Cultural
Survival Canada
Among its diverse activities, CS Canada
houses and supports the Indigenous
Peoples’ Biodiversity Network,
further described on page 21 of this
Handbook issue.
-GJM
Cultural Survival (CS) Canada is an
autonomous, charitable organization
directed by indigenous peoples from Asia,
the Pacific, Africa and the Americas. CS
Canada researches and provides
information on issues of access to,
ownership of and control over biological
diversity at the ecosystem, species and
genetic levels. The results of this
research are disseminated to indigenous
peoples, partner organizations and the
general public in the form of fact
sheets, action alerts, discussion papers,
handbooks and newsletters. CS Canada also
supports indigenous peoples initiatives
related to biodiversity stewardship.
Support is given both at the community
level, for example through ecological
restoration, women’s projects and
strengthening traditional rights, and at
national and international levels,
through policy development and
intervention in important international
fora. CS Canada is launching two
publications to encourage greater
awareness and debate of issues of
indigenous rights and biodiversity
stewardship. Buffalo Commons is an
international magazine providing in-depth
analysis of issues of biodiversity,
biotechnology and intellectual property
rights from the perspectives of
indigenous peoples. Cultural/Diversity is
a quarterly newsletter examining the
broader impacts of economic globalization
on indigenous peoples and their
territories.
‘Around the world, indigenous
peoples are the caretakers of sacred
knowledge about the unity of all
living things and life processes,
from genes, micro-organisms and
species, to human societies and the
ecosystems in which we live. These
gifts of the Creator have enabled our
peoples to survive five centuries of
colonialism and to continue to
nurture an extraordinary diversity
and richness of life even within our
much diminished land base. Our sacred
relationship with Mother Earth is
also vital for humanity as a whole as
the world seeks ways to rebalance
human needs with respect for the
environment.
Today, however, the gifts of the
Creator are under siege by
corporations and governments
attempting to make life itself
another form of private property.
This new wave of colonialism seeks to
open one last frontier for economic
globalization: the expropriation of
our knowledge and the privatization
of sacred plants, animals and our own
genes.’
From:
a leaflet produced by Cultural
Survival Canada.
CONTACT
Craig
Benjamin, Publications
Coordinator, or
Cindy Duffy, Public Education
Coordinator, Cultural
Survival Canada, 200
Isabella, Suite
304, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 1V7
Canada; Tel.
+1.613.2375361, Fax
+1.613.2371547, e-mail
csc@web.apc.org
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Solagral
Solagral, under the guidance of Marcel
Marloie and Laurence Tubiana, has been
generating debate on important global
issues since 1980. The networking
activities of Solagral have brought
together individuals from a variety of
sectors, such as cooperation and
development organizations, the media and
research institutes, in an effort to
bring about a rethinking of regulations
at local, national and international
levels for major issues such as food
problems, liberalization of the economy
and environmental policies (on, for
example, biodiversity, desertification
and climate change).
-YA
Solagral (which stands for Solidarités
Agricoles et Alimentaires or Agricultural
and Food Solidarity) was initiated in
1980 by activists and researchers who
believe that the globalization of the
economy and its effects on farmers and
consumers deserve special attention. The
Solagral members work with other NGOs and
associations from around the world with
interests in the fields of agriculture
and development. Its activities include
implementing research projects and
organizing training courses, symposia and
conferences. Solagral’s areas of
research cover international markets,
environmental economy, biotechnology and
new regulation methods. It produces a
bi-monthly newsletter, The Planet Mail
(La Courrier de la Planète), and since
1991 has published the Solagral
Collection, a collection of debates,
analyses and work tools. Solagral,
together with the Fondation pour le
Progrés de l’Homme (FPH, Foundation
for Human Progress), has produced
Biodiversity: the Coveted Fruit, the
proceedings of a seminar held in 1993 on
access to plant genetic resources within
the context of development.
"Farmers’ rights go hand in
hand with intellectual property
rights and reflect recognition of the
contribution of all generations of
farmers to the current state of
genetic resources. In this
connection, a compensatory mechanism
must be established: this is the
International Fund for Plant Genetic
Resources which must be fed by the
northern countries.
It
remains to be seen whether such an
arrangement is fair. As long as a
system of compensation is not
provided by a democratically managed
international fund, the system has
little credibility in the eyes
of southern countries."
From:
Joly, P.B. 1994. Plant genetic
resources and their management:
example of the IARCs [International
Agricultural Research Centres]. Pages
45-53 in D. Arnaud, H. Ilbert, R.
Mongruel and L. Tubiana, editors,
Biodiversity: the Coveted Fruit.
Access to Genetic Resources: a
Development Goal. Dossier pour un
Débat 30 bis. FPH and Solagral,
Paris.
CONTACT
- Solagral
Paris, 11 Passage Penel,
75018
Paris, France; Tel.
+33.1.42511100, Fax
+33.1.42511829
- Eric
Bernard, Solagral Montpellier,
3191 route de Mende, BP 5056,
34033 Montpellier, Cedex 1,
France; Tel.
+33.67544723, Fax +33.67542527
- Solagral
Lyon, 10 rue Lanterne, 69001
Lyon, France;
Tel. +33.7830831
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Vitae
Civilis
Since 1989, Gemima Born and her
colleagues have been carrying out
ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological
studies in communities around
Jureia-Itatins Ecological Station,
situated in the Atlantic rain forest of
São Paulo State, Brazil. They recently
completed a lengthy report on legal
frameworks for protecting intellectual
property rights and access to resources
at the community level.
-GJM
Vitae
Civilis - Instituto para o
Desenvolvimento, Meio Ambiente e Paz
(Institute for Development, Environment
and Peace) was founded in 1989 by a
diverse group of individuals who sought
to transfer their knowledge and expertise
to grassroots organizations, social
movements and other groups. The mission
of the Instituto is to catalyze,
mobilize, mediate and act directly in
programs and social processes dealing
with the improvement of quality of life
and respect for cultural and biological
diversity. The Instituto works towards
this goal through:
- promoting
and conducting research for the
implementation of sustainable
development policies and
programs;
- providing
technical assistance and training
for NGOs, and strengthening local
and international networks
dealing with issues related to
Vitae Civilis’
goals;
- promoting
environmental education and
raising awareness of
environmental and development
policies;
- collaborating
in the improvement of
institutions, techniques and
legislation for consumer
protection, health promotion,
protection of natural, cultural
and social patrimony, and
strengthening of traditional
communities; and
- influencing
policies concerning the
conservation of biological
diversity.
Most of Vitae Civilis’ activities
are in the Atlantic rain forest along the
east coast of Brazil. Here, the Instituto
is conducting research and supporting
initiatives that improve people’s
quality of life. Through this work Vitae
Civilis hopes to develop models for the
sustainable management of the environment
and fair distribution of the resulting
benefits. Research has focused on
evaluating the use of medicinal plants
and their potential for cultivation and
marketing. Tenurial and legal issues are
also being addressed, especially those
related to intellectual property rights
and natural resource use rights. An
ethnobotanical exchange program has been
set up between Vietnam and Brazil, in
order to promote the exchange of methods
and experiences. This project, funded by
UNDP (see page 9), is based on visits
between Vitae Civilis and members of the
College of Biology, University of Hanoi,
who are undertaking similar
ethnobotanical work.
‘It is very common to hear of
northern people, both from
governmental and private
organizations, stressing that
implementing sustainable forest
management is the key task in halting
forest loss. However, this management
approach fails to address some
important causes of deforestation.
Among them are the overconsumption of
wood and other resources in certain
countries, the unequal access to
products and benefits from forest and
tree products, land tenure inequities
and poverty. Discussions of
sustainable management of primary
forest in general presume that it is
possible to continue logging those
forests without serious environmental
and social impacts ... However,
unless we lower the demand for tree
products, no protection can be
secured for the forest ecosystems,
particularly those in developing
countries.’
From:
Born, R.H. 1995. The hungry north: a
Brazilian perspective. Pages 20-21 in
A. Soltani and P. Whitney, editors,
Cut Waste, Not Trees: How to Save
Forests, Cut Pollution and Create
Jobs. Rainforest Action Network, San
Francisco.
CONTACT
- Gemima
C. C. Born, Program
Coordinator, Vitae
Civilis - Instituto para O
Desenvolvimento,
Meio
Ambiente e Paz, Rua MMDC, 172 #3
- Butant, São
Paulo, SP - 05510-020,
Brazil; Tel.
+55.11.8130690, Fax
+55.11.8131639, e-mail
rubinho@ax.apc.org
 The
Brazilian Atlantic rain forest
once extended along Brazil's
coastal plain and up into the
coastal mountain range. Because
of timber extraction, clearing
for plantations and population
pressure, the forest is now
mainly restricted to steep slopes
and mountain tops. In Rio de
Janerio state, some 20 percent of
the original forest still stands,
while elsewhere even less
remains. The 3000 km long
Atlantic Biosphere Reserve System
aims to conserve the remaining
areas of this ecosystem. |
Back
Proterra
Proterra is a non-profit organization
established in 1983 in Lima, Peru. Its
aim is to promote conservation in Peru
and Latin America, through addressing
issues of sustainable management of
natural resources and environmental law.
The Environmental Law, Policies and
Administration Programme carries out
research and provides training, advice
and consultancy services to both
governmental and non-governmental bodies.
The Sustainable Development Programme
provides technical assistance on issues
related to agronomy, forestry and the
law, for the promotion of rational and
effective management of natural
resources.
Proterra runs the Latin American Network
on Environmental Law, which seeks to
strengthen regional laws and policies.
Its bulletin Bona Fide serves as a forum
for members to exchange news on current
issues and developments. Through its
Defence and Capacity Building
Environmental Law Project, Proterra seeks
to inform people of their rights and how
to participate in environmental
management. One aspect of this is the
Green Phone Project, a telephone helpline
available to anyone seeking advice on
environmental law. Proterra also
publishes books and directories as well
as Proterra Informa, dealing with issues
related to post-UNCED developments, and
the Juridicial Bulletin, which documents
cases of environmental law in Peru.
CONTACT
Carlos
Andaluz, Executive
Director, or
Walter Valdez, Technical
Director, Proterra,
Av.
Esteban Campodonico 208, Urb.
Santa Catalina, La
Victoria, Lima 13, Peru;
Tel.
+51.1.4723800 or 4703930,
Fax
+51.1.4703371, e-mail
postmaster@proter.org.pe
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National
Institute of Biodiversity
Although many national biodiversity
institutes have begun operations in
recent years, INBio is without a doubt
the best known, mostly because of its
innovative and controversial deal with
Merck. - GJM
In 1989, a task force of the Costa Rican
government created the Instituto Nacional
de Biodiversidad (INBio) in order to
address the accelerating loss of the
country’s biodiversity. INBio seeks
to contribute to conservation within
Costa Rica, through conducting research
and promoting sustainable and rational
utilization of the country‘s
biodiversity. It is conducting a national
inventory of the estimated 500,000
species, focusing on plants, insects and
molluscs. This forms part of a program to
catalog, inventory and disseminate
information about the country’s
biological resources. In order to
facilitate the economic uses of
biodiversity, INBio is carrying out
biodiversity prospecting through
collaborative research agreements with
companies and research centers.
In 1991 INBio drew up a contract for
bioprospecting with Merck & Co., an
US-based pharmaceutical company. In this
agreement, the first major bilateral
contract of its kind, INBio agreed to
provide Merck with material (from plants,
insects and micro-organisms) for its drug
screening programs. In return INBio
received a 2-year research budget of
US$1.135 million, an undisclosed share of
royalties on any resulting commercial
products, and technical assistance and
training to build capacity in drug
research within Costa Rica. 10% of the
initial payment and 50% of any royalties
go directly to the National Park Fund.
This Fund is for the protection and
management of the country’s
protected areas, which account for nearly
a quarter of Costa Rica’s land area.
The INBio-Merck agreement is
non-exclusive, and so INBio is free to
make arrangements with other
companies.
‘The need to keep much of the
institute’s biodiversity
prospecting information confidential
to one degree or another adds to
INBio’s data-management burden.
Precisely which samples are collected
and how they are processed are
generally trade secrets from the
standpoint of the commercial user. On
the other hand, general information
about sample collections and many
aspects of their processing are
deliberately made public, and any
number of employees, managers and
associated biologists are involved.
If conservation area managers, for
instance, are kept in the dark about
the collection process, they will not
understand what measures are needed
to ensure that the samples are
removed without damaging a
conservation area’s
biodiversity. Finally, since Costa
Ricans have traditionally placed no
premium on confidentiality,
especially vis-à-vis information
derived from public works, INBio has
to take pains to allow the maximum
public access to information -
thereby gaining trust and
understanding among all segments of
the public - without violating
commercial users’
confidentiality.’
From:
Sittenfield, A. and R. Gómez. 1993.
Biodiversity prospecting by INBio.
Pages 69-97 in W.V. Reid, S.A. Laird,
C.A. Meyer, R. Gómez, A. Sittenfeld,
D.H. Janzen, M.A. Gollin and C. Juma,
editors. Biodiversity Prospecting.
WRI, Washington, DC.
| There
are at least half a million
species in Costa Rica, including
over 13,000 plants. |
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Legal
Rights and Natural Resources Center
I don’t make a habit of reading law
journals, but LRC-KSK’s Philippine
Natural Resource Law Journal is
exceptional. Produced twice a year, it
brings together articles on policy, legal
issues and ethnobiological research, all
with a focus on the
Philippines.
-
GJM
The Legal Rights and Natural Resources
Center, Inc. - Kasama sa Kalikasan
(LRC-KSK) is a legal and policy research
and advocacy institution which deals
primarily with the process of attaining
ecologically sustainable, culturally
appropriate, gender sensitive,
economically viable and dynamic
stewardship and use of natural resources.
With its legal and policy experts, the
Center strives to articulate policy
alternatives which are intimately linked
with those communities directly dependent
on the natural endowments of the
Philippines. It also houses a pool of
lawyers who assist communities with
imminent and actual encroachments into
their ecosystems. LRC-KSK has
developed expertise on the subject of
indigenous peoples’ rights, land
tenure, natural resource management,
environmental management, forestry issues
and sustainable energy planning
options.
Aside from working with specific
indigenous and other upland communities,
its members have been consistently
invited as resource persons to dialogue
with legislative committees, executive
departments, academia and various
formations of peoples and NGOs. It has
also lobbied in various
inter-governmental and international
fora. It is the Philippine member of
Friends of the Earth International,
Environmental Lawyers Alliance Worldwide
and other networks. LRC-KSK maintains a
modest office in Quezon City, Metro
Manila and a branch office in Mindanao.
The Philippine Natural Resource Law
Journal is published biannually by
LRC-KSK.
‘I, Lucia Balida, 42
years of age, married, a
Mamamwa-Manobo residing in Suba,
Tago, Suriago del Sur, after having
been duly sworn on oath in accordance
with law, hereby voluntarily depose
and say that: 1. My mother Mercedes
Gardigo, her father, Undaw, and his
father Angag were all born here or
lived their whole lives in Suba, and
like them, I was born here; 2. The
names of places here in Suba were
received from our parents and
ancestors, like Dungyuon, Umpay,
Undaw and others; 3. The name
“Suba” comes from a Manobo
word meaning “to keep
returning” because this place
had fertile lands and an abundance of
food to eat in the past, so the
Manobos kept coming back to the
place, although others say that the
name simply means “river”
in reference to the Suba river, or
“mansuba”, to go upstream;
... 7. There is also a mountain here
called “Kabanitawan”
because it has plenty of banitaw
trees; 8. We have another creek named
“Gutayan” because of the
many agutay plants, which look like
banana, found there ... 12. I am
executing this statement to attest to
the truth of all of the above, and
for such other legal purposes it may
serve.’
From:
Affidavit of Lucia Balida. n.d. Pages
13-14 in Pasimio, J.A., editor.
Voices of the Lumad. LRC-KSK, Manila.
CONTACT
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