National
Strategy and Framework of Action for the Promotion and Sustainable
Use and Application of Indigenous for Development
The
Kampala Declaration on Indigenous Knowledge for Sustainable Development
Preamble
As
we approach the third millenium there is a growing global recognition
of the role indigenous knowledge will play in consonance with modern
scientific and technological intervention in social and economic development
and cultural and political transformation. There is further recognition
of the important role of local communities in contributing their indigenous
knowledge systems to enhance the sustainability of development programmes.
This
declaration is the result of the National Workshop on Development
of a national Strategy and Framework of Action for the Sustainable
Application of Indigenous Knowledge for Development which was held
at Kampala, Uganda, 8-9 December 1999. The Workshop, organized by
the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, was opened
by Honourable Gabriel Opio, Minister of State for Finance, Planning
and Economic Development, and was attended by over sixty delegates
from the public and private sectors, non-governmental organizations,
community-based organizations and the civil society dedicated to the
promotion of indigenous knowledge in Uganda. At the invitation of
the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology on behalf of
the Government of Uganda, officials from the World Bank attended the
Workshop.
NOW,
THEREFORE,
Realizing
that indigenous knowledge is a powerful resource that enables local
communities to improve and sustain their lives and that there is a
need for a new vision to promote the indigenous knowledge systems
of local communities to improve their social economic status;
Inspired
by the vision and strategy that seeks to add value to indigenous knowledge
and to apply it together with modern science and technology for the
provision of goods and services to society;
Sharing
the belief that application of indigenous knowledge in a rational
manner in the development process will contribute to better life,
job creation, poverty reduction, conservation of biodiversity and
improvement of quality of life especially of the poor;
WE
THE PARTICIPANTS AT THE NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL
STRATEGY FOR THE SUSTAINABLE USE AND APPLICATION OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLDEGE
FOR DEVELOPMENT:
Encourage
policy makers, planners, scientists, economists, national and international
development institutions as well as the entire civil society and resource
managers to understand and internalize the increasing value of indigenous
knowledge and to promote its application as a key instrument for the
empowerment of local communities.
Urge
the Government, scientists, industry systems and institutions to refine
and adopt the proposed draft national strategy for sustainable application
of IK for development.
Urge
the Government, national and international development agencies and
non-governmental organizations to accord high priority and high level
of support to the national IK development strategy as a means of increasing
opportunities sustainable solutions for socioeconomic development.
Recommend
that the Government incorporate the key elements of the proposed draft
national IK development strategy in its Comprehensive Development
Framework and provide adequate budgetary provision for its implementation.
We
append this day, the 9th December 1999, our names below
in attestation of this declaration to be known as the "KAMPALA
DECLARATION ON INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT"
