15
Abstracts
1. Community protocols and free, prior
informed consent: overview and lessons
learnt
Krystyna Swiderska with Angela Milligan,
Kanchi Kohli, Holly Shrumm, Harry
Jonas, Wim Hiemstra and María Julia
Oliva
In this overview article to the issue, the
guest editors begin by setting the scene,
explaining how loss of biological and
cultural diversity is threatening the
livelihoods and biocultural heritage of
indigenous peoples and local communities
(ILCs). They explore the role of community
protocols (CPs) and free, prior informed
consent (FPIC) in helping ILCs to defend
their heritage and assert their rights over
resources and traditional knowledge. They
emphasise the importance of communitylevel participatory processes in the
development of CPs and FPIC, and
highlight the dangers of using these tools
in a top-down, mechanistic way. They then
consider recent changes in international
law that have given CPs and FPIC official
support. Next, they turn to this special
issue of PLA itself, introducing the process
used to develop it, its objectives and
structure. They identify key lessons and
conclusions on how to effectively support
FPIC/PIC and CPs to maximise positive
impacts for biodiversity and livelihoods,
drawing on the articles in the issue.
2. FPIC and beyond: safeguards for
power-equalising research that protects
biodiversity, rights and culture
Michel Pimbert
Too often, research programmes are
imposed on rural people, adding to their
already overwhelming burdens, causing
harm and violating rights. It is vital to
ensure that non-researcher citizens have
an opportunity to assess, on their own
terms and in their own time, the
desirability and relevance of engaging in
research activities before giving consent.
However, there is a need to go beyond
FPIC in research involving indigenous and
local communities. FPIC needs to be part
of a wider set of tactics and safeguards to
enable local and indigenous communities