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Extracted from Borneo post
Date: 21 November 2001
Bidayuh first to step forward
Sarawak Biodiversity Centre implements project to document community's traditional knowledge
KUCHING: The Bidayuh are the first to step forward to document their traditional knowledge.
They are the first to be involved in the "Traditional Knowledge Documentation Project", initiated by the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC).
SBC chief operating officer Eileen Yen Ee Lee yesterday said SBC is willing to facilitate the participation of any community if they are interested.
"Any community can came forward as well. What is important is that they want to have their traditional knowledge documented," she told reporters after attending the opening of the two day "Traditional Knowledge Documentation Workshop" here.
The workshop aims to sensitise participants on the importance and significance to document their respective traditional knowledge. A total of 80 participants from as far a Mukah, Tinjar, Lawas and Belaga attended the workshop.
Yen said success is assured if a community is committed to document their traditional knowledge.
She added that the final product of the documentation might be years away but it would start with getting them on tapes and digitising them later.
"We will like to set up a community resource centre to allow any interested parties to lodge their traditional knowledge. We want to make it in such a way that it is non-obligatory. They can lodge it at a time that they think is right".
Traditional knowledge can be described as practical common sense based on teachings and experience passed on from generation to generation. It is holistic, and cannot be compartmentalised and separated from the people who hold it. It is a way of life.
Yen also said there is now "widespread concern that the natural resources or biodiversity are rapidly being lost. "Also, the knowledge that people have accumulated for conserving and sustainably utilising these resources over generations has not been given attention".