[Anthropgrad] RESEARCH SEMINAR - David Eastburn - 12.30-1.30 pm 21 October 2008

[RMAP Seminars]

FELLING TREES ABOVE THE GARDEN: REVEALING 'MONOCULTURES OF THE WESTERN 
MIND' AND LEARNING FROM PNG

Mr David Eastburn, PhD candidate, Fenner School of Environment & Society

12.30-1.30 pm Tuesday 21 October 2008
Seminar Room B (Arndt Room) Coombs Building

Abstract
'Monocultures of the Mind' is the title of a book written by Vandana 
Shiva. She explains that people brought up in the western scientific 
tradition often have difficulty in dealing with high levels of 
diversity, needing to 'order' the 'chaos' by application of 
reductionism, straight lines and petrochemicals. An example of such a 
situation is highlighted by the agricultural practices in the 
rainforests of the Great Papuan Plateau in south-western PNG. Here crops 
are planted under the forest canopy and later the trees are felled after 
the crop has become established. To 'western eyes' the process appears 
outrageous and was recorded as such by patrol and agricultural officers 
in the 1960s & 1970s. However, the 'method in the madness' is now 
appreciated, and more 'organic' and social-ecological approaches to 
natural resource management are being considered by westerners.
I will discuss some experiences of problem solving, and approaches to 
agriculture and natural resources management, comparing the Papua New 
Guinean perspective with the mechanistic western methods used in the 
Murray-Darling Basin. I will illustrate the presentation with examples 
from groups living around the Strickland Gorge and my work in the 
Southern Highlands Province.

Bio
David has worked with rural communities in the Murray-Darling Basin and 
PNG in the areas of education, communication and natural resources 
management for almost four decades. His main interest is in community 
capacity realisation.
-- 

Resource Management in Asia-Pacific Program

Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies

The Australian National University

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