Asian Sacred Natural Sites: Call for contributions to a publication and online case studies

Copies of the Japanese IUCN UNESCO Sacred NAtural Sites Guidelines on display at the side event where group work took place. Source: APC

Asian Sacred Natural Sites: An ancient Asian philosophy and practice with fundamental significance to protected areas. (download this call)

Mongolia’s Bogd Khan protected Area is associated with the life of Ghengis Khan and has been a national protected sacred natural site since 1778. It is now part of the extensive Khan Khentii Mountain Protected Area. After many years of communist suppression, ceremonies have been revived led my local Buddhist lamas. The ceremonies honour the deities of the mountains and petition against drought and heavy snow. Here the group that performs the ritual at the most sacred part of the mountain, the top, returns led by monks. Third person from the left is Mr. J. Boldbaatar, Director, Khan Khentii Special protected Area and on his right the first modern day park ranger (see case study in the IUCN UNESCO Guidelines). Photo: Robert Wild.

Mongolia’s Bogd Khan protected Area is associated with the life of Ghengis Khan and has been a national protected sacred natural site since 1778. It is now part of the extensive Khan Khentii Mountain Protected Area. After many years of communist suppression, ceremonies have been revived led my local Buddhist lamas. The ceremonies honour the deities of the mountains and petition against drought and heavy snow. Here the group that performs the ritual at the most sacred part of the mountain, the top, returns led by monks. Third person from the left is Mr. J. Boldbaatar, Director, Khan Khentii Special protected Area and on his right the first modern day park ranger (see case study in the IUCN UNESCO Guidelines). Photo: Robert Wild.

Within the context of the Asian Sacred Sites Network Project, IUCN WCPA Japan, the Biodiversity Network Japan and the Sacred Natural Sites Initiative in collaboration with the IUCN WCPA Specialist group on Cultural and Spiritual Values of protected Areas invite abstracts for contributions to a publication and online case studies focused on the modern significance of sacred natural sites in Asian protected areas with reference, where appropriate, to an Asian Philosophy of Protected Areas.  We are looking for examples from all protected area governance types; indigenous and community conserved areas,  government managed, privately managed and co-managed protected areas as well as different IUCN protected area categories, from; ‘Ia Strict nature reserve’ to ‘VI. ‘Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources’. We are also interested in experiences that describe the implementation of the IUCN-UNESCO Sacred Natural Sites, Guidelines for Protected Area Managers, available in several languages.

As a guide to developing your contribution to the publication you may follow the guiding questions outlined in this call and write freely or base you contribution on the structure provided in the case study template that will be used for developing online case studies.

Guiding Questions:

  1. To what extent do sacred natural sites form the backbone of protected areas in Asia, e.g. their cultural, spiritual and philosophical underpinnings?
  2. What is the modern relevance of sacred natural sites to protected areas and how can this be better recognised and their traditional guardians be engaged?
  3. How can we improve management effectiveness, governance and equity of sacred natural sites within and outside protected areas in Asia?

Sources of reference:

  1. The Asian Philosophy of Protected Areas
  2. The Asian Sacred Natural Sites Network project
  3. The Best Practice Guideline No16: Sacred Natural Sites – Guidelines for Protected Area Managers,
  4. IUCN 2008 Resolution 4.038 Recognition and conservation of sacred natural sites in protected areas
  5. The WCC-2012-Rec-147 Sacred natural sites – support for custodian protocols and customary laws in the face of global threats and challenges.

Publication schedule:

Abstracts or your outline of ideas for your contribution can be submitted untill September, 2014 and should not exceed 400 words. The final manuscripts of approximately 4000 words (excluding references) will be required by November 2014 and should include up to eight good quality illustrations and photos as well as one or two maps. the aim is to have the publication launch coincide with activities on sacred natural sites and protected areas at the World Parks Congress in Sydney Australia.

Online case studies schedule:

Suggestions for online case studies are always welcome. A case study will be around 1000 words and can be based on your contribution to the publication or stand by itself. We aim to develop each chapter contribution to the publication into an online case study and establish cross-references. For examples of Asian case studies see the Asian Sacred Natural Sites Network Project.

Please send your abstracts and bio to info@sacrednaturalsites.org

A Soliga paying his obeisance at Devaru sacred natural site in Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India. After the declaration of the BRTWS in 1974, new rules have made traditional Soliga practices harder and harder, for example by restricting access to their sacred natural sites. Following a ruling by the country’s Supreme Court in 2006, a near-complete ban was imposed upon the collection of NTFPs within sanctuaries and natural parks. In a response to this, the Soliga GPS’ed and mapped their sacred and cultural sites in the forests of the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary. The topographic sheets with sacred natural sites on it were used to help locate the clan boundaries followed by subsequent visits to ascertain the boundaries of the yelles or sacred natural sites. (Source: Nitin, D Rai.)

A Soliga paying his obeisance at Devaru sacred natural site in Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India. After the declaration of the BRTWS in 1974, new rules have made traditional Soliga practices harder and harder, for example by restricting access to their sacred natural sites. Following a ruling by the country’s Supreme Court in 2006, a near-complete ban was imposed upon the collection of NTFPs within sanctuaries and natural parks. In a response to this, the Soliga GPS’ed and mapped their sacred and cultural sites in the forests of the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary. The topographic sheets with sacred natural sites on it were used to help locate the clan boundaries followed by subsequent visits to ascertain the boundaries of the yelles or sacred natural sites. (Source: Nitin, D Rai.)

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