Transcript
Sangion Appiee-Tiu is now returning to PNG where she hopes to continue her research in environment and conservation, and integrating her research into policy frameworks.
SANGION APPIEE-TIU: One of things that I've found also in my work as well as in my research is that generally generations today they don't consider knowledge of the past or our ancestors' knowledge as important. But in terms of sustainability, I found it's good to go back and revisit what we already know and practice; and if we can draw any core ideas or principles that we can take into today's world and be able to apply it generally so that we can make our lives sustainable as well.
JOHNNY BLADES: SO can you say what kind of core ideas of traditional knowledge could be used in Papua New Guinea for a more sustainable country's future?
SA: Basically my focus is more around the natural resource management, and so I found like in terms of the traditional ecological knowledge that exists in PNG for instance we do have core values such as respect for others and things around us. We have responsibilities to take into consideration when we are dealing with things. And also on the value of reciprocity, in giving and taking, core areas that I believe can be taken on even today to apply not just in natural resource management but also in other areas as well to help us sustain our way of living as well.
JB: Do you think your ideas will be taken on board in government policy?
SA: Yeah I believe that can be. Because there's been a gap in this area for a very long time where not much research has established if there is a connection between the way we lived in the past and what we can draw from that especially towards sustainability of today's way of doing things. And I believe that from my research those core ideas can be taken into consideration and be used to inform policy making, particularly around the area of natural resource management as well. And in terms of education as well. Like what I have found, it can be captured in the curricula for instance, formal curricula as well as informal curricula.
JB: So what's an example of how it be made into policy?
SA: It can be taken into consideration when making policies about the way resources should be used. For instance in PNG at the moment, we've got a protected areas policy. And that has also taken into consideration the issues of traditional ecological knowledge. And I believe also that by capturing the essense of traditional ecological knowledge as the basis of our way of life that can also be able to influence at the higher level as well.
