Participatory Strategy

PARTICIPATORY STRATEGY

by Antonio C. Antonio

November 23, 2014

“Communicating Climate Change from the Perspective of Local People: A Case Study from Arctic Canada” by Neil Ford is a very good read.  It details the techniques used in (a) identifying climate change phenomena occurrences from the knowledge and views of the Inuvialuit community (an aboriginal group in Arctic Canada), (b) gathering traditional/folk knowledge and scientific data on climate change in Sach Harbour, (c) organizing the gathered data, (d) prioritizing the problems and concerns, (e) identifying corresponding strategies to mitigate climate change, (f) coming up with a comprehensive report on the results of the study, (g) producing documentary (technical paper and videos) on the case, and, (h) implementing an information dissemination strategy to increase the level of knowledge and awareness on climate change.

There also was a very good attempt to promote participatory management by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the institution that initiated the study.  This was done by involving local residents, particularly the Inuvialuit, by way of collecting traditional knowledge and interviews for the video documentaries.  The study should have been ideal and acceptable if not for the $100 that was paid to the interviewees.  More often, paid interviewees will say anything that the interviewers want to hear… this certainly dilutes the indigenous knowledge, data and information gathered on climate change in the area.  This case study, however, is a relative success compared to a previous experience I personally encountered.

In 1986, I used to work for an American company, Conley and Associates, Inc. (CAI) of Whittier, California, that managed an oil and gas exploration project in Victoria, Tarlac for a consortium of Philippine oil and gas exploration companies.  Ramon “Monty” Pedrosa, and I (together with a driver) were dispatched by Mr. Donald Gene Landsford, CAI’s COO, to Mt. Pinatubo, Pampanga to study the possibility of the company entering into a geothermal project in the area.  Aside from being the Finance Director, I was actually included in the mission since I spoke Pampango.

On Mt. Pinatubo, we discovered that the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) already had on-going drilling projects on what was considered a “dormant” volcano.  We went on to plot the locations of these drilling projects, gather as much data and information, and also touched-base with local Aeta tribesmen in the area.  To gather more information, particularly traditional knowledge on the area, we decided to make camp and pitch our tents near the area where the nomadic Aeta community stayed.

One night, we got to break bread and rub elbows with a few tribal elders… since there was nothing more to do at night.  I still remember Tatang Peping who shared with us some rather dire stories.  He said: “Deng PNOC a ren, ala nong gewa nung ali mamusbus nang mamusbus king gabun. Atin nong sangkang mimwa deng ispiritu kanyan.” (These PNOC people have done nothing but bore holes in the ground. The spirits now have reasons to be angry.)  When asked if they were consulted about the geothermal drilling projects, Tatang Peping said they were never were.  He added that sooner or later the mountain gods will punish man for desecrating a sacred mountain.  In an article “God and the Forest” published on my blogsite (http://antonantonio.blogspot.com/2014/04/god-and-forest.html) I mentioned: “Most upland dwellers revere the forest as spiritual and sacred.  It will not be hard to understand this since the forest provides them with means of survival… food, shelter and a venue to congregate, socialize and interact with others.  Their culture and spiritual beliefs are moulded by their forest environment and landscape.  There are some who would even say (individually or collectively) that the forest is regarded as their god, their heaven, their world and their religion.  If we were to consider the spiritual beliefs of the upland forest dwellers as a contextual framework, a view takes shape that God and the forest are closely related... or, at the very least, viewed on the same spiritual plane.”  On June 15, 1991, Mt. Pinatubo made a catastrophic eruption.  Whether this had anything to do with the geothermal drilling is something I do not know.  What I know is that Tatang Peping and the rest of his Aeta tribesmen were not too comfortable with these drilling projects.

The Inuvialuit of Arctic Canada and the Aeta of Mt. Pinatubo maintained their own indigenous knowledge on the respective areas they lived in.  Unfortunately, the Aetas were not able to contribute to science on account of their indigenous knowledge on volcanic activities… not like the Inuvialuit who were able to help in the formulation scientific mitigation strategies on climate change.  I strongly believe that, to come up with meaningful projects and to guarantee the success of environment-related projects, what is critical is the use of a participatory strategy.

Just my little thoughts…

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