Information Studies

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Knowledge Management in Relation to Indigenous and Marginalized Communities in the Digital Era


Affiliations
1 DRTC/ISI, Bangalore 560059, India
2 Leech Lake Tribal College, Cass Lake, MN, United States
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


This paper discusses: a) Some features of the emerging knowledge society including the convergence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) enabling seamless access, to a vast and varied information and knowledge sources from anywhere at any time, in the expanding digital space and concomitant globalization; b) a sizeable part of the rural population, especially in developing countries and the indigenous communities even in developed countries, do not appear to be fully benefiting by the developments mentioned above; c) However, there are attempts to use ICTs to reach out to indigenous and marginalized rural communities with a view to empowering them - e-governance, providing access to a variety of government documents, village kiosks, extending cellphone facilities, wireless technology, land-sat imaging and remote sensing, geographical information systems etc. d) Knowledge management (KM) at present largely relates to enterprise / institutional management, but its scope can be widened taking into account new parameters (e.g. culture, language etc.) and applied to community knowledge management - empowering rural and indigenous communities and enabling the sharing of the tacit community knowledge, as implied by equity and justice in governance; e) the wealth of knowledge, especially tacit knowledge, acquired by indigenous communities needs to be shared and used for the benefit of the nation as a whole and the global community of nations and nation states; e) how the judicious application of information and communication technologies supported by human intervention may be used to move toward achieving what is proposed above. We also mention some of the barriers to introducing new ideas in rural communities; and what types of knowledge, skills, and experience that information providers to such communities need to have are mentioned. Present some illustrative case studies. Concludes that librarians, information specialists, and media specialists (the gatherers, storers, and dispensers of knowledge) can lead the way to help these people, protect the indigenous and rural peoples' knowledge, homelands, and their very lives., and facilitate the exchange of ideas, building trust and understanding,, while exploring technological avenues in reaching out to the hitherto unreached.
User
Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications
Font Size

  • Bailey, Ken (2001). Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 67(2) February.

  • Bhatia, P., and Bhatia, S. (2005). DakNet. IT Information Technology, 15(2), 30-32.

  • Bhatnagar, S., and Schware, R. eds. (2000). Information and communication technology in development: cases from India. New Delhi: Sage Publications

  • Biniyat, Luka (2006). Mobile fastest way to bridge digital divides in Africa, says GSMA. (Vanguard). Posted to the Web, Monday, April 03.

  • Bist-Joshi, Swapna (2005). Fight for survival. The Hindu Magazine, 13 November; p.4.

  • Chester, Greg, and Neelameghan, A. (2006). Information professional: knowledge and skill development for serving marginalized and rural communities. Webology, 3(3); article 29. Accessible at: http://www.webology.ir/2006/v3n3/a29.html

  • Cobo, J.M. (1987). Study of the problem of discrimination against indigenous populations. United Nations Special Rapporteur.

  • Frohn, Robert; Beck, Richard; and Price, Michael (2001). Remote sensing of wild rice production using Landsat-7 for the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa in Minnesota. Photogrammetric Engineering And Remote Sensing,,. 67(2) February ; 189-192.

  • Haravu, L.J. (2002). Lectures on knowledge management: paradigms, challenges and opportunities. Ed. by A. Neelameghan. (Sarada Ranganathan Endowment Lectures Series, 22, 2000). Bangalore: Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science; 2002.

  • Harkin, James (2006). Social networking. The Guardian, April 15. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story 10... 1754398.00.html

  • Holmes, D., & Brealey, N, (2002). eGov - eBusiness strategies for government. London.

  • Hirwade, Mangala and Rajyalakshmi, D. (2006) E-content awards: and initiative for bridging the digital divide in India and worldwide. D-Lib Magazine, 12(11): 10p. http://www.dlib.org/dlib/November/hirwade/11/hirwade.html

  • Joshua, Istifanus and Ojong, Mary M. (2006). Prisoners: the forgotten HIV/AIDS risk group, http://allafrica.com/stories/200512030032.html

  • Kumar, B.R (2006). AIR's broadcasts did make a difference: a phenomenal success was achieved in production through sustained broadcasts during the 'Green Revolution period'. The Hindu Magazine, 2006-12-31; p. 14.

  • Kumar, S. (2001). Indigenous communities' knowledge of local ecological services. Economic and Political Weekly, 28 July.

  • McChombu, K.J. (1993). Information needs and seeking patterns for rural people's development in Africa. Report on phase I of the INFORD Research Project. Gabaronne, Botswana: Department of Library and Information Studies, University of Botswana.

  • Mckie, Rob (2005). Ancient legends give early warning of modem disasters: the new science of geomythology is being harnessed by researchers who believe folklore can save lives. The Observer Guardian Newspapers Limited), 4 December.

  • Malhotra, Yogesh (1998). Knowledge management, knowledge organization and knowledge workers: a view from the front lines. URL: http://www.brint.com/interview/mail.htm

  • Matsuura, Koichiro (Director General, UNESCO). Message on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous People, 9 August 2006.

  • Menon, Meena (2005). Unease over environment clearances: the draft Environment Impact Assessment notification draws protests. The Hindu Education Supplement, 23 November; p. 11.

  • Neelameghan, A. (2006). E-Communities, Community Knowledge, and Knowledge Management. KnowGenesis International Journal for Technical Communication, 1(2): 21-27

  • Neelameghan, A. and Chester, Greg (2006). Environmental knowledge and marginalized communities: the last mile connectivity. Webology, 3(1), March.

  • Rose, J. (2000). Multipurpose community Telecentres in support of people-centered development. Information Studies, 6(1), 5-28.

  • Sarangapani, Padma M. (2003). Constructing school knowledge: an ethnography of learning in an Indian village. New Delhi: Sage Publications.

  • Seshia, Shaila, Garoupa Catherine, Lenzer, Benjamin, and Gulati, Namrati, eds [2005]. Traditional wisdom in natural resource management: the only way to conserve. Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal: Rural Litigation & Entitlement Kendra.

  • Soni, Vikram (2005). Tribal people and preserving prime forests. The Hindu, 29 November.

  • Svelby, Karl Erik (1997). The new organizational wealth: managing and measuring lm§wbdge-based assets. San Francisco, USA: Berrett-Koehler Publisher.

  • Swaminathan, M.S. (2005). Mission 2007: every village a knowledge centre. The Hindu, 25 November.

  • Witten, I.H. (2001). Vision of the digital library. Digital libraries: dynamic landscape for knowledge access and management. The 4th International Conference of Asian Digital Libraries, 10-12 December 2001,3-15.

  • Wolf, Richard K. (2006). The black cow's footprint - time space and music in the lives of the Kotas of South India. Delhi.

  • Additional Reading

  • Akhtar, S. (guest editor) (1993). Equity, growth and participation: the information age. Development. Journal of the Society for International Development, 3(3) (whole issue).

  • Appleton, H., Fernandez, M.E. and Hill, C.L.M. (1995) Claiming and using indigenous knowledge. In: Missing Links: Gender Equity in Science and Technology for Development.

  • Hammond, A. L. (2001). Digitally empowered development: the growing gap. Foreign Affairs, 80(2), 96-102.

  • Holt, G.E. (1995). Pathways to tomorrow's service: the future of rural libraries. Library Trends, 44(1), 190-215.

  • Klasky, P.M. (2003). The unbroken circle. Earth Island Journal, 18(2), 31-35.

  • McConnell, S. (1999). The first mile of connectivity: Connecting with the unconnected. SD: Knowledge: (he first mile of connectivity: connecting with the unconnected. FAO, SDDimensions, April, http://www.fao.org/sd/CDdirect/CDre0031.htm

  • McConnell, S. (1999). Global trends. Connecting with the unconnected. Proposing an evaluation of the impacts of the Internet on unconnected rural stakeholders, [fao.org] A mission to take IT to poor children (2001). The Hindu, 2001-12-05.

  • Meyer, H.W.J. (2005). The nature of information, and the effective use of information in rural development. Information Research 10(2), paper 214, available at: http://informationR.net/ir/10-2/paper214.html

  • PEACESAT. http://www.peacesat.hawaii.edu

  • Rodda, A. (1991). Women and the environment. London: Atlantic Highlands, N.J. Zed Books.

  • Scollon, D. (2001). Survivors: For Borneo's People, It's Not Just a TV Show. Earth Island Journal, 15(4), 2000-01, Winter; p. 10.

  • Shiva, V. (2000). Staying alive: women, ecology and development. London: Zed Books.

  • Sprague, S. (2004). Maya People of Guatemala Recover after Generations of Oppression - Central America. Native Americas, Spring, 54-59.

  • Upadhya, P.V., & Ravichandra Rao, I.K. (2001). Rural community development information service and related aspects: a literature review. Information Studies, 7(3-4), 191-250.


Abstract Views: 219

PDF Views: 0




  • Knowledge Management in Relation to Indigenous and Marginalized Communities in the Digital Era

Abstract Views: 219  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

A. Neelameghan
DRTC/ISI, Bangalore 560059, India
Greg Chester
Leech Lake Tribal College, Cass Lake, MN, United States

Abstract


This paper discusses: a) Some features of the emerging knowledge society including the convergence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) enabling seamless access, to a vast and varied information and knowledge sources from anywhere at any time, in the expanding digital space and concomitant globalization; b) a sizeable part of the rural population, especially in developing countries and the indigenous communities even in developed countries, do not appear to be fully benefiting by the developments mentioned above; c) However, there are attempts to use ICTs to reach out to indigenous and marginalized rural communities with a view to empowering them - e-governance, providing access to a variety of government documents, village kiosks, extending cellphone facilities, wireless technology, land-sat imaging and remote sensing, geographical information systems etc. d) Knowledge management (KM) at present largely relates to enterprise / institutional management, but its scope can be widened taking into account new parameters (e.g. culture, language etc.) and applied to community knowledge management - empowering rural and indigenous communities and enabling the sharing of the tacit community knowledge, as implied by equity and justice in governance; e) the wealth of knowledge, especially tacit knowledge, acquired by indigenous communities needs to be shared and used for the benefit of the nation as a whole and the global community of nations and nation states; e) how the judicious application of information and communication technologies supported by human intervention may be used to move toward achieving what is proposed above. We also mention some of the barriers to introducing new ideas in rural communities; and what types of knowledge, skills, and experience that information providers to such communities need to have are mentioned. Present some illustrative case studies. Concludes that librarians, information specialists, and media specialists (the gatherers, storers, and dispensers of knowledge) can lead the way to help these people, protect the indigenous and rural peoples' knowledge, homelands, and their very lives., and facilitate the exchange of ideas, building trust and understanding,, while exploring technological avenues in reaching out to the hitherto unreached.

References