| JOHANNESBURG--The
hurricane of globalization over the past few
decades has left many segments of the world population
in the dust. One of these vulnerable segments
is
indigenous peoples, whose traditional practices
and ancient knowledge has sustained them through
centuries, but made them vulnerable in an era
of open markets and competitive commercialism.
Professor
Catherine Odora-Hoppers is an outspoken voice
on behalf of indigenous people and is striving
to “empower” indigenous
people in an academic setting to protect their
indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), or their
intellectual property. Odora-Hoppers,
a well-respected and well-traveled Professor
of Education at University of Pretoria and
consultant to UNESCO, the World Economic Forum
and the World Intellectual Property Organization,
told the Earth Times that by increasing the
self-awareness of indigenous and native people,
their eyes will become open to the exploitation
of IKS by former colonial powers and current
scientific and corporate powerhouses.
“The light is being shone on the
emperor and people are beginning to say: ‘Oh,
the Emperor--He’s naked!’” Hoppers
mused. “The level of consciousness
is increasing.”
Douglas
Nakashima, director of the UNESCO LINKS
project for indigenous and traditional
knowledge, said the issue of intellectual
property rights for IKS is emerging increasingly
in the international arena. He said: “It
attracts ramifications for many different
areas including development, sustainable
development, biodiversity conservation
as well as education. It changes the
relationship between indigenous peoples
and mainstream society.”
Indigenous
people have created, over time, symbols
and medicines that have
been adapted into everything from t-shirt
logos to over-the-counter drugs. Multinational
companies, according to Odora-Hoppers,
know exactly how to exploit indigenous
peoples for their traditional knowledge,
and do so with little respect or acknowledgement. “There
is a moral vacuum there that has to be
dealt with because it is untenable,” said
Odora-Hoppers, passionately. “The
degree of profits these companies that
these get from drugs that are derived
from traditional healing practices; their
absence of qualms. It is troubling on
a moral, ethical and economic level.”When
the issue is raised in academia, it prompts
people to ask: “Can we tolerate
further indifference or conscious efforts
that marginalize other people?” according
to Odora-Hoppers. This self-questioning,
she maintains, leads indigenous people
to become more aware of their rights
and empowers them.
It also pushes IKS into mainstream society.
Once the indigenous peoples become more
self-aware, according to the professor,
mainstream society will be forced to
recognize that damage has been done.
She also said it could put an end to
the denial of IKS in the scientific community.
Both
Odora-Hoppers and Nakashima agree that
the existing framework for the protection
of intellectual property rights for IKS
is no longer appropriate. According to
Nakashima, “The consensus that
has come forward is that the existing
regimes of intellectual property rights
are not appropriate for the protection
of indigenous knowledge because they
have been created in another context
that is not able to account for the collective
knowledge that is held by indigenous
communities.” Odora-Hoppers maintains
that the lack of an adequate intellectual
property system in Africa has widened
the gulf between rich and poor.
Though Odora-Hoppers supports the rights
of indigenous peoples, she also believes
in the exchange of information. However,
she stresses that it is imperative for
the external powers (i.e. multinational
companies and scientists) to treat the
indigenous peoples and IKS with respect
and decency.
“The best situation would be for
both parties [indigenous peoples] to
share information, but not to lose," she
said.
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