Description
While some of the articles contained here are philosophical or historical, others are scientific, legal, or narrative accounts of personal experiences and beliefs. Topics include the link between culture and nature; linguistic diversity; indigenous peoples; voices of the earth; ethnoscience; traditional health systems; agriculture and soil management; forests, culture and conservation; mountains, aquatic, and marine biodiversity; ethical, moral and religious concerns; rights, resources and responses; and maintaining the mosaic. Edited by Darrell Addison Posey, who is associated with both the Federal U. of Maranhao and Oxford U.and has received awards from the Sierra Club and the UNEP Global 500 Roll of Honor. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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Weaving together philosophical, historical, legal, scientific andpersonal viewpoints, this book gives a rich sample of the vast web which makes up our cultural, spiritual and social diversity.The volume highlights the central importance of cultural and spiritualvalues in the appreciation and preservation of all life and argues that these values give us a true reflection of worth. It demonstrates howmany cultures see Nature as an extension of society, and how sensitivestewardship is an integral part of existence.The book includes chapters on: language and how cognition and speech encode indigenous knowledge systems and are critical for preservation of diversity; the complex issue of indigenous people and the problems of preserving their relationships both with and within theirsocieties; voices of the world - expressions of concern and disquiet over the declining world diversity; holistic health practices whereenvironment and diet are integrated into indigenous medical healthsystems; the importance of developing effective intellectual property rights and territorial and land rights to enhance and maintain local control.There are also specific examples of how local people have learned toconserve biodiversity in an extraordinary range of environments and social conditions, and examines how many world religions arere-assessing their roles as stewards in the light of environmentalimpoverishment.This book arose out of the Global Biodiversity Assessment (GBA), amassive review of current knowledge in the broad field of biological diversity, comissioned by United Nations Environmental Program(UNEP).
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