, driving factors and socioeconomic impacts of landdegradation across world regions.Guillen Calvo Valderrama is anindependent consultant specializingin issues related to bioculturaldiversity conservation, origin-basedproducts development, promotion ofmarket access based on goods andservices with identity, conservationxiiiand sustainable use of agriculturalbiodiversity. He is also currentlyin charge of the design,implementation and coordination ofactivities related to the sustainabledevelopment of agro-ecosystems atUNESCO’s Ecological and EarthScience Division. In 2009, hefounded “Agri-Cultura”, a consultingfirm for the promotion of innovativesustainable territorial developmentstrategies and knowledge dialoguein developing countries. He is alsocoordinating an internationalexchange platform to promote localidentities, living heritage andtraditional knowledge as ruraldevelopment factors.Maria Nadja A. Castillo is acommunity development workerwith a particular interest in issues ofgrass-roots empowerment, equitablestate policies and services as theseimpact on the poor and vulnerable,especially women. She hasconducted research on the impact ofarmed conflict on the health of poorcommunities and on the dislocationof communities brought about bygovernment projects. Currently sheis a lead researcher of CENPEG onautomated elections in thePhilippines.Susan Forbes is an archaeologistspecializing in cultural landscapesand advocacy for protection ofheritage as identity. Most of herwork involves working alongsideindigenous communities in theprotection of their own ancestralplaces and values. A
7.7 Integrating scientific and traditional knowledge in coffee berry borer management under an organic farming system . chief of the World Health Organization Global Atlas of Traditional, Complementary & Alternative Medi
3 List of boxes Box 1 The Public Domain 10 Box 2 A Broad Policy Context 12 Box 3 Note on Definitions and Terminology 13 Box 4 A Holistic View of Traditional Knowledge 13 Box 5 Examples of Traditional Knowledge 14 Box 6 Examples of Traditional Cultural Expressions 17 Box 7 The Meaning of "Traditional" 17 Box 8 The Convention on Biological Diversity 18
RACI Knowledge User Knowledge Author Knowledge Reviewer (Content SME) Knowledge Manager / Coordinator(s) Knowledge Mgt Process Owner 1.0 Identify Knowledge AR 2.0 Author / Update Knowledge AR R 3.0 Review and Update Knowledge C R AR 4.0 Publish Knowledge I I I
for tacit knowledge. The value of harvesting the tacit knowledge held by the traditional doctors is vast and presents new frontiers in the field of knowledge management. However, there is not much work conducted in harvesting of tacit knowledge from traditional doctors (Gibert-Tisseuil 1997).
3 The TSP Body of Knowledge 7 Competency Area 1: TSP Foundations and Fundamentals 9 Knowledge Area 1.1: Knowledge Work 9 Knowledge Area 1.2: TSP Prerequisite Knowledge 12 Knowledge Area 1.3: TSP Principles 14 Knowledge Area 1.4: TSP Process Elements and Measures 15 Knowledge Area 1.5: TSP Quality Practices 17
- North Black Company No knowledge - North Eastern Signs, Inc No knowledge - Noxell Corporation/Procter & Gamble Company No knowledge - Ohn Corporation No knowledge ' - Owens-Illinois No knowledge - Owens Yacht Company No knowledge - Palm Oil Recovery, IncTPon Oil No knowledge - Patterson Calendar Company No knowledge Peabody Press No knowledge
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