Traditional Knowledge Bulletin |
- This week in review … UNU-IAS article discusses linkages between biodiversity, TK and community health
- Meeting review: WIPO IGC-20
- This week in review … International Mother Tongue Day celebrations highlight inclusive education
- Resource: ICIMOD report on community perceptions and responses to climate change in the Himalayas
- This week in review … Australia recognizes savannah burning under carbon farming initiative
- This week in review … FFP e-newsletter highlights indigenous conservation efforts
This week in review … UNU-IAS article discusses linkages between biodiversity, TK and community health Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:14 AM PST Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge and Community Health: Strengthening the Linkages YOKOHAMA, JAPAN: In this article, which is based on a UNU-IAS policy report that will be launched in 2012, the authors examine the linkages between biodiversity, traditional knowledge and health. Noting that about 70% of pharmaceutical products developed over 25 years are still based on natural product development, while regions rich in resources, including biodiversity and related knowledge, are marked by lack of sufficient public health care, they highlight the renewed interest to strengthen the potential of traditional medicine and health practitioners to improve health care. They note that clearly the focus need to be on ensuring sustained availability of biological resources and sufficient access to good quality health care for all members of society. They outline a list of issues that deserve attention, including: building awareness among different stakeholder on conservation, access to health care, and the intricacies of traditional knowledge; recognizing the knowledge and practices of native healers or traditional health practitioners; and addressing unsustainable harvesting and exploitation of biological resources. A number of focused strategies are proposed, addressing, among others: assessment methods to inventorize resources and knowledge used in health care; knowledge validation, generation and use; capacity building for different stakeholders; cross learning between different knowledge systems; and development of mechanisms for protection of traditional resources and knowledge. Read the article … |
Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:12 AM PST WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore, 20th session Intellectual property and genetic resources was the subject of an eight-day negotiation at the WIPO IGC. On the basis of various written proposals and of plenary discussions, the IGC prepared and agreed to transmit a single, consolidated document to the next session of the WIPO General Assembly in October 2012. During the session, the Delegations of Canada, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea and the United States of America submitted a new proposal, namely a "Joint Recommendation on Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge". On observers' participation, the Committee examined a draft study on ways in which the participation of observers, especially representatives of indigenous and local communities, could be enhanced, and: noted that representatives of observers could, at the Chair's discretion and in accordance with the Committee's Rules of Procedure, be included in any "Friends of Chair" groups and/or act as co-chairs of working and drafting groups; supported the organization of an indigenous expert workshop preceding an upcoming session of the Committee; strongly encouraged Member States to organize regional and national consultations involving representatives of indigenous and local communities; supported the development or improvement of various awareness-raising and communications tools by the WIPO Secretariat; and welcomed the continued cooperation of the WIPO Secretariat with relevant UN and other bodies. The Committee requested further information from the WIPO Secretariat on proposed changes to the accreditation and funding procedures for ILC representatives and proposed revisions to the format of Indigenous Panels which precede each session of the Committee. This additional information will be discussed at the next IGC session, which will be held from 16-20 April 2012 with focus on TK. It should be noted that a number of indigenous representatives left the session on 21 February, citing particularly their concerns regarding their reduced participation. They reconsidered their decision after meeting informally with the Chair, and rejoined the meeting on the following day. According to ICTSD, deliberations were marked by strong differences over the scope of protection under an instrument on genetic resources. Developed countries proposed reference to "patents" rather than intellectual property rights in general, a position which was opposed by developing countries. Disagreements also persisted on a mandatory disclosure requirement. The proposal for a joint recommendation mentioned above, that proposes the creation of databases regarding genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge instead of a mandatory disclosure requirement, and that would serve as a non-binding instrument if adopted, was met with resistance by many developing countries. Visit the meeting's website … Read a report by ICTSD Bridges Trade BioRes … Read a report by IP Watch … |
This week in review … International Mother Tongue Day celebrations highlight inclusive education Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:10 AM PST International Mother Language Day, 21 February 2012 PARIS, FRANCE: International Mother Language Day has been celebrated every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. This year the theme of the International Mother Language day is "Mother tongue instruction and inclusive education". In her message on the occasion, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova notes that linguistic diversity is a fragile heritage, since nearly half of the more than 6,000 languages spoken in the world could die out by the end of the century. UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger is the performance chart for this struggle. Each language also conveys cultural heritage, which is as important as biological diversity in nature. Cultural and biological diversity are closely linked, and some indigenous peoples' languages carry knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem management. This linguistic potential is an asset for sustainable development, a message which UNESCO intends to highlight at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in June 2012, in Rio. Visit the webpage of the International Day … Download Bokova's message [pdf] … Visit the webpage of the Interactive Atlas of Endangered Languages … |
Resource: ICIMOD report on community perceptions and responses to climate change in the Himalayas Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:08 AM PST Climate Variability and Change in the Himalayas: Community perceptions and responses This study investigates the effects of climate and socioeconomic change on the livelihoods of mountain people in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, causes of vulnerability, and the ways people cope with and adapt to change, with the overall aim of contributing to enhancing the resilience of vulnerable mountain communities. The case studies cover ICIMOD-conducted community-based vulnerability and adaptive capacity assessments in: Uttarakhand in northwestern India; Nepal; Eastern Bhutan; and North East India. The main aims were to: identify people's perceptions of climate variability and change; identify underlying causes of vulnerability of mountain communities; assess existing coping and adaptation mechanisms and their sustainability in view of predicted future climate change; and formulate recommendations on how to improve individual and collective assets. An extensive participatory rural appraisal exercise was followed by field studies including focus group discussions at the community level and in-depth interviews at the household level. Special attention was paid to gender considerations and to the role of formal and informal institutions in the adaptation process. The findings demonstrate that climate and socioeconomic change are already affecting the livelihoods of mountain communities, and that the communities have developed a repertoire of response strategies to these changes. These responses, however, may not keep up with the fast pace of change the communities are facing. In order to increase the resilience of mountain communities, appropriate longer-term strategies that build on mountain communities' traditional knowledge need to be developed, rather than focusing on short-term responses which may reinforce vulnerability in the longer term. Read the report … |
This week in review … Australia recognizes savannah burning under carbon farming initiative Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:05 AM PST Northern savannah burning to earn carbon credits CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA: The Federal Government has embraced savannah burning as an approved methodology under the carbon farming initiative for generating carbon credits in Northern Australia. According to Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change Mark Dreyfus, this will lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the savannas of Australia's tropical north, as well as to new employment and economic opportunities for Indigenous Australians and pastoralists. "It is a way for Indigenous people to use their own traditional fire practices to earn carbon credits and get an income stream," he said. The savannah burning methodology was developed by the Government in close consultation with Indigenous groups and the CSIRO. Read the article … |
This week in review … FFP e-newsletter highlights indigenous conservation efforts Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:03 AM PST FFP E-Newsletter February 2012 LONDON, UK: In this newsletter, FFP celebrate the sterling achievement of the Wapichan people who after a ten year effort mapping and agreeing how to use their ancestral lands in south Guyana, have released a comprehensive plan to secure their people's livelihoods and set aside 1.4 million hectares of forest for conservation. The Wapichan now look to the Government of Guyana to secure their area and so make these plans effective. The example contrasts startlingly with the case of the Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand where security forces have been torching Karen villages and burning their rice stores to expel them from their forests. This is an example of the old 'Yellowstone Model' of exclusionary conservation that seeks to create uninhabited wildernesses in indigenous peoples' territories. Other articles address REDD-related developments, and the Bali Declaration on Human Rights and Agribusiness. Read the newsletter … |
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