Indigenous Knowledge for Development Program

1. Indigenous Knowledge for Development Program Mainstreaming Indigenous Knowledge and learning from local communities Siddhartha Prakash Africa Region The World Bank

2. Purpose of Presentation • Introduce NORAD to the IK Program. • Explore opportunities for co-operation.

3. How can IK make a difference…? • The Sodic Lands Reclamation Project in India raised agricultural productivity and incomes by 60%, using IK • The project relied on local farming knowledge to reduce the incidence of the brown plant hopper pest which destroyed over 50% of crops each year • Harnessing ancient knowledge, the farmers applied neem properties, rice husk and organic manure to reduce the spread of pests down to 2% per annum • Farmers and women self help groups joint forces to set up a farmers school to deliver agricultural extension services to over 7,200 households in 65 villages

4. The Indigenous Knowledge for Development Program • The Indigenous Knowledge Program started in 1998 as a World Bank-led partnership with more than a dozen bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental organizations responding to client demands. • The program's main objective is to integrate indigenous knowledge in the development process and to contribute to for example, better healthcare, increased food security and higher incomes.

5. The program's main activities include:  Identification and dissemination of IK cases Building local capacity to facilitate IK exchange Integrating IK into development projects Building partnerships

6. Identification and dissemination of IK • Built database and identified/ synthesized over 200 IK cases • Launched "IK Notes”, published 34 issues (English, French, Wolof and Swahili) reaching 20,000 subscribers, (print /web) • Published report: "IK for Development: a Framework for Action" • Incorporated IK into the Global Development Gateway • Developed more than a dozen "Knowledge Packs" (e.g. Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, Agriculture, Education, HIV/AIDS and Rural Infrastructure) • Responded to approximately 600 inquiries for information

7. Building local capacity to facilitate IK exchange • Supported 4 IK centers to research and document IK • Provided 4 IK centers with improved connectivity • Facilitated regional IK networking between East-West Africa • Co-sponsored a pilot community exchange among tea farmers in South Africa – led to $15,000 export contract for one community that learned about marketing • Community exchanges under way in Kenya and Tanzania related to HIV/AIDS and natural resource management

8. Integrating IK into development projects • Supported Uganda in the formulation of a national IKstrategy • Advising Ugandan National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) on utilization of IK in World Bank-supported Agricultural Research and Training Project • Advising task teams on integrating IK Systems in the design of World Bank-supported projects (e.g Lake Malawi/ N.Uganda Social Action Fund) • Published guidelines for integrating IK in project planning and implementation in partnership with ILO, CIDA, and KIVU

9. Building partnerships • Collaboration with more than a dozen partner organizations • Sponsored joint IK strategy workshop with FAO Links Project in Tanzania • Partnered with WIPO to address intellectual property rights • Collaboration with several African members of global IK Network, mostly NGOs (e.g. Tanga AIDS Working Group)

10. Possible areas of co-operation  Support community exchanges to replicate local practices that improve health care, increase food security and incomes  Co-sponsor national IK workshops for stakeholders to develop IK strategies and action plans  Provide assistance to integrate IK in projects  Building capacity of local NGOs and CBOs

11. Support community exchanges • In Tanzania, the Tanga AIDS Working Group (TAWG) has treated over 2,000 AIDS patients with herbs prescribed by traditional healers. • The impact of TAWG has been most significant in alleviating some opportunistic infections caused by the HIV/AIDS: patients have lived longer by up to five years. • TAWG has conducted community exchanges between its healers, home care staff and people living with AIDS and similar communities in other parts of the country

12. Support the integration of IK on national level • A national stakeholder workshop in partnership with the FAO - Links Project in Tanzania explores benefit sharing issues • An institutional development grant supports integration of IK into agricultural research and health within Uganda’s Poverty Eradication Action Plan • Health related Economic and Sector Work helps to incorporate herbal medicine issues in Bank - supported projects in Ghana and Ethiopia

13. Provide assistance to integrate IK in projects to: • Research specific IK issues (legal, economic, technical) • Validate IK practices • Disseminate relevant IK practices (e.g. Mozambique) • Arrange collaboration agreements between traditional bearers of knowledge, NGOs, research, private sector (e.g. recent IK seminar)

14. Building capacity of local NGOs and CBOs • Community - based documentation and utilization of IK • Local validation of IK • Dissemination in local languages, electronic and print • Developing methodologies for mainstreaming IK