Aims of the Research and Advocacy Group

Hunter-gatherer groups are among the most marginalized peoples in the world today, and face severe threats to their cultures, their livelihoods, and in many places their very existence. The role of education for developing sustainable livelihoods is complex and multifaceted. Currently, most hunter gatherer communities have only limited access to educational institutions, and these are mostly assimilative. Many communities want to develop approaches that match their cultural values, priorities, needs and economic options. The Research and Advocacy Group for Hunter Gatherer Education aims to use research-based understanding to promote and support educational self-determination for hunter-gatherer communities. Through this platform, we aim to identify what research is needed, and where advocacy is best focused.

A primary aim of this research group is to provide an information and discussion platform for efforts and arguments that draw on the global significance of hunter and gatherer communities in order to support local efforts towards educational self-determination.

This research and advocacy group is a forum to discuss and compare various related aspects of education for hunter-gatherer communities around the world, including:

• the role of formal education for hunter-gatherer communities;
• traditional educational and knowledge-transmission practices among contemporary hunter-gatherers;
• the strategic approaches that hunter-gatherer communities employ to gain access to the skills and knowledge that they deem appropriate for their needs;
• the connection between education and self-determination for hunter-gatherers
• education for sustainable/regenerative development in the context of rapid socioeconomic and environmental change.

Membership

HG-Edu membership is free. It is open to those that share the interests and aims described above, and who agree to the code of conduct described on this page.

Membership benefits include the following

• Access to the members-only section of the HG-Edu website
• Access to the members-only communication channels
• Email updates about events and other initiatives relevant to the HG-Edu Group
• Opportunities to receive feedback on and promote one’s work among HG-Edu group members
• Taking part in collaborative content development for research and advocacy purposes

The working language of HG-Edu is English.

The HG-Edu steering committee reserves the right to refuse membership and/or to withdraw membership privileges for those that violate the code of conduct.

Data privacy

Our security protocols place strict restrictions on who has access to and uses users’ personal data and require us to secure user information from unauthorized access. The user’s personal data and activities in the members-only section of the website will not be shared with and/or forwarded to any third-party entities.

Ethics

HG-Edu insists upon ethical conduct with the communities that are the focus of the HG-Edu working group. All research and work conducted with these communities, or on their territory, should conform to strict ethical standards including Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), and national rules and policies (related for instance to Access Benefit Sharing), before engaging in any research or any other projects with these communities.

Please refer to the AAA Principles of Professional Responsibility.  

Code of Conduct

Members of HG-Edu agree to the following principles:

Respect: All communication on the HG-Edu website must be conducted with respect for other members.

Privacy: Respect for the privacy of other members is required. Harassment, including unwanted contact, of other members is not allowed.

Non-discrimination: HG-Edu is open to all members that meet the description above, regardless of origin, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or disability. Discrimination in any form (including inappropriate comments, misplaced jokes, mockery, racist allusions, insults) against other group member on these (or other) grounds will not be tolerated.

Political neutrality: the HG-Edu website is not a platform for the promotion of political ideologies. While recognition of political barriers to the aims of HG communities, and the research and advocacy group, is important, members should refrain from expressing overtly political opinions on the site.

No advertisement: The HG-Edu website does not allow promotion of for-profit products and services.