A Motion for An Indigenous Knowledge Policy (Part 1)

An interesting Parliamentary motion by ex-Pf MP Saviour Chishimba seconded by Independent MP Charles Mulipi. The two are urging Government to develop on an indigenous knowledge systems policy to interface with other modern knowledge systems and sectors so as to increase the rate of innovation. I have edited the speech to remove constant reference to the speaker. This speech was also Hon Savior Chishimba's last contribution to the House as he resigned to form a new party :

Development of An Indigenous Knowledge Systems Policy, Private Member's Motion, Savior Chishimba ex-MP, Speech to Parliament :

Madam Speaker, this Motion which is tabled before the House, today, was inspired by the exhibition which was done, here, on Parliament grounds by the Lusaka Museum. From there, I was provoked to begin my research.

In my debate, I contend that indigenous knowledge has attracted the attention of the international community. Then, I also acknowledge that the Government of the Republic of Zambia has made tremendous progress in attempting to come up with a policy on indigenous knowledge. I will identify the missing links in the current efforts. In the same breath, I will bring out the major concerns for both executive and legislative action. In further treatment of the subject, I will humbly invite the House to learn from other countries that have made strides in entrenching indigenous knowledge in their national economies. By way of conclusion, I will give my humble advice on what our Government, in solidarity with the people, needs to do.

I begin with an international perspective. According to the World Commission on Environment and Development, the communities are the repositories of vast accumulations of traditional knowledge and experiences that link humanity with ancient origins. Their disappearance is a loss for the larger society, which could learn a great deal from their traditional skills in sustainably managing very complex ecological systems. This means that indigenous knowledge is a collective property of every society. It also confirms the vast array of scientific knowledge which is embedded in the, everyday, life of our ancestors.

The United Nations Charter on indigenous people’s rights, indigenous knowledge entails that the following rights embedded in the way of life of the people are granted:

(i) right to self-determination;

(ii) right to land;

(iii) right to property;

(iv) right to culture; and

(v) right to traditions and customs.

Zambia must seize this opportunity to expedite the development of mechanisms that will not only document indigenous knowledge, but also protect it from private sector exploitation without giving to the people what belongs to them. Indigenous knowledge is part of the estate left for us by our ancestors. This is why in pursuit of self-determination our founding fathers and mothers from North to South and East to West united to conceive liberty for us and our beloved country, Zambia. These men and women, who lie silently in their graves, unclaimed, today, will have died in vain if we entertain the tyranny of nonchalant and perfunctory ways of conducting national affairs.

This means that both sides of the divide, that is the Ruling and Opposition parties and independent hon. Members, must choose to be bound by common ground, which, in this case, constitutes the unavoidable reality that we all seek to serve the same people who need land and property for the advancement of culture, traditions and customs in which indigenous knowledge is embedded. This is the only way our generation will give concrete meaning to the pursuit of self determination.

The battle we face to secure indigenous knowledge is not as fierce as the struggle for independence, but we should not be subjugated by the beguiling appeal to taker things easy. Zambians are suffering and are in need of concrete solutions and not abstracts. They want their indigenous knowledge to be protected, and that is not much to ask for.

Madam Speaker, I would like to look at some of the Government’s efforts to secure indigenous knowledge. I heartily commend the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government for the current efforts to come up with a policy. Indeed, it is encouraging that the 2005 Draft National Policy on indigenous knowledge, genetic resources and folklore in Zambia addresses itself to the following:

(i) facilitate collaborations and corporation between indigenous knowledge and scientific knowledge for purposes of biodiversity conservation at the local level;

(ii) develop and introduce holistic approaches to understanding, recognising and preserving indigenous knowledge with the view to integrating it in national development plans; and

(iii) facilitate the development of the intellectual property regimes that recognise the enormous contribution that local and indigenous communities and farmers have made and continue to make for the conservation and development of genetic resources which constitute the basis of food production.

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training is entrusted with this huge responsibility. The ground work is being laid through the National Science and Technological Council, a statutory body that facilitates the development and application of science and technology in Zambia. Between 2000 and 2002, the council conducted a survey to review the literature on indigenous knowledge and technology systems in Zambia. A report was produced in 2003. Notably, the project intends to create a database out of the field survey material.

These developments clearly show that the Government is moving on to secure indigenous knowledge, but I urge it to expedite the process since it has taken over five years now without any finality to the matter, which includes legislative action.

Taking cognisance of the ongoing process, let me seize this opportunity to address the minds of our colleagues in the Executive to strategic missing links in current efforts. Indigenous knowledge is embedded in the daily lives of the people. Therefore, a comprehensive and deep-rooted inventory is one which is people driven because it is the people who are the owners of this indigenous knowledge. It requires documentalists with de-colonised methodologies that require them to be part of the everyday life of the people.

For example, the chitemene (slash and burn) system is not only scientific, but also a social process, hence my appeal is that there is a need to come up with methods which are de-colonised. If we apply other methods which are removed from the everyday lifestyles of the people, we are then not going to get practical aspects of the social processes that our people find themselves in on a daily basis. For example, chitemene supports social institutions such as iciima (group work), a source of togetherness and collective responsibility.

This is the reason Africa must arise from her slumber and step into her destiny. Why should Africa accept workshops and lectures from the west on group dynamics when in actual fact working together is part of our everyday life in Africa. In fact, the west begins by dividing us in the name of economic hardships and then come from behind to lecture us on collective responsibility. This is our own knowledge. Africa and Zambia in particular must arise.

Before indigenous knowledge is commercialised, the process of identification must include de-colonising our minds and de-mystifying indigenous knowledge. This requires an interconnected approach to the whole process. This means that specialists in indigenous knowledge, community members, inclusive and conventional scientists must work together.

For instance, where modern scientists see witchcraft, the counterpart would deduce utilisable knowledge. This would mediate into a possible or deliberate by-pass of potential innovative indigenous knowledge by conventional scientists. Let me put a caveat here. For instance, where witchcraft is involved, as we have seen in exhibitions in our national museums, there is talk of the use of blood. Our scientists should instead seek alternatives such as the use of bio-fuels and also learn from what is behind the same witchcraft that people might be practicing.

Madam Speaker, let me also submit that scientists have to investigate further the power behind traditional laptops and commercialise them for surveillance purposes for defence and national security. They can consult some of the hon. Members of Parliament here to learn more about such laptops. This confirms that we have this wealth of indigenous knowledge into which we need to tap to develop our country.

Indigenous knowledge is based on the fundamental principle of interconnectedness (symbiosis) of life cycles which includes spirituality. In indigenous knowledge, issues of socio-cultural, economic and environment are moralised by spirituality. For example, forests and other God-created works are sacred. Local names for God include leza, mulungu, zambi, mulena, lesa and so and so forth. Therefore, spirituality must be comprehensive and documented as a process of supporting and strengthening indigenous knowledge.

When indigenous knowledge is collected, appropriated and distributed by conventional scientists, studies in most parts of the world have shown that the owners of the knowledge do not benefit. In Zambia, a typical example is the case of the maheu drink. Hon. Dr Bernard Chishya is the scientist behind the maheu drink. Firstly, he got the idea of maheu from Magoye where the local people use a root called mahaabe. He then identified the type of enzymes in them. After that, he went further and discovered that a similar root called chifumfula was being used in Chieftainess Nkomesha’s area in Chongwe District. Dr Chishya went a step further and engaged an elderly woman from Chieftainess Nkomesha’s area who brewed the maheu drink. Upon doing laboratory analysis of the brew, an alternative technological know-how was developed and the patent was sold to Trade Kings.

In this process, Dr Chishya identified the type of fermentation that went on in the drink, which, in fact, was actually a reverse process of what happens in the fermentation of Mosi lager. Simulations were then done. Even though the elderly woman was compensated for the role she played, many questions arise: Who are the owners of the knowledge, is it one person or the community that should receive the benefits, what has been the contribution from the producers to the owners of the indigenous knowledge on maheu, how empowered are the owners of the indigenous knowledge as to demand for social responsibility from our appropriators of the knowledge shared with the rest of the society?

Other examples include mabisi by Parmalat, mosi larger by Zambian Breweries. All these are owned by the local people and it is common knowledge that both mabisi and mosi, for instance, are associated with the knowledge of our hard-working indigenous brothers and sisters, the Tonga people of Southern Province, but what has been their benefit? Now is the time to act and change the Zambian story.

Our minerals have been exploited and our people’s knowledge is being appropriated without benefit. To safeguard the principle of the interconnectedness, the policy must relate to the UN Charter on indigenous people. It is window dressing to address issues of indigenous knowledge without due consideration of the rights of the people who own it. For instance, to address the issue of the indigenous knowledge such as crafts, one cannot rule out the land where the primary resources are harvested. What is the legal framework on land issues regarding indigenous knowledge?

I now present the major concerns in the form of questions for the Government to consider as this House urges them to do so with humility:

(i) why has it taken relatively long to have a policy on indigenous knowledge;

(ii) who are the major players in the process of realising this policy and how are they coordinating;

(iii) how is the rural community engaged in the process of promoting indigenous knowledge and how are they going to benefit;

(iv) how much resources have been allocated to this sector of indigenous knowledge;

(v) what are the challenges at hand in this process; and

(vi) is it commercialisation or sustainable utilisation of indigenous knowledge?

These are some of the pertinent questions that the Government must consider as prayed by this august House.

The movie industry in Nigeria is greatly inspired by the Nigerian indigenous knowledge, a style such as the language (Nigerian English, for instance, Chineko o!) dressing beliefs, art and witchcraft inclusive. The traditional art of thatching in South Africa contribute greatly to ethno-tourism. Traditional games and sports such as Kungfu, Tekwendo and Karate have contributed to the body of sports at the international level. The Bio-Char technology which has important implications for sustainable agriculture practices is a product of indigenous knowledge of the Red Indians of Brazil.

Madam Speaker, long life expectancy in Japan is partly linked to their traditional Japanese food which has only Japanese names. In our case, we even want to change the names of chibwabwa and say pumpkin leaves. The contemporary Chinese traditional medicine has its roots in Chinese ancient knowledge on herbal medicines and therapies.

As I conclude, let me say that:

(a) Zambia urgently needs a policy on indigenous knowledge, systems and practices. As already submitted, an interconnected approach is required to fulfill this obligation. The already designated institution, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training, through the National Science and Technological Council must collaborate with institutions that are vested in cultural heritage issues such as museums to bring forth the diversified results. The latter would mediate and advocate for community participation in the process of identification, documentation, sharing and popularisation of the indigenous knowledge systems and practices.

(b) Popularise knowledge systems through more exhibitions, publications, research, extra- curricular school activities, social and business gatherings (local and international), as well as national events and ceremonies.

(c) The Government must consider increasing funding to science and technology and all sectors with responsibility over indigenous knowledge.

(d) Like the case for South Africa, the Government must consider creating a national trust fund, which may be called the Indigenous People’s Knowledge Development Trust Fund into which royalties ought to be paid by commercial entities appropriating indigenous knowledge.

(e) The Government must consider patenting indigenous knowledge and ensure that all those commercial entities appropriating indigenous knowledge become socially responsible by ploughing back into the rural areas for the indigenous knowledge they use.

(f) Include indigenous knowledge in the copyright laws or shall I say, intellectual property laws in which case indigenous knowledge will be a collective property of the indigenous people.

Let me now end by emphasising that this Motion only urges the Government to consider these ideas and not necessarily all of them. The economies all over the world have become knowledge based. Any country which does not invest in knowledge in this digital era is a country headed for doom. Now is the time to realise and accept that indigenous knowledge is fundamentally a knowledge base for present and future innovations. Now is the time for Zambia to be in alignment with the rest of the world for accelerated development, invest in the people in order to secure the future of our country through an educated and informed citizenry and rise above the smallness of our politics and embrace a broader development agenda of making every Zambian happy.

This is the time which we must cease to translate into reality the making of our country into a land of work and joy in unity. Under the banner of our creed, ‘One Zambia One Nation’, shall we unite and protect this indigenous knowledge for national development. Now is the time for political debates that focus on issues such as this one, indigenous knowledge and development as opposed to the hurling of vitriol at each other coming from both sides of the divide. Now is the time for united progressive people to change the course of history from hopelessness to hope through indigenous knowledge which is about togetherness, believing that under God Almighty, we can do it.

I am internally thankful to the Clerk of the National Assembly and all members of staff in the Research, Journals, Secretarial and Cleaning departments for facilitating the process in the most efficient and effective manner I will never forget. I am humbled for the professional guidance that I received. God bless you!

To all hon. Members of Parliament who were available for consultations, I say thank you and God bless you too. To the Lusaka National Museum, I am heartily thankful for the inspiration I got from that exhibition. To the able and intellectually sound seconder and presidential material, Hon. Milupi, MP, God bless you. May the Lord God Almighty, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth take the honour and glory. I beg to move with great humility and thanks.