"Indigenous Knowledge: Local Pathways to Global Development" Book Launch Tanzania Book Launch | Burkina Faso Book Launch | United States Book Launch “Africans owe their lives to indigenous knowledge”
— Benjamin Mkapa, President of Tanzania The World Bank recently launched a new publication entitled "Indigenous Knowledge: Local Pathways to Global Development" [available in English (pdf, 1.1 mb), Français (pdf, 1.2 MB), and Swahili (pdf, 937 KB)], to commemorate five years of the World Bank’s Indigenous Knowledge for Development Program. The publication gives voice to over 60 development practitioners who present powerful cases to demonstrate how local communities empower themselves to manage their own development process.
For example, we learn how indigenous knowledge systems (IK) have helped:  Health workers in Iganga District, Uganda,
Reduce maternal mortality within three years by 50%; farmers in Pratabgarh, India,
Increase their income within five years by 60%; traditional healers in Pangani, Tanzania,
Reduce pain and suffering for over 4,000 HIV/AIDS patients.
Local Pathways to Global Development The publication was launched in Tanzania, Burkina Faso and the United States. H.E. President Mkapa launched the publication in Dar es Salaam on October 20th, 2004. Parallel events were held in Washington, D.C., led by Frannie Leautier, WBI Vice President and Gerard Byam, AFTQK Director, and in Ougadougou, led by Minister Ouedraogo for Arts, Culture and Tourism. The Next Five Years: An Action Plan Tanzania Launch
GDLN Center in Dar es Salaam
“Indigenous knowledge has all along been and continues to be the primary factor in the survival and welfare of the majority of Africans today”, declared President Mkapa from Tanzania.  | 
|  | President Mkapa &
Callisto Madavo
at the GDLN Center | President Mkapa
launches Tanzania
IK Database | Group photos
with authors |
Speeches and Videos
Benjamin Mkapa, President of Tanzania (speech | video)
Callisto Madavo, Special Advisor to Mr. Wolfensohn (speech | video)
Nicolas Gorjestani, IK Program Director (speech | video) Burkina Faso Launch
World Bank Office in Ougadougou
“Local knowledge has helped solve the problem of water scarcity in the Sahelien region and proved to be more cost effective in comparison to the modern technique of geophysics”, remarked Minister Ouedraogo at the Ouagadougou launch.  |  |  | Minister for Arts,
Culture & Tourism champions
IK for development | Local IK practitioners
at the IK launch in West Africa | Participants at the
IK launch in West Africa |
Speeches and Videos
Opening Ceremony (video)
Minister Ouedraogo, Arts, Culture and Tourism (video)
Ellen Goldstein, Country Manager, Burkina Faso (speech | video)
Nicolas Gorjestani, IK Program Director (speech). Local Press Coverage United States Book Launch
World Bank Preston Auditorium, Washington DC
|  | 
| Frannie Leautier &
Gerard Byam
at the Washington, D.C. launch | New IK Publication
in Swahili | Journalists, Academics, &
Bank Staff attend the DC launch. |
“The enhancement of indigenous capacity is a key to the empowerment of local communities and their effective participation in the development process”, said Frannie Leautier, World Bank Institute Vice-President. Press Release (pdf)
Radio France International (mp3) Commenting on the way forward, Gerard Byam, Director, AFTQK, said the impact of IK will be measured by developing a results framework. Partnership with international research organizations, local stakeholders and development partners will also help to find a way to validate IK that maintains its integrity and protection and demonstrates its quality for solving development problems. |
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