WIPO Launches Publication on Indigenous Traditional Knowledge

United Nations (UCTP Taino News) – The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the L’auravetl’an Information & Education Network of Indigenous Peoples (LIENIP) have jointly developed a bilingual – English and Russian - publication entitled “Traditional Knowledge & Indigenous Peoples.” The publication was launched on 27 May 2009 at the 8th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at UN Headquarters in New York.

In 2007, LIENIP organized a series of educational conferences, aimed at fostering a greater understanding of the social nature of traditional knowledge while encouraging mutually-beneficial relationships across sectors. This publication is comprised of several articles written for and presentations made at these events, and also includes a glossary of related concepts.

The project highlights Traditional Knowledge as an important element of the intellectual and cultural heritage of Indigenous Peoples. The publication features contributions by S. Rama Rao (WIPO), Mattias Ahren (Sami, Sweden), Roberto Borrero (Taino, UCTP), Kenneth Deer (Mohawk, IITF), Ramiz Alakbarov (UNFPA), Jane Anderson (NYU), and Ann Gilliand (UCLA).

The publication is available in hard copy by request and is downloadable from the WIPO website at http://www.wipo.int/tk/en/folklore/culturalheritage/index.html .

A specialized agency of the United Nations, WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world".

UCTPTN 05.28.2009

Self-governing domain name for Indigenous Peoples

UCTP Taino News - A dynamic campaign, Dot Indigi, is underway to secure a new internet domain-name that would assist Indigenous Peoples around the world by creating an online space that is self-governing, representative and restrictive of Intellectual Property abuses. About 1.5 billion internet users are accustomed to being affiliated to domain-names such as “.com, .org, .edu, .gov” etc. The “Dot Indigi” campaign would produce a new domain or gTLD like a “.com” but it would be recognized as “.indigi”.

The Dot Indigi partnership is formed between the International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF) and the New Zealand Maori Internet Society (NZMIS) with the conditional support of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The IITF will act as the advisory board to the organization while Māori ICT advocate Karaitiana Taiuru, the recently appointed leader of the Dot Indigi group, will manage the daily affairs of .indigi while growing the organization.

The campaign organizers assert that .indigi will cater to the plethora of Indigenous Peoples who do not have the resources to apply for their own gTLD. The use of .indigi would also remove existing Indigenous representation issues of the predominantly English Internet naming system. The ability to include non English characters will be a priority at the 2nd and subsequent levels.

The .indigi domain will offer registration at the 2nd Level Domain to indigenous organizations who would then govern their own domain name space and resell/distribute 3rd Level Domain names or retain a general project type name at the 2nd Level via the official .indigi registrars.

“Caribbean Indigenous Peoples such as the Taino would be able to apply for taino.indigi for example and create a new set of domain names to accommodate their specific needs” stated Roberto Borrero, a member of the IITF who represents the United Confederation of Taino People.

The Dot Indigi organization also plans to make available several other 2nd Level Domains, which would be made public to cater to indigenous individuals or smaller groups who may not be able to justify the expense and set up of their own 2nd Level Domain. The organization is now promoting the campaign via social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo as well as on Twitter and Google Groups.

The application for the new .indigi domain name will be presented to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). A multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to coordinating the Internet's addressing system, ICANN is now seeking to expand the domain-name system.

ICANN’s rationale for the expansion is that new domains will allow for more innovation, choice and change to the Internet's addressing system, which is now constrained by only 21 generic top-level domain names.

Photo: Asia Pacific Internet leader and pioneer of Māori Internet and Software technologies, Karaitiana Taiuru is the head of the Dot Indigi organization.

UCTPTN 02.09.2008

Caribbean Editor Appointed for Indigenous Portal

UCTP Taino News – The United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP) has been appointed Caribbean Regional Editor for the International Indigenous Portal. Created by the Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF), the International Indigenous Portal at http://www.indigenousportal.com/ is a developing project, which comprises a general web site and regional sub-sites highlighting various regions of the world including Africa, Arctic, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, North America, the Pacific, and Central and Eastern Europe, Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia.

Welcoming the UCTP officially to the project, Malia Nobrega (Hawai’i), a representative of the IITF and the Indigenous Portal Board stated that the interview committee “was very happy to learn about the exciting work that the United Confederation of Taino People has done and continues to do with Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean.”

Announced at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in 2006, the call for regional portal editors began during a special session, which launched the International Indigenous Portal. The announcement was distributed world wide through various internet networks and acceptance of applications closed February 28th. Regional editors for the portal will be responsible for site content, editing, technical support on site usage, community outreach, project development, and reporting.

“The portal will increase the visibility of the Taino and other Caribbean Indigenous Peoples internationally along with our other indigenous relatives from around the world” stated Ericc Diaz who is a lead member of the UCTP’s information technology team.

“We look forward to introducing this innovative technology to our communities throughout the region” said Diaz.

UCTPTN 03.10.2008

Indigenous Peoples All But Forgotten During World Telecommunication and Information Society Day*

New York, NY (UCTP News) - At an event organized by the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) entitled “Tale of Two Worlds: Keeping Pace with a Moving Target” representatives of governments and UN agencies, along with civil society and industry executives met to share diverse perspectives on the occasion of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2007.

The event included not only a message from United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon but also a message from Dr. Hamadoun Toure, Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and opening remarks by Jose Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary General, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

The opening remarks, welcoming statements and keynote addresses were followed by two sessions, one focusing on “Visions of a Connected Future” and the other on “Universal Access.”

Indigenous Peoples were brought to the forefront of the session in comments made by Roberto Múcaro Borrero (Taino) who was representing the International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF). Borrero informed the panel that the IITF was an indigenous initiative with a mandate to follow-up on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). He also noted that while indigenous peoples were a “major group” represented throughout the WSIS processes they were relatively “invisible” from all official follow-up mechanisms.

Offering a recent example, Borrero pointed out the lack of indigenous presence in the GAID publication “Foundations of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development.” He also stated that “transparency, inclusion, and genuine partnerships” were essential to follow-up initiatives. He then asked the panel, which included Mr. Sarbuland Khan, the Executive Coordinator of GAID, “How can we be speaking about the future when we cannot even communicate in the present?”

Borrero then noted the willingness of the IITF to share information such as the May 21 launching of a new international indigenous portal developed by Indigenous Peoples at the sixth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues but consistent outreach to GAID and the ITU yielded no response.

In direct response to Borrero’s comments, Mr. Sarbuland Khan, assured him and all those gathered that GAID was indeed interested in working with Indigenous Peoples and particularly the IITF. He stressed the networking potential being developed by GAID and hoped that the IITF would be come a part of the GAID “family.”

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is observed annually on 17 May and marks the anniversary of the signature of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union. World Telecommunication Day has been celebrated since 1969.

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Related Stories:

UCTP President Returns from UN Summit in Africa
http://uctp.blogspot.com/2005/11/uctp-president-returns-from-un-summit.html

United Nations to Hold Information Summit
http://uctp.blogspot.com/2005/11/united-nations-to-hold-information.html

For information on the IITF visit http://iictf.blogspot.com/