Benefitting country(ies): Fiji

Overview:

The art, oral traditions, cultural and historical proponents of constructing traditional houses by indigenous people of Fiji are gradually disappearing. The proposed project will be undertaken at Navala village in the upper Ba watershed, located in the Western Province of Fiji and will aim to sustain knowledge associated with traditional bures (houses) through the reconstruction and rehabilitation of bures in Navala village. Similarly, it is envisaged that the current traditional housing landscape of the village of Navala will be safeguarded through a cultural mapping process, revival of oral traditions and strengthening of related knowledge about the use of environmental resources. The sharing and revitalizing of architectural knowledge is expected to have a ripple effect in strengthening the iTaukei people’s worldview, including indigenous ecological and ancestral knowledge and epistemology of Vanua based on the holistic interconnectedness of human beings and their environment. The project intends to strengthen the capacities of iTaukei people in watershed management, improve their wellbeing, promote the continuation of traditional lifestyles by encouraging the planting of native tree species used for constructing the bures, as well as reviving food crops and vegetables using demo-plots. Coordinated by the Centre for Sustainable Technology and Development of the Fiji National University, project implementation on the ground will be ensured by the Navala Village Development Committee.

22/09/2016 - 29/09/2017 – Inventorying of proverbs of Lala community of Luano District of Zambia01/09/2015 - 31/08/2017 – Safeguarding and promotion of Bigwala, gourd trumpet music and dance of Busoga Kingdom in Uganda