2nd ISE Pre-congress Workshop for Emerging Ethnobiologists

‘Brick by Brick’: Laying the Foundations for the Future of Biocultural Diversity Research

The 1st International Society of Ethnobiology (ISE) pre-Congress Workshop for Emerging Ethnobiologists, held in Tofino, Canada in 2010, has been recognized by many as a resounding success. On the wave its success, the ISE is organizing a 2nd international pre-congress workshop for students, post docs and early career ethnobiologists, in conjunction with the 13th ISE Congress, Montpellier, France. The three-day intensive workshop (Thursday 17 May – Sunday 20 May) will bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants with leading experts from around the world for seminars on cutting edge topics, exchange of experiences, relationship-building, and fostering collaborations into the future. The 2010 Workshop demonstrated the many fresh and new ideas that students and early career ethnobiologists bring to Ethnobiology as a discipline and to the ISE as a society and the ideas, problems and challenges that they raised during the ISE Congress in Tofino were well received. Similarly, the conclusions and recommendations from the 2012 Workshop will be presented during the first ISE General Assembly, providing all Congress participants an opportunity to receive feedback on how to improve the quality of education within the discipline of Ethnobiology.

Location: Gîtes de Briandes, Briandes, France

Date: Thursday 17 May – Sunday 20 May 2012

Number of participants: Maximum of 30

Language: Please note that due to limited funding we are unable to provide translation, and the Workshop will be in English only.

Application: Please send the following to ISE student representative, Nemer Narchi ([email protected]) by January 31st 2012.

  • Contact information (Name, Affiliation, Email address)
  • CV (page limit: 1 A4 page)
  • Motivation statement (page limit: 1 A4 page)
  • Description of research topic and previous research experience (page limit: 1 A4 page)
  • Proof of enrolment in (or recent completion of) an Undergraduate, Masters, PhD or Post-doc program
  • Statement of fluency in English (if not your mother tongue)
  • Please indicate if you are already presenting a poster during the Congress and if so, whether you would be willing to bring the poster to the workshop also.
  • Description of any food restrictions you have (it will be very hard to organize alternative meals if this information is not provided)

Participation costs

  • Registration: US$30
  • Accommodation (Thursday to Sunday, 3 nights), meals, transport to the location: US$70

*Full payment of $100 will be due by 31st March 2012.  Once we have reviewed all applications, we will get in touch with all successful applicants and provide detailed instructions for payment (via credit card, check or wire transfer).

The organization of breakfasts, coffee breaks and lunches will be managed by the students themselves under the coordination of the ISE student representatives.

Please note that Gîtes de Briandes is set in the countryside and not served by public transport. You are therefore asked to take with you all necessary belongings for the length of the stay.

If you have any questions, please contact one of the ISE student representatives: Nemer Narchi ([email protected]) or Hannes Dempewolf ([email protected]) or the ISE Coordinator, Natasha Duarte ([email protected]).

Description of the Workshop

The first ISE pre-Congress Workshop for Emerging Ethnobiologists, held in Tofino, Canada in 2010, has been recognized by many as a resounding success. The Tofino Workshop culminated in the foundation of the International Network of Emerging Ethnobiologists (INEE) which aims to make accessible a global pool of knowledge, develop comparative perspectives on key biocultural issues, and promote collaborative research and other opportunities for the promotion and protection of biocultural diversity.

As with the first workshop, the timing of this second ISE Pre-congress Workshop for Emerging Ethnobiologists takes full advantage of the convergence of a large number (estimated 600) and diversity of ethnobiological researchers and practitioners who will be participating in the 13th ISE Congress in Montpellier, France.  Linking the Workshop with a high profile international event creates a unique opportunity, as several renowned leaders in ethnobiology will already be coming to Montpellier and requests for in-kind contribution of their time to give introductory remarks on key topics within the Workshop is feasible. The timing will also enable graduate students and early career ethnobiologists from different regions of the world to connect with each other in person and to meet and interact with experts in the field (both during the Workshop and subsequent Congress). Creating opportunities for in-person relationship building is the single most important way to catalyze sustainable future collaboration in the forms of further graduate studies, post-doctoral research opportunities, internships, field positions, new faculty positions, and new collaborative research grant applications or other initiatives.

The workshop will include topics such as (1) the inter- and trans-disciplinary nature of ethnobiology, (2) ethnobiological perspectives on advocacy and scientific integrity, (3) ancient knowledge and modern science – bridging the gap with innovative ethnobiological research, and (4) the role of biocultural diversity researchers in finding solutions for sustainable development.

Ideally, workshop participants should already be involved in ethnobiology fora in their home countries.  Each participant will not only be asked to take back the information and ideas shared throughout the workshop, but they will also be able to serve as point people within their communities and encouraged to apply practical and policy-relevant information that ties in closely to sustainable development efforts in their home countries.  The ISE (with help of sister societies) will continue to promote and utilize the INEE as a means for supporting and encouraging the workshop participants in their efforts both in the short-term and over the long-term through networking, sharing resources and lessons learned.

The 2010 Workshop demonstrated the many fresh and new ideas that students and early career ethnobiologists bring to Ethnobiology as a discipline and to the ISE as a society and the ideas, problems and challenges that they raised during the ISE Congress in Tofino were well received. Similarly, the conclusions and recommendations from the 2012 Workshop will be presented during the first ISE General Assembly, providing all Congress participants an opportunity to receive feedback on how to improve the quality of education within the discipline of Ethnobiology. Emerging ethnobiologists are the future of the ISE and it is important to empower them and to provide opportunities to build their capacity as leaders as we meet the coming challenges relating to learning about and protecting the biocultural diversity of the planet.  The workshop conclusions will also be posted on the ISE’s and other partner organizations’ websites, distributed on ISE and sister societies’ listservs and be included in the ISE’s electronic newsletter to ensure wide dissemination among the ethnobiology and wider community.

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