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Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity

MOVING FORWARD Biological Diversity (CBD). While such engagement could be guided by the similarities in goals, they would benefit from more holistic and multi-perspective approaches offered by the RCEs (while addressing specific goals of development in a particular context, the RCEs projects cut across various sectors in addressing these goals.) For example, RCEs working in the urban areas could benefit from (and, in turn, enrich) the Global Partnership on Local and Sub-national Action for Biodiversity, established under the auspices of CBD, which facilitates the sustainable management of biodiversity in urban areas through planning, strategising and learning from the ongoing practices. Several synergies on bio-cultural diversity can be identified with various existing networks and programmes at multilateral, regional or national levels. To name a few examples, the Satoyama Initiative, whose goal is to sustain socio-ecological production landscapes with their ability to promote biodiversity and sustain human livelihood, could be an attractive partner for the RCE community as it also engages with a variety of stakeholders concerned with knowledge and learning about the issue. (Duraiappah et al. 2012). Individual RCE partners, such as businesses, could contribute to the Global Platform on Business and Biodiversity under CBD that included initiatives at the regional and national levels. Similarly, youth of the RCEs might give significant input into the Global Youth Coalition to Halt the Loss of Biodiversity – a new initiative to develop a global platform that empowers young people to act locally and enable their voices to be heard during international processes such as CBD. Outcomes of the RCEs’ work could benefit various processes aimed at developing knowledge repositories on biodiversity or related use. The Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) that provides biodiversity data to decision-makers could be an example of such initiative. Community Knowledge Service promoted by the Equator initiative could be a potential linkage to strengthening collective learning especially among marginalised communities. Defining and building a consortium amidst agencies that address bio-cultural diversity and education could enable strengthening of related region-specific, sub-national processes. 122 This book has underscored the role of learning in collective efforts of regional partners to advance biodiversity agenda. Cases from Asia, Latin and North America, Australia, Africa and Europe demonstrate the importance of ESD for the RCE projects to reach bigger potential by broader and deeper engagement with the partners and across the fields of knowledge and action. Further, it helped to realise that characteristics of communities such as RCEs, which combine local development capacity and global capability for engagement, might hold potential for contributing to institutions that strive to balance management of bio-cultural diversity. For example, it could assist in finding a more appropriate outlook at education for global governing bodies such as CBD CEPA shifting its current emphasis of awareness and information towards transformative learning and by aligning global and local approaches. References Satoyama–Satoumi Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes of Japan. Accessed September 2012 – http://unu.edu/publications/books/satoyama-satoumi-ecosystems-andhuman well-being-socio-ecological-production-landscapes-of-japan-2. html#overview This book has underscored the role of learning in collective efforts of regional partners to advance biodiversity agenda. Cases from Asia, Latin and North America, Australia, Africa and Europe demonstrate the importance of ESD for the RCE projects to reach bigger potential by broader and deeper engagement with the partners and across the fields of knowledge and action.


Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
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