Introduction to the Workshop
Recognizing that the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development provides a major opportunity, the workshop on Communication for Biodiversity Conservation (CBC) focused on the role of communication in achieving key development goals.
In the first part of the workshop, examples of CEPA efforts in selected sectors were showcased. The second part of the workshop discussed strategies and sectors that need to be addressed on priority.
Addressing the CEPA needs of sections such as lawyers, decision-makers in political circles, corporate leaders, journalists, and marginalized sections of society, was felt to be key to biodiversity conservation, especially in the context of:
- Communication strategies that would help achieve the Millennium Development Goals, which have a direct link with biodiversity conservation – these include enhancing livelihoods, nutrition, gender equality and empowerment of women, maternal health, meaningful schooling (especially for marginalized communities most dependent on natural resources, including biodiversity), and environmental sustainability
- Facilitating on-ground work in various countries for Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Programme of Work, and other international programmes such as the Millennium Assessment etc.
The workshop was organized in partnership with Kalpavriksh and WWF India. An International Advisory Group guided the development of the workshop structure and content and identifying case examples for presentation and analysis.
About sixty delegates participated in the workshop.
The following cases of communication for biodiversity conservation were presented:
Charmers to educators: using indigenous knowledge for conservation
Presented by Bahar Dutt
The Jogi-Nath community of snake charmers in northern India is the focus of an effort to use their high levels of indigenous knowledge about wild animals for educating people about venomous and non-venomous snakes.
The snake charmers of India have for generations used endangered snakes to earn a living. The snake charmers are quite cruel to the snakes quite often resorting to techniques such as defanging the snake or blocking the venom ducts which causes pain to the snakes and also affects its ability to survive in the wild. It is for this reason that the Jogi-Nath community of snake charmers have been the bane of wildlife conservationists.
Employment of snake charmers as ‘Barefoot conservation educators’ and recognition of their indigenous knowledge would not only protect their culture and identity but also assist in the protection of thousands of snakes who are killed by ignorant people. This would be of further importance given that in rural India wildlife films or conservation education programmes are out of reach of the masses. The reach of the snake charmers is tremendous and street conservation education can play a vital role in sensitizing people to reptiles which are considered non-charismatic or ugly or dangerous.
The discussion following the presentation was on myths about snakes, and on other traditional communities whose livelihoods depend upon other animals or birds.
Policy Advocacy
Gladman Chibememe
In Zimbabwe, local communities have used international agreements such as the recommendations of the World Parks Congress and certain sections of the agreements of the ILO, and the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as supportive national policy and legislation to influence local national environmental policy and legislation on involving communities in biodiversity conservation. The process of policy advocacy and developing local capabilities for advocacy were highlighted as well as the need for strengthening on ground action to influence policy.
The discussion sought to clarify the role of the speaker’s organization in influencing the policy in Zimbabwe.
Learning to value the Ribble Estuary
Presented by Barrie Cooper
The Ribble Estuary in UK is a Ramsar site. There were several threats to the site, linked to economic development including development of a marina and a new road bridge. Local decision-makers were against the Ramsar designation, and decision-makers and local people did not know why the estuary was internationally important. The perception of some decision-makers was that “the only people interested in protecting the estuary are birdwatchers”.
Working under these challenges, the RSPB initiated a multi faceted effort to solicit local support for conservation of the Ribble Estuary, which included partnerships with the municipal government, support from a local water company, development of school education programme, outreach to the community, engagement with prominent local citizens for openings of presentations, good media coverage etc.
The RSPB advised the local hoteliers for development of an ecotourism initiative, which helped enhance the stake perception in conservation. The interpretation centre is run by two staff and thirty volunteers. The running costs of the building are paid by the municipal government, while the costs of salaries are borne by the water company and the RSPB, but these are recovered through the sales of the gift shop and the income from the school programmes.
Thus conservation was achieved through a combination of approaches that helped enhance the engagement of the local community with the Ribble Estuary - education, economic, and a sense of pride.
Medicinal plants based livelihoods
Presented by Utkarsh Ghate, CCD Madurai, India
Covenant Centre for Development (CCD) and the Community Enterprise Fund (CEFI ) have supported the first co-operative company in the country for production and marketing of medicinal plants products and strengthened the role of SHGs in its establishment. He also explained the conscious efforts by these SHGs to identify and promote the use of herbal medicines in rural area as life support mechanism rather than a commercial endeavor only. The next programme planned by these SHGs is promotion of local recipes for preparation of food using local agro-biodiversity for nutrient sufficient diet. He also talked about danger of climate change and globalization and its possible impact on small and marginal farmer and emphasized that lowering consumerism will be only solution to get rid of these dangers
Communication through the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan India
Presented by Ashish Kothari
Preparing a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) is part of the commitments of every signatory of the Convention on Biological Diversity. In India, the process of preparation of the NBSAP was highly participatory, and directly involved several local communities, women, farmers, fisherfolk, academic institutions, NGOs, state governments, scientists etc. A variety of communication methods and forums were used to both invite participation and by diverse stakeholders to articulate issues of concern. These included biodiversity festivals, boat rallies, village level discussions, workshops and meetings.
Discussion: Dr. SM Nair, opined that science of biodiversity need to be addressed, institutions dealing with biodiversity need a lot more role in conservation. Eg. Canadian institutions, number of institutions should go for the documentation. However, existing biodiversity was considered for the developing the action plan. A mix of science and community is necessary for the conservation of biodiversity. Scientific community needs to respect the work of the local communities’ knowledge. Examples of Tanzania were shared in the programme. The forces behind biodiversity threats far more than actual documentation of the biodiversity.
What Next for Outdoor Education
Presented by Dave Imbrogno
In outdoor education, we have had great success in helping folks become better aware of the facts and the issues surrounding bio-diversity conservation. However, education and awareness does not necessarily translate into individual action. Most measures of environmental health continue to decline. What can we do to translate the newly realized awareness into action? Knowing something in our mind doesn’t necessarily mean that we know it in our soul.
We as professionals know these things in our soul. How did that happen? At a conference of Nature Center Directors I asked them where they found their passion for nature. Out of almost three hundred directors present only three found their passion at a nature center, science museum or zoo. The rest found it outside in nature, on their own, or listening to stories from their parent, grandparent or someone close.
It is this passion that drives so many successes in conservation. How do we inspire that passion in others?
The issues are huge. They are issues of economic equity, social justice and so much more. The facts around these issues are dramatic and properly presented can attract much attention. Perhaps how to communicate these facts is an educational issue. But how to inspire action based upon them is a moral and even a spiritual issue, underpinned by passion.
This is the new frontier in outdoor education … not only giving people the facts, but finding ways to help them move beyond the facts to decide not only what they think, but what they feel and deeply believe about the world around them.
For me these ideas were inspired in two ways. The first was through my experiences in India. In a country with so many challenges of population, economics and more, I have seen more connection with life and nature than most places in the world. The second inspiration was from an idea expressed by Robert Pyle in his writing, which he referred to as the “extinction of experience.” His concern is not only are species and habitats disappearing, but real genuine experience with the outdoors is going extinct.
Again, the new frontier in Outdoor Education is for us to reconnect people with real, meaningful experiences outdoors, to ignite their passion for the natural world and the life around them of which they are part. If we achieve that then real transformation can occur. The trick is to make these emotional, moral and even spiritual connections in a way that is meaningful to people in their own tradition, their own language. To play upon the presentation from our first speaker, for us to become the snake charmers of the modern age connecting people with the world around them not only through the head, but also through the heart.
We are here trying to find answers to questions of sustainability. Sometimes, however, we are not even sure of the questions - sustainability, for what, and how? Education and awareness are important for the action. How is the passion helps for education. How do we inspire people. How do I can teach, how do one can get familiar with the nature. What are the approaches we use for what kind of communication. What kind of values and morality we develop towards the nature. The values of communities towards natural entities. Technologies for the education play a vital role in the education. Exhibits become good example for the educating biodiversity.
Vocabularies for Biodiversity Conservation
Presented by BMS Rathore
- When Dadoo Gond or Imarti Bai’s speak about biodiversity they talk about Food, Health, Employment, Traditions, rituals, festivals and therefore they use words like Baramijra, Satarpatar, Thati.
- The perspective of scientists like Dr Swaminathan & Dr. Gadgil’s perspective includes Ecosystem services, Gene pool, Biotechnology and Education. Therefore, their vocabulary includes words like Ecosystem, Species, genes
- Dr. Gangopadhyaya, Dr Dongriyal and Dr Koshal who work in the government are concerned with timber, non wood forest produce, high yielding varieties, conservation of ecosystems/species. Their vocabulary is related to either production or conservation.
- Commercial enterprises like Shahnaz Herbals, Dabur and Far East are interested in Green products and animal part. Therefore, the words used in connection are bio-prospecting, exploitation from the wild, bio piracy and smuggling.
- Pugmarks talk about wildnerness, adventure, recreation, profits from services, and religious hermits may value biodiversity for spiritual, transformational uses. They talk about eco-tourism, tourism, pilgrimage.
Conserving biodiversity is therefore managing different perceptions and vocabularies & grammar to move towards shared vision, goals and objectives. How can biodiversity conservation communication be done with such a range of stakeholders – should we use Esperanto ( a kind of common English language contemplated to serve entire Europe irrespective of the kind of English they speak) or should we make it stakeholder specific?
Three recent experiences in Madhya Pradesh, India provide some insights:
The Sothawari community has been involved in conservation as they had a stake for improved livelihoods. The challenge was to get the community to ask the right questions. The livelihood of the community was dependent on achar (Buchnania lazans). The stake perception was enhanced when the cycle of regeneration was understood as well as the market linkage was developed. On the one hand the timing of harvests were fixed by the community by invoking traditional practice of Tritya (by tritya achar is fully ripe) , and on the other hand they organised the collection by ensuring that there is no distress sale.
A Mowgli Festival was organized in Oct 2004, with the understanding that helping children to relate with nature and biodiversity in interactive manner leads to joyful learning. We found that facilitators’ training is key to this process. The success of the festival which was witnessed by several government depts and the Chief Minister has created space for regular state wide process 2005 onwards.
While discussing biodiversity conservation with government agencies in Seoni district in Madhya Pradesh, the key aspect was getting them to see the big picture. A sectoral analysis was done, drawing linkages of each dept with biodiversity conservation. The district planning process provides a basis for this. This has been acknowledged by the State Planning Board.
Group Work on Strategies for the Future
The group work focused on:
- What: priority biodiversity issues
- How: ways and means used to communicate about the issues
- Who: who are all the target groups need to be communicated
- Incentives: what benefits the target groups would get after achieving the goals of communication
The brief for group work was to come up with practical communication approaches and methodologies, keeping in mind the following:
- We may have fantastic communication strategies involving various approaches and methods but how do we help various stakeholders actually change behaviour
- What is the logic behind our communication
- Whom do we want to influence – this needs to be thought through, before we implement a communication strategy
- Which critical groups have we not been able to address thus far
- What gaps exist in current communication for specific groups (being addressed by the working groups)
- Who will implement communication strategies
- What are the incentives, if the communities change their behavior relevant to biodiversity after the use of effective communication methods
Key points: what works?
The main points from the working group presentations have been tabulated below. The criteria for ‘target groups’ included impacts on conservation, accessibility, time, resources, multiplier effect, and sustainability of groups.
