NAHO Guest Speaker Series – Presentation on the Protection of Traditional Knowledge & Medicine
Dr. Raymond Obomsawin
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Location: 220 Laurier Avenue West, Ste. 1400, Ottawa, ON
In today’s world Aboriginal Peoples are concerned that not only is their traditional knowledge being appropriated by outside interests without their consent, but that due to globally enforced patent laws, they may be prevented from freely using their own culture based knowledge and the resources found in their traditional territories which are attached to such knowledge. The global patent system discounts the reality that indigenous peoples are the first discovers of unnumbered biological resources with various useful properties as foods or medicines.This presentation will address a range of issues related to the protection of traditional knowledge with an emphasis on traditional medicines. Controversial issues related to bioprospecting and biopiracy and the World Trade Organization’s Trade-Related Aspects of IPR (TRIPS), will be considered.
Questions will be answered such as:
– Why is biopiracy rapidly growing?
– In what ways are traditional knowledge & values incompatible with global IPR regimes?
– What are the major contributions of traditional medicines to the western world?
– What is being done to establish protective research guidelines for Aboriginal communities and territories?
– In light of the failings of IPR regimes to provide adequate protections for traditional knowledge, what is the best way to afford optimum protections and equitable benefit sharing?
Please R.S.V.P. via email to Steven Vanloffeld at svanloffeld@naho.ca
Brief Professional Background Overview on Raymond Obomsawin – Ph.D.
Raymond Obomsawin has served as Director National Office of Health Development – National Indian Brotherhood (AFN); and Founding Chairman – NIB’s National Commission Inquiry on Indian Health; Executive Director in the California Rural Indian Health Board; Supervisor of Native Curriculum – Government of the Yukon Territory; and Evaluation Manager – Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. His most recent post in the Canadian public service was as Senior Advisor on Cultures, Knowledge Systems, Local Ownership and Ethnicities at the Canadian International Development Agency. He is currently engaged with government funding as Senior Researcher relative to establishing a Public Sector Policy on Traditional Medicine in Canada.
A few highlights of Dr. Obomsawin’s professional experiences and achievements follow:
– Co-Chaired the United Nations Environment Program – Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on the Potential Impacts of Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (alius “Terminator Seed” technologies).
– Spearheaded the first world-wide inter-sectoral review funded by a Western government on Indigenous Culture Based Knowledge Systems in Development. The study elicited the involvement of over 500 public and NGO sector bio-social development, technical and research institutions in all world regions, and entailed field mission research carried out in the Andean and upper Amazon regions of South America, as well as East Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
He has produced academically and / or professionally over eighty (85) articles, reports, policy documents, presentations, and publications.
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Disclaimer
The NAHO Speaker Series is intended for education and informational purposes only. The information presented represents the research and views of the authors and presenters and does not necessarily reflect the views of NAHO. NAHO assumes no responsibility or liability for damages arising from any error or omission, or from the use of any information or advice presented or obtained.
