Development Actors and their Indigenous Other
Knowledge Production and Negotiation in the Upper Baram (Malaysia)
Recent years have witnessed a proliferation of development projects articulated towards the ‘empowerment’ of so-called beneficiaries, particularly in contexts affecting indigenous peoples’ livelihoods. This shift is observable in various projects, including the Upper Baram Forest Area conservation project endorsed by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO); and located in Sarawak, Malaysia. With a view to exploring the modes of knowledge production and governmentality at stake in ...
Éditeur : Graduate Institute Publications
Lieu d’édition : Geneva
Publication sur OpenEdition Books : 19 août 2024
ISBN numérique : 978-2-940600-54-0
Collection : eCahiers de l’Institut | 52
Année d’édition : 2024
Recent years have witnessed a proliferation of development projects articulated towards the ‘empowerment’ of so-called beneficiaries, particularly in contexts affecting indigenous peoples’ livelihoods. This shift is observable in various projects, including the Upper Baram Forest Area conservation project endorsed by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO); and located in Sarawak, Malaysia. With a view to exploring the modes of knowledge production and governmentality at stake in the design and early implementation of this community-based forest management project, this paper examines ethnographic data among indigenous residents of the area, interviews with NGO representatives, and the project proposal drafted by funding and executive agencies. In light of historical considerations and insights from poststructuralism, post-development and postcolonial studies, I argue that this project is inscribed in a trend of cognitive extractivism, converting indigenous peoples’ knowledge into symbolic and economic capital while precluding their meaningful participation and demands for substantive political change.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Vahabzadeh Foundation for financially supporting the publication of best works by young researchers of the Graduate Institute, giving a priority to those who have been awarded academic prizes for their master’s dissertations.
Agathe Le Vaslot holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Leiden University and a master’s degree in Development Studies from the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID). Passionate about human rights, visual arts and cultural mediation, her research interests revolve around the anthropology of development, extractivism and knowledge production. Her master’s thesis was awarded the 2023 Association Genève-Asie Prize.
Le texte seul est utilisable sous licence Creative Commons - Attribution - Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale - Pas de Modification 4.0 International - CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Les autres éléments (illustrations, fichiers annexes importés) sont « Tous droits réservés », sauf mention contraire.
The Development of International Refugee Protection through the Practice of the UN Security Council
Christiane Ahlborn
2010
The SWIFT Affair
Swiss Banking Secrecy and the Fight against Terrorist Financing
Johannes Köppel
2011
The Evolving Patterns of Lebanese Politics in Post-Syria Lebanon
The Perceptions of Hizballah among Members of the Free Patriotic Movement
Fouad Ilias
2010
La justice internationale à l'épreuve du terrorisme
Défis, enjeux et perspectives concernant la Commission d'enquête internationale indépendante (UNIIIC) et le Tribunal spécial pour le Liban
Sébastien Moretti
2009
Aut Dedere, aut Judicare: The Extradite or Prosecute Clause in International Law
Claire Mitchell
2009
The Development of International Refugee Protection through the Practice of the UN Security Council
Christiane Ahlborn
2010
The SWIFT Affair
Swiss Banking Secrecy and the Fight against Terrorist Financing
Johannes Köppel
2011
The Evolving Patterns of Lebanese Politics in Post-Syria Lebanon
The Perceptions of Hizballah among Members of the Free Patriotic Movement
Fouad Ilias
2010
La justice internationale à l'épreuve du terrorisme
Défis, enjeux et perspectives concernant la Commission d'enquête internationale indépendante (UNIIIC) et le Tribunal spécial pour le Liban
Sébastien Moretti
2009
Aut Dedere, aut Judicare: The Extradite or Prosecute Clause in International Law
Claire Mitchell
2009
