Paper

Institutionalization of Indigenous Knowledge Research for Development: Institute of Indigenous Knowledge (IIK)

Paper

Institutionalization of Indigenous Knowledge Research for Development: Institute of Indigenous Knowledge (IIK)

“Traditional Knowledge and Science
Our Culture - Our Basis - Our Future.” Anke

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." Ghandi

Ms. Anke Weisheit, M.Sc., PhD Fellow, Faculty of Development Studies , Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), P.O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda, Telephone: +256-772-888096, +256-702-888096, email: , web: http://www.must.ac.ug

Summary

The paper will present a concept in how indigenous knowledge systems can be utilized in development for future generation’s trough institutionalization as a way to mainstream IK in to all development and leadership mitigation and interventions.

Knowledge traditional medicine and other indigenous knowledge systems are fragile with inadequate appreciation, recognition and sharing of it. Especially the area of traditional medicine and medicinal species, a direct utilization of a high biodiversity, are most at risk and undermined in most development interventions. The indigenous knowledge sector in most developing countries is under-regulated and not well mainstreamed in national plans for agriculture, environment - biodiversity, climate adaptation, poverty reduction and health care provision. Furthermore, traditional healers and their medicines face stigmatization as the topic and practices remain familial, artisanal, mystified and controversial despite their widespread use.

The proposed Institute of Indigenous Knowledge (IIK), pool together expertise within Africa and beyond who will capture, document, research and generate as well as share knowledge of useful IK practices, their usage in the contemporary context and thereby preserve the information and promote their wider application. The Institute will also inform leaders and promote research and training in the field of Indigenous knowledge and science and it and its applications in diverse systems.

The Institute shall act as a pool of highly qualified experts and a think tank on IK systems and practices as well as other related fields of science.

Community Outreach Centers will facilitate interaction, collaboration and dissemination of research findings and traditional knowledge bearers and scientists’ interaction. The centers will be building at community level in selected regions. Model farms and processing units will be established for adopting research technologies in practical solutions for increased on farm biodiversity and reduction of pressure of wild species for community adaptation.

Background

Indigenous knowledge technologies and science are the root source and now contributing to the development a wide range of fields like Agriculture, Food Science, Health, Social Sciences, Construction, and Engineering.

Centres of Excellences in the integration of Indigenous Knowledge (IIK) are few and I have realised that such centres would contribute great to understand the vast traditional agricultural systems and finding methods to transform them to reach a wider development impact.

My Idea is to enhance the universities’ role by adding a discipline to the range of universities research and teaching namely the studies of indigenous systems, science and technologies for development.

The attached proposal is an attempt to present a model Institute of Indigenous Knowledge (IIK) to provide a basis for discussion to this group and beyond. I like to share with you this model as one of the possible pathway to transform agricultural knowledge into development impact.

The Institute will cover a wide range of areas among others; Agriculture, Food Science, Health, Social Sciences, Construction, Engineering.

The Aim of the Institute:

  • To develop curricula and teach indigenous knowledge technologies and science in agriculture as the subject at university level
  • To Document achieve and disseminate of Indigenous Knowledge in various fields
  • Development of theoretical and methodological paradigms within which to understand the specific characteristics of Indigenous Knowledge Systems
  • Develop academic and community level research capacity in the various field of IK in Uganda and beyond.
  • To provide the interface with other systems of knowledge
  • To fund raise for IK related research, industrial development and training
  • To generate income option for communities and industries using IK systems

Proposed Key Focuses of the Institute

IIk will have various departments focussing on the following activities:

Education, Training, and Capacity Building

  • Develop course units for educating students IKS in development, medicine and education as introductory course
  • Develop and conduct education and training programmes and design curriculum materials on indigenous knowledge for inclusion in the curricula of formal schools and for use by extension and other development workers.
  • Strengthen and consolidate IK training resources, and provide training and technical assistance to practitioners, developers and researchers.
  • Community outreach for Knowledge Sharing and dissemination
  • Conducting summer schools and international student and staff exchange.

Research, Development and Utilisation:

  • Conduct inter-disciplinary research on indigenous knowledge systems
  • Initiate a long-term efforts to promote and utilise indigenous knowledge for social, economic, cultural and educational development in Uganda
  • Conduct research on the transfer of indigenous knowledge and innovations from one area to another.
  • Integration of IK in the various professional fields (Medicine, Agriculture, Construction, Art and Crafts, Social services, Business Studies.
  • Mainstreaming IK related approaches in to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), Uganda's Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP), Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture (PMA) and other national development strategies
  • To develop appropriate systems for: validating the safety and efficacy of IK technologies
  • Policy research on intellectual property, equitable benefits sharing and information transfer systems.
  • To adopt IK technologies for appropriate technology transfer and commercialization processes of structures for the equitable and fair utilization of IK innovations.

Collection, Documentation, and Dissemination

Indigenous knowledge that has been passed from generation to generation by word of mouth will slowly cease to exist unless it is formally documented and preserved. Documentation also facilitates easy access to indigenous knowledge so that those interested could familiarize themselves with it.

  • Act as a clearinghouse for collecting, documenting, preserving and disseminating information on indigenous knowledge systems of various communities in Uganda.
  • Publicize IK activities and services through publications, exhibitions, workshops and conferences
  • Exhibition of Ugandan art and crafts for promoting of the expression of culture and income generating activities.

End of Paper

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Ms. Anke Weisheit, (PhD Fellow, M.Sc, B.Sc. Eng.)