UK assists in integrating traditional Indigenous knowledge into national policy

Heritage month celebrations

… model could serve as best practice for global community – Project Leader

British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn, on Monday evening officially launched a United Kingdom-backed initiative in Guyana, aimed at integrating traditional knowledge passed down from previous generations of Indigenous peoples to be incorporated into the development of a national policy meant to

inform Government’s legislative agenda.
The official launch of the three-year project was held at the British High Commissioner’s residence and coincides with Guyana’s month-long Heritage Month celebrations.
Funded under the UK-backed Darwin Initiative to the tune of some £400,000, the activity saw in attendance acting Prime Minister Carl Greenidge; Vice President Sydney Allicock; Ministers of Government, Valerie Gariddo-Lowe and Ronald Bulkan; along with members of the diplomatic corps and other stakeholders involved in similar activities and initiatives.

Best practice
Addressing the modest gathering, Vice President Allicock who has under his

purview the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, pledged his Government’s support for the project and its objective, namely the formulation of a national policy for the treatment of Amerindian Peoples and the environment inclusive of its biodiversity, utilising the traditional knowledge of the nation’s first people.
In his welcome message to the stakeholders gathered, the British High Commissioner used the occasion to point out that the Darwin Initiative on a global scale seeks to assist countries rich in biodiversity but with limited resources, in meeting their various international obligations under conventions signed onto.
He reminded that ever since its launch in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, the Darwin Initiative has seen eight such projects being completed in Guyana to the tune of £1.4 million.
Vice President Allicock in delivering the keynote address to the stakeholders

gathered, expressed his gratitude with regard to the timing of the launch of the project which is geared at developing national policy and possible legislative instruments.
“In Guyana our traditional knowledge is quickly disappearing and if we have no proper and approved recorded documentation of traditional knowledge we will certainly lose it, we cannot afford this, it is part of Indigenous peoples’ way of life and must be handed down to generations,” he posited.
He was of the firm conviction during his keynote address that the initiative provides an opportunity to ensure that the efficient legislative instruments are in place to protect and promote “that valuable component of the way of life of our Indigenous people.”
Vice President Allicock said he is hopeful that the national plan for traditional knowledge to emanate from the project will alleviate the bug bear, “and will be able

to guide us at the policy level.”
Traditional knowledge, he said, can be to the benefit of all Guyanese, adding that Indigenous peoples have an important connection to the lands, forest and biodiversity.
He called for a merger of the man-made laws with those that govern nature in order to strengthen the decision-making process at the policy level.
Allicock also expressed optimism that the project will in fact yield a model that could serve as an example for other countries to follow – sentiments earlier ex pressed by Project Leader, Dr Jay Mistry of the Royal Hollaway University of London.

Green State Strategy
Dr Mistry, who would have completed three similar such projects in Guyana, used the opportunity to provide an outline of the project, its methodology and implementation strategies moving forward.
She observed too that among the objectives of the project, is not only the incorporation of traditional knowledge into the formulation of a national policy but it is also aimed at informing the crafting of the ‘Green State Strategy’ currently being promulgated by Head of State David Granger.

According to Dr Mistry, the project is primarily aimed at assisting Guyana in realising one of its obligations having signed onto the AICHI Convention.
The target identified by the group aims that “by 2020, the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of Indigenous and local communities relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and their customary use of biological resources, are respected, subject to national legislation and relevant international obligations, and fully integrated and reflected in the implementation of the Convention with the full and effective participation of Indigenous and local communities, at all relevant levels.”
Dr Mistry told those in attendance the project will be primarily focused on areas that are in and around protected areas and will hold a strong focus on consolidating the different types of knowledge systems.
“The goal of the project is to develop a participatory, transparent evidenced based process for traditional knowledge integration which hopefully meets biodiversity needs and poverty alleviation,” the Project Leader said.
Guiana Shield Model
Dr Mistry said, too, that the group is looking to not only have the findings be incorporated into a national policy locally but will also be used as a model for countries in the Guiana Shield that face similar challenges.
She expressed optimism that the findings of the project could also serve as a model of best practice worldwide, “using Guyana as a real case study, as a best practice example of this process.”
Among the stakeholders to voice support for the project was the Vice Chair of the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), Michael Williams.
He reminded that the people of the North Rupununi are currently in a process of looking to manage the wetlands, and as such, the Darwin-funded project will assist especially in light of the climate change challenges that Guyana and the rest of the world is looking to grapple with.
He also spoke to some of the challenges experienced in integrating traditional knowledge into national policy.
Other stakeholders involved in the project which officially began works in June of this year are the South Central Peoples Development Association, the Environment Protection Agency and the Protected Areas Commission.
Projects implemented locally under the Darwin Initiative includes the Greenheart initiative (1994), Influence of Selective Logging (1995), Insect Biodiversity (1998), Institutional Strengthening and Capacity building for Protected Ares (2002 to 2005), Sustainable Management in the Rupununi (2003 to n2006), North Rupununi Adaptive Management Plan (2006 to 2008) Biodiversity and Sustainable development of butterfly production (2006 to 2009 and supporting Indigenous and local organisations to implement part of the convention on Biological Diversity (2010 to 2013).