Participant Feedback

National Institutes of Health, USA, Research Scientist - Dr. Gordon Cragg:
"I feel that your pilot distance learning course was a very effective way of optimizing interaction between knowledgeable groups and practitioners in the countries involved, and in the session in which I participated, I felt that there is a real interest in learning from the experiences in different countries. I have checked your website and find it a most useful source of information on all aspects of IK. I have not had time to digest all the information provided, but it is an invaluable link for anybody who has an interest in learning more about the value and applications of IK to health care."

"From what I experienced of the pilot course, I feel that you and your colleagues who coordinated the discussions in the countries involved did an outstanding job of optimizing meaningful input and discussion. On such occasions, I feel that it is always important to limit discussion to the salient points and to control the natural tendency to expand into areas not
relevant to the immediate topics of interest, and I think you all did this most effectively. I commend you for organizing such a meaningful and valuable event, and recommend that such events be planned for continuing and expanding interactions. I endorse your request to the participants from each country to spell out definite issues and action points which they wish to have considered. This should be a definite positive follow-up exercise, and not a
repeat of earlier discussion."

UNFPA, New York, Chief of Population and Development - Dr. Francois Farah:
"I was glad to have this opportunity and happy that the presentation triggered a good deal of interest on the part of the participants. The course went rather smoothly and well and the logistics did not pose any difficulty. I wondered whether the participants had a chance to go through the reading materials ahead of the session. It would of course have made our interaction more substantive and meaningful. All the same, the questions were interesting and useful. Such courses offer a low cost high opportunity for a number of participants to get exposed to a range of population and development issues. I encourage you to post a video of the presentations. It would ensure a wider reach. Thank you again for inviting me to feature on the programme and best wishes of success in your endeavour."

Ministry of Environment and Forests, India, Joint Secretary - Desh Deepak Verma:
"I appreciate the efforts of the organizers and you in person to conduct the IK distance learning course using video conferencing. This was very useful and timely. As per your request, we will register to the yahoo discussion group and will also periodically visit the course website for the material on IK. We would make some contributions to this website in future by posting relevant information and case studies. "

World Bank Rural Development Project Coordinator, Sri Lanka - Sudharma Elakanda:
"I was really happy about the program and enjoyed with the sharing the experience specially with Uganda and Tanzanian IK efforts. We will work together for the betterment of the poor people in the community in this world. "

World Bank Health Project Director, Sri Lanka - Yasapala Nanayakkara:
"Thank you for your mail. The VC was very beneficial to me. I strongly believe in the force of wisdom of the traditional knowledge. I practised it in my earlier assignments, i.e. Director General of Tourism and the Chaiman of the Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation. In my present assignment, Project Director Health Sector Development Project(World Bank funded) I will try to bring in the best of traditional knowledge to strengthen the health care
services. Wish me luck!"

Ugandan Participant, FOSRI - David Bamwirire:
"I am grateful for the information you have sent to us. Iam one of the Ugandan participants who attended the just concluded Worldbank-organised course in IK. The course was quite useful and we here at the place of work are already finding means of which it could be integrated in the work programme of the Food Science and Technology Research Institute (FOSRI). I would however, like to correct my e-mail address because it had been incorrectly noted. The correct one is thus: bamwiriredavid@yahoo.co.uk. Secondly, The course also comes timely because I am also an MSc. student at the countries main University and I have written a proposal as part of the requirement for the fulfilment for the award. This proposal's title is Survey of the IK on food handling, processing, and storage in Uganda. I am therefore wondering wether I should send a copy for a possible funding opportunity. I will be very grateful if you replied in this regard and request that we remain in touch."

Karnataka Watershed Development Project, India, Coordinator - Prof. K. Pandurangaiah:
"I am extremely thankful for giving me an opportunity to participate in the program. This helps in knowing the persons and countries involved in IK in Sri Lanka, Uganda, and Tanzania. It was the first time I have attended such a course at the international level. It has been a really good experience and helped the persons involved in extension work with different stakeholders. Indigenous Knowledge is a very appropriate subject for the MDGs."

Tanzania DLC, Training Coordinator - Abdul Mdimu:
"Participants in Tanzania have been impressed too the modality that IK Seminar has been organized. They have already started to think even beyond this course. We have IK seminar on the 6th April ,2005.Could you please contact programme partner so that we link this group to the next event. It could complement what has been covered on Indigenous Knowledge course."

TAWG, Tanzania, Coordinator - Dr. Mtullu:
"Greetings from Tanga. Thank you for inviting TAWG to participate and present at the DLC on IK. The course was useful because many people where able to participate and share experience on one topic something which is not easy otherwise would be very expensive. The course gave as exposure to learn others experience and establish new contacts. The course not only exposed our program to other countries but also to in-country participants. The way it was organised It was a conference and not a course because most of the presentations were experiece sharing. Next time include lecture papers on the topic followed by case studies.Further comments is that IK should be strengthened and advocated for."

Ugandan Participant, Mbarara University - Moses Matovu:
"I am really grateful for the way you have been conducting the course on IK. I am a Ugandan course attendant on IK am kindly requesting for the twin CD pack on IK. In anycase if there is data on IK on Food Processing and preservation from other countries I will be very grateful to recieve that as well. I am also requesting that if the Indian Professor could avail us with his literature on medicinal plants and Neem tree I will be grateful."

Sri Lankan Participant, Ministry of Traditional Medicine - Dr Danister L. Perera:
"I would like to write IK notes on following lessons learned from my experiences. An alternative methodology for validating non-formal knowledge systems (we have already successfully applied.) Gurukula System for transmitting IK to the next generation (I designed the model for the medicinal plants project and I was working with it 5 years) Introducing a communist training module on Ethbnobotanical Surveys (I have already trained four teams) I am doing my postgraduate research on Cultural and Spiritual dimensions of Plant uses in rural communities in Sri Lanka. I hope that we have more to contribute more to your mission."

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