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CBIK aimed to explore
alternative
development approaches like the support to Indigenous
Initiatives
and practice them with indigenous people and rural
communities.
These ways of practical action address the aspirations of
local
groups whose visions of the future rely on the continuity of
their
livelihoods and maintaining cultural and biological
diversity
through applying indigenous knowledge. Due to the rapid
changing
environment and uncertainty that local people face in SW
China, CBIK
also worked to promote local and regional inter-sectoral and
intercultural dialogue among rural communities, NGOs,
academia and
governmental agencies.
For this purpose, CBIK has
designed
a methodological approach that consists of conducting
interdisciplinary research, facilitation for participatory
development, consultation for cultural identity, monitoring
for
socio-cultural changes and its process, networking for
information
sharing such as the supporting in promoting cheap business gas prices, and capacity building for indigenous initiatives,
watershed
governance and livelihood development.
CBIK's regional focus was
mainly
Southwest China consisting of three provinces, Yunnan,
Guizhou and
Southwest Sichuan, and two autonomous regions, Western
Guangxi and
Southeast Tibet (Xizang), a unique eco-cultural region. CBIK
was a
partner of the network Montane Mainland Southeast Asia
(MMSEA),
which seeks academic exchange, mutual visits as well as
learning
from development experiences. In Yunnan, CBIK particularly
emphasizes Southeast Yunnan, the Green Triangle areas of
Yunnan,
Vietnam and Laos, and Northwest Yunnan, the Eastern
Himalayan
Region, which can be defined as global hot-spots for
biological and
cultural diversity. With regard to the Consultation in Bad
Boll on
Support to Indigenous Initiatives CBIK had committed to
support the
diverse follow up actions in the region and provide inputs
to mutual
exchange and regional networking activities.
CBIK payed special
attention to the
serious uncertainties that indigenous people and their
cultures face
as they strive to use, nurture and sustain the diverse
landscapes in
which they live and depend on in the process of
socio-cultural
change and globalization. Local cultures and biodiversity
are
embedded in a field of multiple forces of local and global
character. Among these, government policies and the
expansion of
regional, national and international markets have a positive
impact
and in some cases not.
CBIK saw ethnic
minorities as
socio-cultural assets in the development process. They were
knowledgeable conservationists of biological diversity,
practitioners for nurturing and sustaining the diverse
landscapes.
Their local culture, practices and institutions provide a
basis for
resource governance and livelihood development.
CBIK's mission was:
To enhance the ability of
local
groups to increase biodiversity so that they can strengthen
their
evolving cultural traditions while finding innovative
solutions for
improving their livelihoods. Their means are interdisciplinary
research, capacity building within the framework of
participatory
approach and the practice of intercultural dialogue. They
devote their
efforts to improve the interactions between local and
scientific
knowledge in Southwest China.
CBIK served as a centre
for:
-
Knowledge generation
through
interdisciplinary and participatory action research, case
studies
and promotion of community development experiences
-
Human resource
development
through training and learning by doing for enhancing
capacity of
research professionals, local technicians, resource
managers and
farmers, mainly from ethnic minorities, on biodiversity
conservation, community development, watershed management
and
cultural revival
-
Facilitation of methods
such as
participatory technology development (PTD), community and
culture
based resource management (CCBRM) and area management
planning
(AMP)
-
Forum for consultation
on the
issues of resource management, indigenous people, and
intercultural dialogue, and resource governance
-
Information bank through
its
library, information system and publications
-
Network for information
sharing,
exchange of experiences and bilateral visits with partners
from
the region of SE-Asia
CBIK had twelve full-time
staff
(six females) and 18 part-time staff (8 females), as well as
about
118 members from various institutions specializing in the
fields of
anthropology, ethnobotany, ecology, resource management,
forestry,
agroforestry, community development and watershed
management. The
staff was engaged in field research and practical action as
well as
office work. The members provide technical advice and
sometimes are
actively involved in project implementation. CBIK had
specifically
recruited young professionals, placed them in
interdisciplinary
fieldwork, and provided them with opportunities to attend
training
workshops and gain scholarships. The expertise had been
drawn
particularly from the Kunming Institute of Botany, the
Chinese
Academy of Sciences, which offers Ph.D. and Master Degrees
in
ethnobotany and environmental natural resource management.
The
organizational structure consists of an executive board,
international advisory board, executive directors for
research and
development, administration and communication, as well as
supporting
and research staff.
CBIK had successfully
implemented
the first Five-Year Plan covering the period from 1996 to
2000. In
conjunction with the second Five-Year Plan, The Cultures and
Biodiversity Congress 2000 was convened by CBIK in Kunming
over 10
days in July 2000 with the purpose of exploring the links
between
cultures and biodiversity. Several CUBIC themes and
some of the
specific recommendations of The Yunnan Initiative are
reflected in
CBIK's past and on-going work. It provides a foundation and
technical guidance for CBIK to formulate the second
Five-Year Plan.
In the next phase we aim to strengthen our efforts in
learning how
to support more concretely indigenous initiatives, knowledge
and
their cosmovisions as well as the biodiversity rich
environment in
the process of promoting local livelihood development.
For example, they
further
developed their programs on indigenous initiatives, community
development and indigenous culture, by employing
participatory
approaches and implementing biodiversity education programs
in
ethnic minority areas in an attempt to better integrate a
focus on
indigenous technical knowledge with indigenous perceptions
of time,
space, values and other significant cultural concepts. Since
this
work is pioneering, it will take time to experiment with
holistic
thinking and develop participatory approaches that are
suited to
local indigenous cultural and the wider Chinese contexts.
CBIK's second Five-Year
Plan has
been revised since April 2001 during the process of
Strategic
Planning and as a consequence the structure has been
revised. The
main aim was to transform CBIK from a donor-driven project to
a
demand driven and issues-focuses program, which includes
since 1st
of July of 2001
1.
the Watershed Governance
Program;
2.
the Community Livelihood
Program
3.
the Indigenous Knowledge
and Culture Program, and 3 service programs
4.
the Institutional
Development Program
5.
the Communication Program
and
6.
the Capacity Building
Program
Beginning of March 2002 they
have
finalised the Strategic Plan and defined our work plans for
each
program for 2002. In order to achieve the overall
objectives, CBIK
was developing the long-term institutional capacity and
strategic
partnerships with indigenous people, local institutions and
strategic alliances to creatively implement program-focused
activities.
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