Linking local perceptions of elephants and conservation: Samburu pastoralists in northern Kenya

This paper examines the development and implementation of a grassroots elephant conservation program based upon the Samburu people's perceptions and knowledge of elephants in the areas surrounding the Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves in Northern Kenya. Ethnographic methods were used to understand these perceptions and demonstrated that strong customs and traditions for conserving wildlife, particularly elephants, exist among the Samburu people. It became evident that these customs are changing given various factors influencing Samburu culture and younger generations. The use of economic incentives is a widely accepted method to foster positive attitudes and behavior towards wildlife. The value of using ethnographic methods to reinforce positive indigenous knowledge about wildlife, however, is underestimated. This case study highlights the significance of using ethnographic methods in community conservation program design. The paper demonstrates that in local contexts where cultural perceptions and traditions towards elephants are largely positive, this is a viable approach for community based wildlife management that is complementary to economic incentives programs

TEXT-FREE UI: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES FOR ICT ACCESS

Abstract: This paper examines the constraints that mediate the ability of individuals in developing country contexts to benefit from Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). We identify social constraints, such as low levels of education and literacy rates, as making it difficult to access ICTs. We outline an innovative approach to address these constraints with a text free user interface (UI) design of an application for the illiterate population. We apply this text free UI to the case of a problem that ICTs hold the potential to influence—informal domestic labor markets in Bangalore, India. We examine the potential of the text free UI application and present preliminary results from user testing. These tests examine whether individuals without prior computer skills and low literacy levels could successfully navigate and access employment information. We flag challenges in promoting access to ICTs with this application, given the multiplicity of ways in which people derive benefits from technologies, the difficulties in formalizing labor relations and informal dissemination of information