12 EDITO RIAL For example gender perspective highlights the fact that while both man and woman depend on ecosystems (and have to be kept in mind in development efforts), their practices in using ecosystem services differ. Women in poor communities often provide most of the food but are seldom engaged in the decision-making. Their knowledge potential is rarely acknowledged and skills seldom harnessed in the developmental processes. The ecosystems services perspective, on the other hand, brings to the fore the need to question if the customary measurement of the biomaterials in tonnes or cubic metres is justifiable and calls for learning to focus on opportunities for different forms of valuation. In different corners of the world, there have now been many local initiatives that link TK and biodiversity. It is important for learning institutions to critically examine the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches and to explore ways to upscale them and mediate their interplay with global policies and processes. In doing so, higher education institutions play a particularly significant role. They are widely regarded as capable to establish mechanisms that adequately bring TK forward and integrate with other knowledges through teaching and research programmes based on appropriate collaborative and interdisciplinary methods. Yet, to fulfill this role, the institutions of higher education themselves would need to undergo critical transformation leading to susceptibility of different forms of knowledge and engagement. There are several socio-political as well as methodological challenges to integrating TK in sustainability-oriented learning processes. In many regions, research and education systems are externally mediated by universal standards paying little attention to the local knowledge and practices. In the cases where TK is used, predominantly by academia or private research entities, it is regarded as a subject, studies or deliverer of utilitarian functions. Long term, coherent and critical engagement between various knowledges – engagement motivated by a sound development vision – remains rare. Appropriate learning methods with sensitivity to both the development aspirations of communities as well as epistemic integrity and coherence of local ‘knowing’ systems are essential. This may be achieved through culturally inclusive pedagogies and their integration into formal and informal learning processes. Collective learning and inclusive co-engagement as requirements of knowledge development are critically important to address any aspects of sustainability. Work with such communities of practice is not an easy matter. Going against often dominant notions of consensus, which ultimately relies on similar principles and approaches, means learning to work with different perspectives within a particular practice, often accompanied by many conflicts and contradictions. Trans-sectoral, transdisciplinary coengagement means developing new competencies of partnership, in acting and learning. This particular issue of collaborative learning and a perspective that, in the view of the authors, needs to be adopted by the multidisciplinary local consortia are addressed in the next section. Regional Collectives of Learning Action at the Community Level Since its emergence, the RCE network for ESD had immediate affinity to a more collaborative approach to learning. Within the community, the idea of regional centres that bring together local expertise appears to offer a better prospect of inclusivity, and better alignment for understanding and responding to social-ecological risks. Learning is more situated and reflects co-engaged, value driven approaches and reflexivity. Changing practices is a complex process of behavioural shifts that are to be facilitated, in addition to cultivating new biodiversity attuned values, by the change of practices and culture of the society. Ultimately, the educational systems that seek transformation might need to engage multiple stakeholders that, through joint learning, simultaneously facilitate favourable conditions for the attitude-behaviour shift in individuals as well as gradual institutional shifts in the communities.
Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
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