Olivia Woodburne
PhD Student |
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E-mail: O.C.Swinscow-Hall |
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PhD research entitled "Representation in an integrated conservation and development project: the BaAka of the Dzanga-Sangha reserve"
The BaAka are indigenous hunter-gatherers who live in the Congo basin rainforest of Central Africa. In response to threats such as logging and cultivation, the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area Complex was created in 1990 in the south west corner of the Central African Republic. In an attempt to accommodate the people who lived in and depended on these forests, an integrated conservation and development project was designed to incorporate local livelihoods. The protected area included two National Park sectors and a large reserve area where local people are permitted to hunt and gather using ‘traditional’ technology. The principle aim of this research is to explore the relationship between the BaAka and the conservation project.
Through an analytical framework of an anthropology of moralities I examine BaAka social and political lives by examining relationships in three areas: among themselves internally; with other non-BaAka externally; and the conservation project. First I explore the moral basis for a politics based on egalitarianism by examining the every-day experiences of BaAka relationships with each other. A better understanding of how BaAka relate to each other can help with the design and implementation of development projects that target BaAka or other hunter-gatherers. Next I describe historical relations between BaAka and non-BaAka, including their farmer neighbours and Europeans. Understanding these historical relationships helps to understand how BaAka have responded to current conservation and development projects. Finally, I examine the effect that the integrated conservation and development project has had on BaAka lives. I look in detail at interactions in participatory meetings and workshops to analyse BaAka representation in these participatory processes. By exploring each of these three areas I hope to contribute to the literature on conservation and development, especially those that seek to engage with hunter-gatherers.
Funding:
This research is funded by the ESRC and the Forest Peoples Programme.
Links:
www.forestpeoples.org
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