ILO Calls for Papers to Help Stop Racial Discrimination at Work

• March 18, 2023

The call for papers focuses on key policy areas relating to the formal and informal economy, the measurement of discrimination, socio-economic exclusion, access to effective legal protection, and ways and means of addressing emerging spheres of discrimination in the context of digitalization and artificial intelligence.  The proposals emerging from the symposium will help strengthen the implementation of existing ILO tools such as the ILO’s Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) ,which requires countries to take specific action towards the elimination of discrimination, including racial discrimination. The Convention has been ratified by 175 of the ILO’s 187 member States.

Call to blend innovations with indigenous knowledge to help small-scale fishers

• February 16, 2023

Source: The Hindu

Marine scientists and experts from across the globe called for blending technological innovations with indigenous traditional knowledge in respective regions to improve the livelihood of fishermen. They were participating in a panel discussion on future proofing of small-scale fisheries on the sidelines of the ongoing international symposium on innovations in fishing technology in Kochi on 16 February 2023. On the major challenges in small-scale fisheries, John Lansley, Fishery Industry Officer of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, said culturally appropriate technologies significant to respective regions needed to be developed to enhance the contribution of fishing to food security.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh says, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has always been encouraging and forthcoming in sharing inputs on futuristic technology’s blend with traditional knowledge, for a greater good

• February 15, 2023

Source: Press Information Bureau

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh on 15 February 2023 said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has always been encouraging and forthcoming in promoting blend of futuristic technology with traditional knowledge, for a greater good. Addressing the first-ever ‘International Conference on Communication and Dissemination of Traditional Knowledge (CDTK - 2023)’ as Chief Guest here, Dr. Jitendra Singh called for optimum mix of traditional knowledge in tandem with advanced scientific research using modern tools and technology. He said that providing access to everyone to the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (DGTL) is an indication that integration of knowledge with technology can help the common man to a great extent.

Environmental stewards: White House asks federal agencies to include indigenous knowledge in governance

• October 27, 2022

Source: Down To Earth

The White House has directed agencies of the United States government to recognise and include indigenous knowledge in their research, policy and decision making, according to an official statement. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) jointly released new government-wide guidance December 1, 2022 to this effect. They also released an implementation memorandum. The government directive will apply to Native American, Pacific Islander and Alaskan Native communities. These groups have been recognised as ‘sovereign’ by the US Constitution. But in reality, most tribal nations in the contiguous US, Alaska and Hawaii have been at the losing end ever since coming under (white) American rule.

Tapping into indigenous knowledge to protect nature

• August 22, 2022

Source: UNEP

In December, governments from around the world will gather at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Canada, to agree on a new set of goals that will guide global actions on nature through 2030. The framework acknowledges the important roles and contributions of indigenous people and local communities as stewards of nature and partners in its conservation, restoration and sustainable use. The world’s indigenous population comprises some 476 million people living across 90 countries and representing 5,000 different cultures. They manage an estimated 25 per cent of Earth’s land mass, which accounts for 40 per cent of all ecologically intact landscapes.

Steps taken to protect ancient and traditional knowledge of indigenous medicinal systems

• March 25, 2022

Source: Press Information Bureau

The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) is a pioneering initiative of India, under the joint collaboration of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Ministry of Ayush, to prevent exploitation and to protect Indian traditional knowledge at Patent Offices worldwide. The TKDL includes India’s rich traditional knowledge related to the systems of medicine from classical/ traditional books related to Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa Rigpa as well as practices of Yoga. The information from the ancient texts of medicine and health existing in local languages such as Sanskrit, Hindi, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Tamil, Bhoti, etc. have been digitized in five international languages, namely, English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese in the TKDL database as prior art.

Cabinet approves establishment of WHO global centre for traditional medicine in India

• March 09, 2022

Source: Press Information Bureau

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the establishment of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (WHO GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat by signing a Host Country agreement between the Government of India and the World Health Organization (WHO).The WHO GCTM will be established in Jamnagar under the Ministry of AYUSH.  This would be the first and only global outposted Centre (office) for traditional medicine across the globe. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghbereyesus, Director General, World Health Organization announced the establishment of WHO GCTM in India on the occasion of 5th Ayurveda Day on 13th November, 2020 in the august presence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.  The Hon’ble Prime Minister praised this initiative of WHO and mentioned that WHO GCTM would emerge as a centre of global wellness, bolster evidence –based research, training and awareness for Traditional Medicine.

Traditional knowledge of plant foods and medicines

• February 15, 2022

Source: Canadian Science Publishing

In the current reality of lockdowns and isolation, people are turning to plants as a lifeline and way to connect with nature by collecting houseplants and building outdoor gardens. For Indigenous Peoples worldwide, connections with plants are not a recent trend—sacred and cultural connections to plants have existed since time immemorial. “Ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology in the Americas” is a new special issue published in the journal Botany honoring the Traditional Knowledge of plants held by Indigenous Peoples in the Americas. Featuring 16 articles, freely accessible by everyone, this collection of writing and reflection focuses on the relationships among Indigenous Peoples and plants, and anti-oppressive and decolonial approaches to ethnobotanical research.

At a WIPO Programme, the ILO Shares How the Cooperative Model Can be Used by Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs

• November 27, 2021

The second edition of the WIPO Training, Mentoring and Match-Making Program for Indigenous and Local Community Women Entrepreneurs  took place between October 11-22, 2021 with the participation of 22 indigenous women entrepreneurs from around the world.The ILO Enterprises Department Director Vic van Vuuren provided a welcome note for the opening session of the programme on October 11. During his opening remarks he reflected on the ILO’s work on indigenous peoples and women entrepreneurship development including through cooperatives.

Manipur | Annual Fish Fair Held at Imphal

• November 05, 2021

Source: KRC Times

The Annual Fish Fair Cum Fish Crop Competition, 2021, organized by the Department of Fisheries, Government of Manipur was held with the production of around 90,000 KG of different varieties of fish including indigenous varieties at Mapal Kangjeibung today. Chief Minister Mr N. Biren Singh opened the fair, which was organized to coincide with Ningol Chakkouba festival. The 2021 special attraction of the fair was the live display of Sareng (catfish) indigenously grown in Manipur. Around 100 fish farmers took part in the fair which had 100 stalls.