“I want everyone to know that we exist here”: The Vedda community – Sri Lanka

The Veddas were traditionally forest dwellers, who foraged, hunted and lived in close-knit groups in caves in the dense jungles of Sri Lanka. But most people haven’t heard of them. […] While the seven families who lived in the Rathugala cave [in eastern Sri Lanka] held onto their traditions for a little longer, living in … Read more

Video | “Share your groundwater story!”: World Water Day held annually on 22 March – United Nations

GROUNDWATER – MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE Groundwater is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere. Out of sight, under our feet, groundwater is a hidden treasure that enriches our lives. Almost all of the liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater. As climate change gets worse, groundwater will become more and more critical. We need … Read more

eBook | Online resource: “Tribes of India: The Struggle for Survival” by Christoph Fürer-Haimendorf

This book tells of observations among Indian tribal populations spanning the period from 1940 to 1980. Ever since 1936, when a study of the Konyak Nagas marked the beginning of my career as an anthropological field-worker, I have maintained contacts with Indian tribesmen. […] Any realistic and unbiased analysis of the present situation of the Indian tribes … Read more

Sustainable use of biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge: Securing economic benefits for tribal communities – Kerala & Tamil Nadu

The book explores the possibility of sustainable use of biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge with economic benefit for the communities and countries that have conserved them for generations. By S. GOPIKRISHNA WARRIER THERE is an irony related to biodiversity and economics. Communities that live in close contact with biodiversity-rich forests are economically poor, whereas people … Read more

Video | “India’s hidden hotbeds of invention”: Anil Gupta and the Honey Bee Network on TED.com

Anil Gupta is on the hunt for the developing world’s unsung inventors — indigenous entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, hidden by poverty, could change many people’s lives. He shows how the Honey Bee Network helps them build the connections they need — and gain the recognition they deserve. Anil Gupta created the Honey Bee Network to support … Read more