Progress towards greater recognition and integration of traditional knowledge in Guyana

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The Darwin Initiative ‘Integrating Traditional Knowledge into National Policy and Practice‘ project has been working closely with Indigenous communities associated with protected areas in Guyana since its commencement in September 2017. The focus has been on the valuable role of traditional knowledge for maintaining cultural heritage, and the application of such knowledge, practices and innovations towards improving the management of the country’s natural resources. As highlighted in the country’s Green State Development Strategy: Vision 2040, “Traditional Indigenous knowledge is valid … Read More

Using MAZI’s to stimulate discussions on traditional knowledge

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As part of the Darwin Initiative project ‘Integrating traditional knowledge into national policy and practice‘, local Indigenous communities are making videos on their traditional knowledge and their relationship with protected areas. However, it is difficult to share and discuss these videos because of the lack of or unreliable internet access within some of these remote locations. Currently, the initial enthusiasm and momentum resulting from Darwin project video screenings is lost as the participating communities do not have the means for … Read More

How Indigenous knowledge contributes to Mother Earth

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Mother Earth is a common expression for our planet in a number of countries and regions. It is intended to reflect the inter-linkages that exist among the natural world and people. These include the interactions and interdependencies between the many natural processes occurring around us every day and all other living things. The Earth’s ecosystems provide the entire planet with fresh air, clean water and a host of other services which people benefit from – sometimes even unknowingly. Sadly, due … Read More

Indigenous knowledge and conservation management

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On the 9th April 2019, the project leader, Prof. Jay Mistry and co-leader Dr Lisa Ingwall-King, presented at the Zoological Society London (ZSL) symposium on Indigenous knowledge and conservation management: challenges and opportunities. Using the Darwin Initiative project ‘Integrating traditional knowledge into national policy and practice‘ as the focus of their talks, they showed the importance of integrating Indigenous knowledge for biocultural conservation and how participatory video can shed new light on the contribution of Indigenous knowledge to biodiversity conservation. … Read More

Participatory video empowering Indigenous youth

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Celebrating the United Nations International Youth Day Read our article in the latest Darwin Initiative Newsletter which features how our on-going project activities are seeking to empower youth in Indigenous communities. The article shows how the project is engaging young people through participatory video to explore how traditional knowledge contributes to conservation and the relationship between Indigenous communities and protected areas. It highlights the benefits of participatory video in providing skills and confidence to young people to research their own … Read More

Screening community videos with policymakers

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Phase 2 – analysing films and collating information http://projectcobra.org/wp-content/uploads/Integrating-traditional-knowledge-02.mp4 Over the past year of the project, Indigenous communities in the protected areas of Guyana have begun making videos on the importance of traditional knowledge to these places. This video showcases the next phase of the project which involves analysing the videos and collating the information into short videos to be screened to policymakers in Georgetown.

Looking Ahead: engaging the policy makers

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Community engagement has been going well and the team is working toward fine-tuning the first set of Community Videos that will be screened to decision-makers. As that time approaches, the team benefited from some more training. The communities of the North Rupununi have captured their opinions through participatory video on issues related to traditional knowledge and protected areas. As the final videos are being compiled, we have begun to think about the process of engaging the policy makers. To do … Read More

Documenting community owned solutions in the North Rupununi

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In April and May, the NRDDB Darwin Team visited the North Rupununi villages associated with the Iwokrama Forest to begin documenting their community owned solutions for managing the protected area. Bernie Robertson, NRDDB Community Researcher reports on their activities. During the trip, the team provided additional training to the community researchers in using transcripts to sort their videos. They also assessed progress made in making the three videos on traditional knowledge and protected areas. Following this, they began working alongside … Read More

Photostory: Engaging Indigenous villages around the Kanuku Mountains Protected Area

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  http://projectcobra.org/wp-content/uploads/Photostory-_-Outreach-to-KMPA-associated-Villages2.pdf In the month of May, a team conducted an outreach to Villages associated with another Protected Area in Guyana. The main goal was to share information about the project regarding its scope and benefits in relation to the aim of better recognition of and practical applications of traditional knowledge to local conservation efforts. This photo-story gives you some insight into the team’s recent journey to some of the Indigenous Villages in the South Rupununi who have a vested … Read More

International Day for Biodiversity (IDB) 2018

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Celebrating 25 years of ‘Safeguarding Life on Earth’! As we celebrate the world’s diverse variety of life, IDB 2018 is an opportunity to raise awareness about the growing threats and challenges facing biodiversity. Action is needed now more than ever, and traditional knowledge can play an important role in this process. To read the article online click on the link below: https://issuu.com/gytimes/docs/guyanatime_20_may_2018 (see page 14)

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