Call for Contributions: "Voices from around the World - Questions for Communities" (Deadline: February 11, 2008)

Dear Equator Net members,

The American Museum of Natural History’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, IUCN-The World Conservation Union/Theme on Culture and Conservation, and Terralingua are convening the Symposium “Sustaining Cultural and Biological Diversity In a Rapidly Changing World: Lessons for Global Policy” at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on April 2-5, 2008. The goal of this symposium is to bridge gaps, address challenges and opportunities, and help to forge a long-term, multi-dimensional vision for sustaining biological and cultural diversity.

In an effort to incorporate a diversity of voices and opinions from around the world the organizers of the symposium would like to hear from people and communities about the connections between their cultures and nature. Community representatives are invited to submit information in a variety of forms - through written responses, videotape, still photography, and voice recordings. Once submitted, these contributions will be compiled in an audio-visual presentation to share with those who attend the symposium. The contributions will also be posted on the Symposium Website. Some of the ideas expressed may be used in policy recommendations.

Guide Questions

The organizers would like to encourage you to use the following questions as a framework for gathering responses; you may wish to adapt them to suit your responder and the conditions under which the interviews are conducted, or focus only on certain questions:

1) Can you share with us thoughts/ideas on some of the ways in which your culture is important to your People or community?

2) Can you share with us thoughts/ideas on some of the ways in which your culture supports the natural world? And ways in which the natural world supports your culture? (What links exist between your culture and nature?)

3) If your people have made efforts to sustain the natural world and your culture, can you share with us what you have been doing?

4) When you think of the natural world, are there things that would be difficult to translate into ____________ [identify appropriate language(s), e.g. English/Spanish/Portuguese]? Can you give examples of what sorts of things?

5) Do you think that in your lifetime some elements/words of your language will be lost?

6) If no one spoke your language any longer, are there things that your community could no longer do? What sorts of things (e.g., rituals that you could no longer perform, etc.)? Interviewers should also be sensitive to the fact that some important ritual or other information might be secret and make it clear that they are not asking interview responders to talk about things that can't be talked about with outsiders, but that in such cases, very general comments would be appreciated.

7) What kind of connection is there (if any) between maintaining your culture and maintaining the natural world?

8) What are the biggest obstacles that you've faced in sustaining the natural world, your language, and your culture?

9) I would like you to imagine that you no longer have direct, everyday contact with nature (translated using the closest appropriate term). How would this affect your life and that of your village (people, community, tribe, etc.)?

Submission Process

Responses and any supplemental materials (audio, video, photographic) should be submitted to:

Ms. Fiona Brady, Outreach Program Coordinator, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, Phone: +1-212-496-3431, Fax: +1-212-769-5292, brady@amnh.org, http://cbc.amnh.org/

To be considered for inclusion in the “Voices from Around the World” selected-highlights presentation at the Symposium, please send your submission by Monday, February 11, 2008. Submissions will also be accepted beyond that date, for posting to the Symposium website. All accepted submissions will be available on the website until at least October 2008. After that, an archive of the Symposium’s content will continue to be accessible. Please also submit a completed Call for Participation Application Form, available on the symposium website at http://symposia.cbc.amnh.org/biocultural/forms.html.

Please Note: Submissions to “Voices from Around the World” do not require that the individuals involved attend the April Symposium. You are invited to register for the Symposium, but the American Museum is unable to provide financial support for travel or accommodation. A list of local hotels, student centers, and hostels will be posted at http://symposia.cbc.amnh.org/biocultural/travel.html.

Additional information on the submission process and recommendations can be found here: http://symposia.cbc.amnh.org/biocultural/voices.html

Warm regards,

Gaby