Institutionalizing cultural values–
lessons &challenges of
integrating cultural values in
protected areas management in
Uganda
Innovative conservation since 1903
CULTURE – what it is
Culture
Innovative conservation since 1903
Cultural Values
Cultural values are
• commonly shared concepts about right, wrong,
possible or impossible, true or false and so on
Find expression in terms of
• Cultural
heritage,
Traditional
knowledge,
language, lifestyle, arts & crafts, aesthetic
values, spiritual values.
• Unwritten unrecorded
Innovative conservation since 1903
How these values are
institutionalized
• Often informal or
bestowed onto individual
• Believed and practiced
on individual basis
• Enforcement based on
individual no policing
• Punishment collectively
undertaken and includes
the ‘unseen’
consequences
Innovative conservation since 1903
Cultural values and conservation
• Cultural values include meanings, practices, and
behavioral patterns and shape attitudes
• Context-specific conservation, empathetic to
communities and their values
• Partnership with communities can be better
anchored by understanding and engaging with
their values
Innovative conservation since 1903
Protected Areas
• PA are seen as cornerstones of National &
International biodiversity conservation strategies
• Designated based on their biodiversity values and
subsequently economic benefits
• Have formal institutions with policies laws,
guidelines, regulations and protocols
• People’s cultural values and interests forgotten or
least understood
Innovative conservation since 1903
Protected Areas
• Yet often such
landscapes are
culturally and spiritually
significant to local
populations
• Integration of
intangible values of
local people in PA
management has been
overlooked
Innovative conservation since 1903
What are institutions
A set of rules governing cooperative human
behavior. Term commonly applied to:
• customs and behavior patterns important to a
society
• particular formal organizations of government and
public service
Innovative conservation since 1903
Formalizing cultural
values; challenges
• Different parameters of
defining ‘values’ – tested
and proven versus
‘professional’ knowledge
• Biased balance of power
– national/international
interests versus local
needs
• Failures in expressions
and presentations – shy,
powerless and hopeless
Innovative conservation since 1903
Challenges continued
 Lack of clearly defined boundaries of
jurisdiction over the resource/cultural
landscape.
 Un-defined community/groups managing/using
the resource.
 Rules that are not locally appropriate or
devised.
Innovative conservation since 1903
Challenges Cotd…
 Unclear, un-recognised rights to resources and
rules about them.
 Those involved in resource use not taking part in
decision making about the resources.
 Decision making taking place in offices that are
inaccessible to resource users.
 Lack of accountable monitoring and effective
authority structures to meet expectations of the
resources users.
Innovative conservation since 1903
Learning from Case-study
session
• Bring the culture question to bear upon the
enquiries into community practices and
associations with the landscape
• Thorough understanding of rules and
norms that communities follow and its
implications for conservation
Innovative conservation since 1903
Learning Ctd…
 Graduated sanctions
should be devised for
non-compliance with
collective rules.
 Conflict resolution
mechanisms should be
clear, accessible and
rapid.
 ‘Nesting’ local values in
decision-making allows
multi-layered resources
management in complex
systems
Innovative conservation since 1903
Learning Contd…
• Engage with traditional structures
However,
• be aware of cultural politics,
• ways by which communities could be asserting
their power,
• perpetrating inequitable practices, etc.
Encourage and practice:
• Open and transparent deliberations
• provide spaces for negotiation and collaboration,
not to intensify conflicts
Innovative conservation since 1903
Addressing Challenges
• Understanding the concept, not a threat but a
complimentary approach in the basket of other
community based conservation approaches
• Have targeted communication strategy to make the
approach accessible and understandable to a wide
variety of stakeholders
• Anchor the approach in partnership with other
institutions so that more organizations understand the
approach and greater potential of it being effectively
engaged with
Innovative conservation since 1903
Addressing challenges Ctd.
• Requires rigorous field-level engagement to
understand the nuances within and between
stakeholders
• It is time-consuming process to deliver results but
starting with acknowledging and understanding
local values often is the key to effective, long-term
engagement with communities
Innovative conservation since 1903
Recommendations
• The approach calls for open, transparent
and accountable systems for dialogue
and negotiations.
• There is a need to think outside the ‘box’ –
beyond PA boundaries and beyond the
‘enabling policy and legal framework
• Need for constant reviews with respect
to the context
Innovative conservation since 1903
Recommendations Ctd
• Explore policy spaces within which the approach
can be institutionalized
• Possibility for advocacy through this approach,
for inclusion of local communities and their
values in PA governance
• Re-think how to include the cultural values in the
planning and management ‘instruments’ of
Protected areas i.e. laws, policies etc.
Innovative conservation since 1903