Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples (IKAP) Network on Capacity Building in MMSEA1 2002 – 2005

Training-of-IKAP-Trainers The MMSEA Trainer Pool

This drawing represents a group of Yi shamans (Bimos) learning old skills in Liangshan – Sichuan .

1 1. Introduction 2. Vision and goals 3. Means 4. Participants and selection process 5. Organisers and trainers 6. Activities – overview 7. Training sequence and process 8. Outcome 9. Link to the Local Network Activities in each Country 10. Contact

Annex: Application form for the Trainer Pool

1 MMSEA = Mainland Montane South East Asia (mountainous parts of SW-China, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar) of the Greater Mekong Region 1. Introduction The proposal for a regional trainer and facilitator pool in SE-Asia was elaborated during the Consultation on Indigenous Initiatives, which took place in Bad Boll (Germany) in October 2000. For the III MMSEA Conference (August 2002), organised by CBIK in Lijiang, Yunnan, China, Timmi Tillmann and Maruja Salas on behalf of CBIK trained 14 facilitators (8 nationalities) during one week on the spot in Lijiang in May 2002. The facilitators learned and practiced facilitation skills to support small workshops during the conference and together we prepared the program and methodology of the MMSEA- Conference. The Heinrich Boell Foundation from Germany sponsored the facilitator training. On the 29th of August 2002, as a follow up of the III MMSEA Conference on Indigenous Knowledge, Biodiversity and Local Governance in Mountain Areas of SE-Asia in Lijiang, China, the Indigenous Knowledge Working Group coordinated by Prasert Trakansuphakon (IMPECT) and Timmi Tillmann (CIM- CBIK) organised a network meeting on Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples: Capacity Building in MMSEA. 15 participants from Vietnam, Lao PDR, Thailand and SW-China took part, founded a regional network and proposed specific activities of capacity building to support Indigenous Knowledge regarding the control and use of natural resources. This IKAP- network aims for improving the skills of community facilitators and leaders to enhance indigenous knowledge and to strengthen the institutional capacity of communities, local institutions and NGOs to consider Indigenous Knowledge in their rural 2 development programs. The work plan of the IKAP-network comprises activities like providing information, supporting the exchange of experiences and cross-country visits, offering participatory planning methods at community level, organising training courses and advocate for the needs, visions and rights of ethnic mountain communities and their knowledge systems. Thanks to the IKAP-network supported financially by ICCO from Holland the Regional Trainer Pool for MMSEA will be implemented in 2004.

2. Vision and goals One of the central activities of the IKAP-network is to train a Regional Trainer Pool, a group of trainers and facilitators from 6 countries of MMSEA, who in the future can commit to the training of village leaders, facilitators and development workers about how to recover and enhance indigenous knowledge. This Trainer Pool consists of village leaders, development workers, researchers and ethnic network facilitators, who enter a gradual learning process to mobilise their skills as planners, facilitators and trainers to support endogenous development efforts of ethnic mountain communities in MMSEA. The trainers will develop in the future own training activities in local languages in their respective countries, linked to their own institutional framework. The trainers will cooperate as a pool, which is available to local communities, development projects and local authorities to train their members and staff to preserve, protect and promote indigenous knowledge for sustainable natural resource management. This pool will also support regional activities and conferences with their acquired skills as facilitators and trainers. The trainer pool and its vision of supporting endogenous development and capacity building create a real function and sense for a regional network beyond the mere exchange of experiences. The pool is the driving force of a network, which aims at the support to indigenous people, hill tribes, ethnic minorities, their culture and knowledge linked since ancient times to a territory, which has been called a “hot spot” of biodiversity thanks to the interaction between nature and the diverse cultural communities of this very special region (Greater Mekong, Eastern Himalayas, Montane SE-Asia). The goal of the IKAP-network is to establish the Regional Trainer Pool: to train a group of facilitators and trainers who will support the capacity building of ethnic communities to control and use their own resources in a sustainable way, to recover their own traditional knowledge and to reaffirm their own identity and language as part of a strategy of improving their local livelihoods. The participating trainers will become the creative link between the IKAP-network and the local ethnic communities, small ethnic networks and supporting institutions and projects. Our challenge is to strengthen indigenous knowledge as part of indigenous cultures and societies providing better livelihoods. This requires internally that ethnic communities are aware of the dangers, document their own knowledge, involve all generations in the protection of IK by influencing the education of their children and organise themselves to protect their livelihoods against external impositions. They also need to experiment innovations within their own Knowledge System through own experimentation, exchange with other communities and through dialogue with open- 3 minded scientists. And externally the networks of indigenous peoples need to show the validity of their cultures and knowledge in a modern and global world and eliminate the arrogance of decision-makers and outsiders, who have devalued and even persecuted indigenous knowledge. 3. Means The IKAP-network offers a sequence of 3 training courses within 1 year to 20 potential IKAP-trainers from the MMSEA-countries (Vietnam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Thailand, SW-China and Myanmar – Burma). All participants will gather in a different place for each course. The training courses will be organised in areas of ethnic communities in different countries of MMSEA. Based on the acquired skills the trainees will develop local training activities each time after a training course, which we hope to support through coaching. The IKAP-trainers then will report back during the next training course about their experience, their successes and difficulties. In each of the 3 training courses the IKAP-trainers will learn new skills step-by-step, which they will be able to apply in their home institutions and local networks immediately. 4. Participants and selection process This training program is directed to members and leaders of ethnic communities, local facilitators, network organisers, staff of NGOs and development projects, IK- researchers. Trainees must be able to speak and facilitate in English, as the Regional Training Program will have English as the common language. We expect to organise local training courses for facilitators in local languages with the IKAP-trainers, so that local trainer groups can evolve and include the non-English speakers interested to join the Trainer Pool. The IKAP-trainers should have the backing of their respective institutions, which includes also the commitment to apply the newly acquired skills in the daily work and projects of the institution. We request that interested individuals send in their application forms. The selection criteria will be: previous experience as facilitators or trainers, language skills, involvement with the local IKAP-network, institutional support and perspectives to apply the new skills. During the final selection the coordination team will take into account gender balance, combination of ages, diversity of ethnic backgrounds, country representation and possibilities for future applications and cooperation. 5. Organisers and trainers The IKAP-network secretariat and coordination team in Chiang Mai is in charge of the overall organisation of the training sequence. For each of the 3 training courses the coordination team establishes a trainer team, consisting of members of the secretariat plus resource persons (experienced trainers) and local trainers from the respective country, where the course is organised. As the training sequence will be organised in different countries the IKAP-secretariat expects that the local members of the IKAP-network organise the logistics of the specific course. 4 The IKAP-network provides the financial resources for the development of the Regional Training – of – Trainers sequence covering the actual costs. It is the decision of the members to discuss about an own contribution by the participants and their institutions to request the commitment to apply the skills in the near future. We also ask each potential participant and institution to think how they can contribute financially to the program. This will not be a criterion for selection, however. The future training activities of the local IKAP network groups in each country will be financed mainly through local means, which should include also a financial retribution to the trainer teams of the Regional Trainer Pool. Activities – overview August – Design the Trainer Pool concept October 2003 Write the announcement Discuss and Promote the Training Sequence December 03 Start the application process – March 04 Deadline: 31 of December 2003 Select the participants: until January 15, 2004 Prepare the training material Ask all participants to elaborate specific preparatory tasks April 04 Training course I: Recovery of Indigenous Knowledge and cultural affirmation In Ratanakiri Province of Cambodia hosted by CIDSE - Ratanakiri April - August First local events (homework), coaching of local 04 workshops, learning groups and exchange September 04 Training course II: Intercultural Facilitation skills In Lijiang, Yunnan Province of SW-China hosted by YEPB and The Dongba Naxi Culture Research Institute 5 October 04 – Homework: develop and take part in local training events January 05 February 05 Training course III: Trainer skills In Northern Thailand hosted by the Northern Thai IKAP- network group Early 2005 Trainer pool takes part in Regional Training Plan of IKAP May 2005 Evaluation report of Regional Trainer Pool and recommendations for a next group of trainees.

6. Training sequence and process The Training-of-IKAP-Trainers is a sequence of 3 training courses (duration of 6 to 10 days each) within one year. All trainees are requested to attend all 3 courses to be able to become members of the Regional Trainer Pool. In between the courses the participants will apply their newly acquired skills within their local network groups or organisations, or will join IKAP-events as co-trainers. The experience of this “homework” will be presented during the different training courses. We also expect from each participant to develop during the One-year Training Sequence a training needs assessment (TNA) for their respective local networks, so that the IKAP-network for Capacity Building can orient the future action plans towards the local needs of ethnic communities and networks, as well as the requirements of NGOs and organisations working with ethnic minorities. The training courses will emphasise also a gender perspective: the difference of knowledge in ethnic communities by means of a gender division of labour, the identification of male and female indigenous experts and also the cultural difference of male and female attitudes/behaviour in learning processes and in communication. As each training course will be organised in a different place and country near to mountain areas the members of the Trainer Pool will have the opportunity to see specific topics and local situations of ethnic minorities in their villages during short field trips. As a preparation for each training course the IKAP-team will elaborate a detailed announcement and program for the selected participants including preparation tasks to be realised ahead of time as well as the logistic details for travel arrangements. The In-country trainer groups During the First Regional Meeting in Chiang Mai three country groups decided to prepare own local trainer groups, which could benefit from the training of IKAP- trainers. Vietnam, Northern Thailand and Burma are willing to organise after each of the three training courses an own replica training with 10 – 15 local trainers using the local language. This also allows translating the training material into the local language. The IKAP-coordination team will visit each country and discuss with the IKAP-network group about the details, costs and forms of supporting the local training courses through coaching, advice, material and small funding. It would be very good if the local IKAP-network groups could mobilise local funds from the different agencies committed to support the livelihoods of ethnic minorities in each country. 6 Brief description of the contents of each training course

Training course I (April 2004): Recovery of Indigenous Knowledge and cultural affirmation Ratanakiri, Cambodia Besides an overview and introduction to the whole Training-of-IKAP-Trainer Sequence this First Course provides a theoretical and practical experience about indigenous knowledge, the relation between culture and biodiversity, and the links of language, nature and livelihoods. Looking at knowledge systems the trainees will differentiate the influence of cultural diversity and of a gender perspective within an approach of endogenous development. The IKAP-Trainers learn the concepts, methods and tools of recovery of indigenous knowledge. One specific aspect is on the ethics of development work, the attitude of the facilitator and trainer, the recognition of intellectual property rights of indigenous knowledge. The trainees will get to know the basics of participatory methods like PAR (Participatory Action Research), PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal), PLA (Participatory Learning and Action) and PTD (Participatory Technology Development). Each course will have one part about the situation of indigenous knowledge and ethnic minorities in the MMSEA-countries, so that our future training activities of the Regional Trainer Pool can provide alternatives and creative ideas and contributions to development policies in areas of ethnic minorities in mountainous areas of SE-Asia. We will focus on priority topics linked to the topic working groups, for example with regard to community forestry, shifting cultivation, upland agriculture, indigenous organic farming, local seeds and plants/crops, etc.

Training course II (September 2004): Intercultural Facilitation skills Lijiang, SW-China The focus of the Second Training Course is on Facilitation: The trainees will learn and practice visualisation and presentation skills, develop their interpersonal and intercultural communication capacities and acquire the skills to facilitate meetings, planning sessions and short workshops with indigenous farmers and leaders. The future IKAP-trainers will learn, practice and apply the concepts of facilitation. Facilitation of a group event with indigenous farmers, leaders, with development workers or with professionals and local authorities means: - to involve all participants and create a space to share their experiences - to jointly generate knowledge and ideas - to guide fruitfully the interaction within a group - to stimulate the creativity and critical thinking - to orient the learning and discussion process towards the interests of the 7 group and not of the teacher/trainer During the Second course the group of trainees will look also at the cultural characteristics of learning processes and group dynamics, to be able to respond actively and creatively to forthcoming challenges as facilitators and trainers.

Training course III (February 2005): Trainer skills Northern Thailand The advanced level of the Third Training Course will focus on the specific skills that a good trainer needs to be able to plan, design, direct and evaluate a participatory training event and workshop. This course builds on the knowledge and skills learnt during the 2 previous training courses as it requires to know the contents of future training courses with regard to indigenous knowledge and biodiversity and to be able to facilitate group sessions and small workshops. Having this knowledge and experience the IKAP-trainers can now undertake a training needs assessment, determine their potential participants, design a training course and workshop understanding the dynamics of a group of participants, the learning process, the links between contents, methods and processes and become a creative and critical trainer. Finally the trainers learn to apply a range of qualitative and participatory evaluation tools, which can improve the communication between participants and trainers. Process of the training-of-trainers The methodological principle of the training courses is Learning By Doing under guidance of a trainer-facilitator team based on a process of action-reflection-action. Experiential learning is the training method, which requires from the trainees to use all their senses. The trainers will give methodological guidance, provide short theoretical inputs, organize the tasks for exercises, and the participants will act as facilitators step-by-step (first learning better visualization, presentation, communication and then facilitation). The participants will act and then reflect about the impact of their action (individually or in groups). The contents will be readjusted during the training courses according to the needs of the participants and the future application of facilitation in their own work. The training sequence is designed and implemented as creative and flexible events, where trainers and trainees cooperate together and organise a learning process. There will be no teacher-student relationship, each trainee is responsible for his/her own learning process as an exploration of the own talents, senses and individual capacities. The Trainer Pool will support teams of trainers, who have their individual characteristics, and who can complement each other. Teamwork is the only guarantee for success of the Trainer Pool.

7. Outcome Of course, first of all the Regional Trainer Pool, and local, regional initiatives and trainer teams, which will contribute to the capacity building of the indigenous communities in MMSEA. 8 A regional and in-country training program to preserve, protect and promote indigenous knowledge and reaffirm ethnic identities as part of sustainable community based natural resource management (CBNRM). Training material on the Approach to strengthen Indigenous Knowledge, also in local languages.

8. Link to the Local Network Activities in each Country The regional trainer pool should have a close relation to the local IKAP-network groups, so that the IKAP-trainers can cooperate with their activities. The IKAP-trainers will also contribute to the dissemination of the IKAP-activities and support the local work plans. Until now the country networks of Thailand, Vietnam and Burma have expressed their interest to train a group of 10 – 15 local trainers in their own countries with their IKAP- trainers right after each of the three regional events. The IKAP-network secretariat will provide support and advice, even some seed money, to the local work plans. The IKAP-network will develop different types of events as part of its work plan on a regional level and also within each country. These events could be o specific workshops on priority topics of the specific working groups like shifting cultivation and biodiversity, community forestry, organic agriculture and indigenous seeds, health, handicrafts, indigenous livelihoods, etc. o preparation and evaluation workshops for farmer-to-farmer exchange visits between countries o regional conferences on indigenous knowledge (for example on the differences between scientific knowledge and indigenous ways of knowing and ways of achieving a dialogue between local cultures and researchers) o in-country training courses on selected topics (see separate document on Training Formats) The members of the Regional Trainer Pool will contribute as facilitators/trainers to the specific events either regionally or in their respective countries. The aim is to establish a learning community of facilitators and trainers, which can progress their skills and capacities and provide support to indigenous communities. The IKAP-network also has expressed the interest to contribute to the success of the IV MMSEA-Conference to be organised in 2005 in Vietnam, on one side, promoting the participation of indigenous peoples in the Conference, and secondly, providing a methodology with help of the Trainer Pool, so that the participants interact in a meaningful dialogue, the voices of the ethnic communities can be heard and action plans in favour of the hundreds of ethnic cultures of MMSEA can be designed and implemented.

9. Contact Please send this announcement also to other institutions, organisations or possible candidates. 9 Send your application to: IKAP-secretariat c/o SEARCO Ms. Nittaya Wisetkantrakorn (Mee) E-mail: [email protected] Mailing Address: IKAP-Network for Capacity Building in MMSEA Prasert Trakansuphakon, Sakda Seanmi, Timmi Tillmann c/o IMPECT 252, Moo 2 Sansainoi, Sansai 50210 Chiang Mai Thailand Tel +66-53-492544 or -398591 Fax: +66-53-398592