Traditional knowledge, biodiversity, ESD Mauri Ahlberg, Abdhesh Gangwar, Anna Maaria Nuutinen, Eric Garcia Velandria, Chinara Sadykova, Lars Myrthu-Nielsen, Reita Furusawa, Eduardo Sacayon, Wim Hiemstra, Tamara, Simon Van Kaick, Rob O’Donoghue, Eko Agus Suyono, Govindan Parayil, Abdul Husain, Unnikrishnan Payyappalli 22 nd Nov 2011, 2-4 PM

Context Community knowledge and practices of conservation have inherent elements of sustainability. For example, multiple cropping culture and short cycled biomass recycling used by traditional communities exemplifies these sustainability principles towards conserving biodiversity and in a broader sense associated TK.

Challenges Rapid erosion of ecosystems, biodiversity, and related traditional knowledge practices; lack of self esteem of learners; dichotomy between traditional and modern; integration of cultural knowledge/practices into science curriculum; multiple worldviews and public-private dichotomy among young learners; intellectual appropriation of TK; inaccessible abstraction and pedagogical exclusion; institutionalization and loss of subjective as well as real life elements are some of the important challenges.

Areas of engagement This calls for reinforcing community’s confidence in relevant practices while also addressing issues of resource rights; integration of biodiversity and TK education at various forms and levels of education including integration of TK and community experts in higher education and research programs. This also calls for appropriate methodologies for bridging knowledge systems; promoting intergenerational transfer; assessing and promoting TK for contemporary needs such as health, nutrition, agriculture, livelihood, sustainable resource management and cultural continuity; as well as building institutional values and methods to provide choices in education.

Approaches/methodologies Situated social learning processes; learner led mediation processes; revitalizing traditional knowledge in life situations through a see- judge-act approach; and integration of mother tongue education and reinforcing identity are some of the important experiences within the RCE community.

Case Studies RCE Makana - Situated social learning – several examples such as water, biomass energy, health and nutrition, agriculture, biodiversity, sewage, waste, sustainability partnership project and a curriculum framework for social learning research. These are aligned with Africa learning resource approach of the region. RCE Espoo - Biodiversity Education via Nature Gate and Encounters -for sustainable lifestyle project RCE Northern Mindanao - School curriculum - Bukidnon Pulangiyen Community Experience of Integrating Mother Tongue Education RCE Guatemala - Incorporation of Mayan culture in university curriculum, programs related to Nagoya protocol RCE candidate (Bangladesh) - Organic farming, Biomass recycling, and on tribal culture of Bangladesh RCE candidate (Bangladesh) - Community dynamics of conservation RCE Candidate - Roma Lesotho - Lesotho highlands knowledge and incorporation in school curriculum

Contd. RCE Kyrgyzstan – Jethiata project, grand mothers’ schools RCE Jogjakarta – Community based approaches to BD and TK RCE Srinagar – Agro biodiversity, traditional health and biodiversity RCE Denmark – Organic farming RCE Chubu – Online platforms, COP 10 /11 processes RCE Curitiba – Biodiversity and livelihoods RCE Minna – Revitalizing local knowledge, health practices ETC Compas – Endogenous development, integration in university curriculum

Future strategies Documentation, assessment, protection promotion Definition of key terms and develop shared understanding Capacity building on above processes Collection of good practices, publication Dissemination Integration with AP RCE programs Inclusion of traditional knowledge holders and CBOs of such practitioners as partners in RCEs Curriculum for young students on BD and TK Policy linkages – COP 11 (3 events), Rio 20, regional forums on biodiversity