The Sarawak Biodiversity Centre, in collaboration with Bioversity International, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Fund is organizing a second workshop on traditional knowledge documentation. Titled “Regional Workshop on Good Practices Related to Traditional Knowledge Documentation, Community Biodiversity Register and Farmer’s Descriptors”, the workshop will be held in Kuching on 8 & 9 October while a hands-on session will be held in Kampung Kiding, Padawan from 11- 13 October 2009.
Participants of the workshop include representatives from the UNEP-GEF project on “Conservation and Sustainable Use of Cultivated and Wild Tropical Fruit Diversity: Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods, Food Security, and Ecosystem Services” from Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Thailand.
Indigenous communities in Sarawak that have been documenting their Traditional Knowledge (TK) under SBC’s TK Documentation Programme will also be participating in this workshop. Among the communities who will be sharing their experiences in the workshop are; the Bidayuh communities of Kampung Semadang in Penrissen, Kampung Kiding and Kampung Semban in Padawan; the Iban communities of Rumah Skatap in Betong, Rumah Nyambong in Selangau, RUmah Changgai in Song and Rumah Emak in Kapit; the Lun Bawang communities from Long Kerebangan and Long Telingan in Lawas; the Kelabit communities from Pa’Lungan and Pa’Ukat in Bario; the Kayan communities from Long Bediam and Long Pelutan-Julan in Baram; Penan communities from Long Iman and Batu Bungan in MUlu; and the Melanau community from Kampung Jebungan in Mukah.
The objectives of the workshop include exposing community trainers from agencies in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and India to the documentation of TK through the TK Journal Methodology, allowing community representatives under SBC’s TK Documentation Programme to present their efforts in TK Documentation and enabling community participants to share ideas and experiences with other participants from within the country and the region.
The workshop is also expected to train community trainers from within the Region in the TK Journal Methodology and to provide a follow-up action plan for community representatives under SBC’s TK Documentation Programme.
State Secretary and Chairman of the Sarawak Biodiversity Council, Datuk Haji Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani is expected to officiate the workshop on 8 October.
Speakers for the workshop comprise of TK Documentation and Access and Benefit Sharing experts from Bioversity International and Forest Research Institute, Malaysia. Local entrepreneurs Cassandra Havelock and Leo Mamba who involved in making hand-made soaps and the cultivation of kacang mai will also be sharing their experiences in value-adding to biodiversity during the workshop.
Before heading off to Kampung Kiding, the participants will also be treated to a visit to Nature’s Farm Co. where proprietress Cassandra Havelock will demonstrate the handmade soap making process.
In Year 2004, the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) first collaborated with the Global Environment Fund (GEF) of the Small Grants Programme (SGP) and the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI-now known as Bioversity International) to organize the successful 1st Regional (Asia-Pacific) Workshop on Traditional Knowledge in Sarawak. Known as SBC-GEF/SGP-IPGRI Regional Workshop on Traditional Knowledge, the workshop was held at SBC, Kampung Semadang and Rumah Lulut, Sungai Tisa, Kapit from 24-31 October 2004.
Participants and facilitators came from 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific Region-India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and the local communities in Sarawak.
The participants from the local communities who took part in the 1st workshop were the Penan communities from Long Iman and Batu Bungan, Mulu; the Iban community from Rumah Lulut, Sungai Tisa Kapit; the Bidayuh communities from Kampung Semadang, Kawasan Serin, and Kampung Kiding, Kuching; and the Kelabit communities from Pa’Ukat and Pa’ Lungan, Bario Highlands.
The success of the 1st workshop prompted the UNDP office which coordinated the disbursement of the Global Environment Fund, to nominate SBC as the Centre of Excellence for Traditional Knowledge Documentation for the Asia Pacific Region.
