Exploring Commons Systems in India

Gino Cocchiaro and Kabir Bavikatte met with Dr. Krishna Ravi Srinivas of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) www.ris.org.in on the 28th of February 2010 in New Delhi. Dr. Srinivas was extremely interested in the concept of Traditional Knowledge Commons that Natural Justice has been working on and the meeting explored possibilities of collaboration between Natural Justice and RIS. Two proposals were discussed- The first was the possibility of developing a pilot Traditional Knowledge Commons between a community and the FRLHT (Foundation for the Revitalization of Local Health Traditions) in India with the first meeting in June 2010. The second was the possibility of Natural Justice and RIS putting together a panel on Traditional Knowledge Commons at the 13th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) from the 10th-14th of January 2011 in Hyderabad, India. The Conference will be hosted by the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) whom Natural Justice contacted in India regarding presenting a paper on Traditional Knowledge Commons under the sub-theme of New Commons (Digital Commons, Genetic Commons, Patents, Music, Literature etc.)

Gino Cocchiaro and Kabir Bavikatte met with Ruchika Bahl, Director (Global) Law for All Initiative, Ashoka: Innovators for the Public in New Delhi on the 28th of February 2010. The meeting focussed on the work of Natural Justice relating to bio-cultural protocols and the possibility of providing support to some of Ashoka's fellows working on issues of community rights and the environment. The meeting also discussed the criteria for an Ashoka fellowship in the context of Natural Justice's work on bio-cultural protocols. The meeting concluded with a commitment from both Natural Justice and Ms. Bahl to continue to explore possibilities of working together in the long run.