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An Intermediary Database Node in the Namibian Communities Indigenous Knowledge Management System

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Digitisation of Culture: Namibian and International Perspectives

Abstract

Numerous nations have launched into the digitization and management of indigenous knowledge following very different agendas and strategies as demonstrated in the Indian and South African cases. Current implementations of digital indigenous knowledge management systems have not resolved epistemological differences nor implemented community-based knowledge sharing practices. In Namibia, we are promoting a community-driven approach determined to keep the indigenous knowledge holders at the centre of the knowledge creation, collection and sharing process within the digital realm. Thus, we have been co-designing technologies with indigenous communities, whilst on the other side we have been leading the development of a national indigenous knowledge management system. In this paper, we are presenting the concept of an intermediary node between those two instances with a bias towards a community perspective.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Namibian National Commission on Science, Research and Technology for financially supporting the project. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Otjisa and Erindiroukambe community for their commitment to this project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Namibia University of Science and Technology, 13 Storch Street, Windhoek, Namibia

    Michael Bosomefi Chamunorwa & Heike Winschiers-Theophilus

  2. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Jalan Datuk Mohammad Musa, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia

    Tariq Zaman

Authors
  1. Michael Bosomefi Chamunorwa
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  2. Heike Winschiers-Theophilus
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  3. Tariq Zaman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Bosomefi Chamunorwa .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Science, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia

    Dharm Singh Jat

  2. Computer Science, HTW Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Jürgen Sieck

  3. Computer Science, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia

    Hippolyte N'Sung-Nza Muyingi

  4. Computer Science, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia

    Heike Winschiers-Theophilus

  5. Computing and Informatics, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia

    Anicia Peters

  6. Computer Science, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia

    Shawulu Nggada

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Chamunorwa, M.B., Winschiers-Theophilus, H., Zaman, T. (2018). An Intermediary Database Node in the Namibian Communities Indigenous Knowledge Management System. In: Jat, D., Sieck, J., Muyingi, HN., Winschiers-Theophilus, H., Peters, A., Nggada, S. (eds) Digitisation of Culture: Namibian and International Perspectives. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7697-8_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7697-8_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-7696-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-7697-8

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