. . 23152 FWORLD BANK Africa Region. Number 70. November 2001 Findings Infobriefs reports on Good Practice in ongoing operational, economic and sector work carried out by the World Bank and its member governments in the Africa Region. It is published monthly by the Knowledge and Learning Center on behalf of the Region. The views expressed in Findings are those of the author/s and should not be attributed to the World Bank Group. Indigenous Knowledge for Development Indigenous knowledge (1K) is unique to every culture and society-it is embedded inpractices, institutions, and relationships. It is the basis for local-level decision-making in agriculture, health, natural resource management. 1K is the greatest asset of the poor to shape and control their own development. The Indigenous Knowledge for Development Program, started in 1998, was the World Bank's response to calls from clients and civil society made at the Global Knowledge Conference to the donor community to integrate indigenous knowledge more systematically in the development process. Initially funded by the Bank's Innovation Market Place, the program started with over a dozen development partners and developed collaborative links with a series of mostly NGO-operated IK resource centers in Africa. The objectives of the program include the raising of awareness about the potential use of IK in development within the Bank and with client governments, the dissemination of pertinent information where IK has contributed to development, integration of IK into Bank-assisted projects and capacity building of local institutions to document, disseminate or integrate IK. Impact on the ground * Bank-assisted projects in, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe incorporate IK elements * Uganda incorporated Indigenous Knowledge in the national Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PRSP-related) * National Agricultural Research Organization of Uganda included IK into their research priorities * Uganda National Agricultural Advisory Services include IK-based criteria for monitoring of extension worker performance * Brokered research cooperation between Tanzanian NGOs, research institutions and the National Institute of Health (USA) on medicinal plants related to treatment of opportunistic HIV/AIDS infections * Kenyan Agriculture Research Institute initiated research and development for medicinal and aromatic plants * Eritrea builds IK database on early child hood development * Malawi prepares communication strategy for sharing of IK as part of the Lake Malawi Environmental Management program * Six communities in Tanzania shared knowledge an d experiences on treatment of AIDS related diseases with traditional medicine and community care for people suffering from AIDS * Two farmer and herder communities exchanged their perspectives on land-use in Kenya * Following a community exchange, a group of farmers in South Africa formed a cooperative, secured a 15,000 USD export contract for their Rooibos tea and started their own website * More than 20,000 development practitioners subscribe to the monthly newsletter IK Notes (English/French) * First local language websites of the World Bank established in Wolof and Swahili sites-they receive more visits than the French site. The "Good Practice Infobrief" series is edited by P.C. Mohan, Rm. J5-055, Knowledge and Learning Center, World Bank 1818 HfStreet NW Washington D.C., 20433. Tel. (202) 473-4114; e-mail: pmohan@worldbank.org Lessons learned * Identify, recognize and build on existing trends, institutions and experiences and be selective. Indigenous knowledge is only a new term, not a new concept. Abundant information exists on successful integration of indigenous knowledge, though much of it is ignored or forgotten or highly dispersed. Eritrea has documented a substantial number of IK practices related to mother and child development, but could not go beyond documentation. The Bank cooperates with the government to expand and utilize this information. * Seek competent partners-drive the process, not the partner. Numerous organizations have undertaken a plethora of activities addressing IK issues from an academic, political, economic, technological or general development perspective. This has created a institutional and informational landscape that resembles a tropical forest rather than a plantation. Knowledgeable partners can provide guidance. A useful contact has been the Center for International Research Advisory Networks that brokered first contacts to the global network of Indigenous Knowledge Resource Centers. NGOs at the national level proved helpful partners when they had concretely used IK to support local development activities. * Seek official support-national, local and institutional. While NGOs seem to be the first choice for partnerships, universities or operational departments have acquired much knowledge about IK within their areas of operations. Integrating IK on a national level is unlikely to be achieved by NGOs. Senior-level support ("sponsorship") from within government is usually helpful. The Ministry of Finance in Uganda strongly supported the integration of IK. * Involve a variety of diverse stakeholders-rely on one or a few mandated, pro-active institutions. Operational progress in the integration of IK cannot be achieved by workshop or committee or goodwill alone. Only a strong, competent, and committed institution can drive progress ("champion"). The organization should be well-reputed, have a clear and consensual mandate with stakeholders, an understanding of the core issues, convening power and have more than one individual involved. In Uganda, the National Agricultural Research Organization produced a research agenda focused on IK integration with concrete research activities and strategic objectives. - Stay away from politics-concentrate on tangible results for communities and build capacity. Indigenous knowledge has become a politically loaded concept partly by nominal association with Indigenous Peoples issues, partly because of the relation of IK to traditional cultures which are now seen as threatened by globalization. The involvement of the donor community in IK is occasionally perceived as window dressing. Assisting communities to improve their livelihoods based on their knowledge and leaving the politics to them avoids getting caught up in short-lived trends. Staying impartial regarding politics provides the credibility as an honest broker on substance and content, and avoids overselling IK as a panacea. After the IK program (in collaboration with IFAD) supported a community-to-community exchange of knowledge, a group of farmers in South Africa formed a cooperative and secured an export contract for their produce (Rooibos tea) for US$15,000. * Pursue a strategic vision-allow for serendipity in approach. The vision: enriching the development process through the integration of IK where informed and empowered local communities not only participate in development processes but are partners to researchers, government representatives and experts who appreciate, value and help to further develop their own knowledge and values. The approach: respond to client demands, advise on processes and methods, not IK content, rely on subsidiarity, make accommodation for limitations of partners, share and connect. The national IK process in Uganda was entirely driven by client demand; the IK program supported Bank projects on methods but made no prescriptions on the "right" IK;, the community exchange in South Africa was designed, managed and documented by an NGO in close cooperation with the communities, the "lowest" possible level; the IK program brokered collaboration between the Tanga Aids Working Group and the international research community to validate their experience; it assisted in community representation at the Global Knowledge Conference II in Kuala Lumpur. For more information, please contacteitherNicolas Gorjestani ProgramMananer, orReinhardWoytek. Practice Manager, IK forDevelopmentPrograrm. Theire-mail addresses are: Ngoiestani@worldbank.org-andRwoytek@worldbank.org. The link to thelK website is http:// www.worldbank.org/afr/ ik/default.1htm Persons accessing the Bank's External Website can access information on Indigenous Knowledge by clicking on Countries and Regions. thenAfrica and then on Indigenous KnowledgeforDevelopnent. World Bank staff can access the necessaru information by cicking on Regions and tlien on Africa and under topics on Indigenous Knowledge.