◆Speaker: Dr. Takele Merid（Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa University）

◆Title: Indigenous Knowledge of Forest Management among the Gedeo of Southern Ethiopia

◆Abstract:

In different parts of Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular, people maintained immense indigenous ecological knowledge and its management often distinctive to them. Forest management is one of the knowledge systems rural communities have accumulated. This presentation is concerned with indigenous knowledge of forest management among the Gedeo people of southern Ethiopia. Specifically, it deals with their livelihood strategies, which mainly considers the healthy circumstances of their forest resource and major factors that enabled them to manage their tree species. Among these, also the congeniality between the festivity of individual's rite of passage and planting/substituting varieties of tree species in each rite of passage is one of the cultural practices that the Gedeo perform. Then, it deals with challenges they often face with in order to continue maintaining the balance of their biophysical environment. Relevant data were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Key informant and in-depth interviews, especially with community elders and members; focus group discussions with local residents and observation were data sources obtained from three kebeles (local level administration) of Wenago woreda (district).

◆Date & Time: Thursday, January 26, 2023 5:40 - 7:10 pm (JST) / 8:40 - 10:10 am (GMT)

◆Venue: Onsite (Room114 at Research and Lecture Bldg., Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) & Online (Zoom Meeting)

◆Language: English

◆Admission: Free

◆Pre-registration is required. Please visit here for registration by January 24, 2023. The application will be closed as soon as the capacity reaches 30 for onsite and 300 for online. We will send the Zoom Meeting information to the registered email address by Jan. 26, 2023 in the morning.

◆Jointly organized by African Studies Center - TUFS, the Center for African Area Studies, Kyoto University, and Kanto branch of Japan Association for African Studies

【Report】

The 75th ASC seminar was conducted in a hybrid format and attended by 39 participants (7 face-to-face and 32 online).

Presenters presented a multifaceted presentation on the management of forest conservation in Gedeo, followed by a question and answer session in which the reality of the situation was discussed in more depth.