Restoring Faith of Indigenous Communities in their Traditional knowledge: A Model for Biodiversity and Community Sustainability Based on Field Experience

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The paper contains the lesson learnt during the execution of community based project on conservation of indigenous knowledge and plant resources in five villages of Churchu Block of Hazaribag District in State Jharkhand, India. The project attempted to address the felt need of revitalizing the faith on traditional knowledge system among the Traditional Knowledge Holders (TKH) and also among the community and exploring ways of reestablishing the symbiotic relationship between the community and the resources. The rights of the TKH could only be attained if the TKH understood the importance of their knowledge in the present scenario. The present paper argues that though at present there are certain rights provided to the communities residing in the rich biodiversity areas but only ensuring or acknowledging rights in legal directives is not enough, it is important to provide them with the opportunity to explore their knowledge for their livelihood, strengthen the structures existing at state, district and village level not only to safeguard their knowledge paradigm from piracy but also to promote the traditional knowledge system so that their talent gets acknowledged in the society and they have the feeling of belongingness with the biodiversity resources, which in turn will encourage them to conserve the same. The paper presents a three phase model to approach the issue.

Stream: Cultural Sustainability

Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted.

Rural Development professional working with the community, groups, non-government and government organizations since last 5 years. Practicing in-project designing, implementation, planning, monitoring and evaluation and imparting participatory training and research. Working on developing an insight over issues pertaining to the livelihood options, rights as well as creation and execution of required and available legal spaces of the marginalized communities residing in the biodiversity rich areas and environmental issues (Forest and Biodiversity conservation) in our country. Trying to do this through the operational experience of working with the communities, designing, monitoring as well as managing the implementation of several programs and projects.