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Cultural Ecology

What is Cultural Ecology?

How culture and environment interact

Religious beliefs & practices

Gender roles

Art & music

Traditional healing

Oral history

The culture of food and nutrition

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Why is a Cultural Understanding

Important? Why is a Cultural understanding important?

Original UN pillars of sustainable development-

Economic

Environmental

Political

UNESCO additions

Based on the call for Socio-Cultural element from

indigenous groups

Our recommendations are meant to fulfill the socio-cultural element

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Recommendations for Socio-Cultural

Development

Leadership training

Publicity campaign for Fatou Seck's recipe book Franco-Islamic School

Cultural Centers- West African and Fulani traditions

(eg. music, dance, and visual arts) Suggestions for future research: Why are cultural

buildings (i.e. womens and youth centers)underused?

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Leadership Training

Many residents of Guede Chantier with potential forhelping the process of socio-cultural development

Leadership seminars would benefit the population ofGuede Chantier by furthering the personaldevelopment of these individuals

Recommendations: 3-day long workshops led by

professional leadership trainers Leadership training is the glue that holds all of our

recommendations together: will put suggestedprojects in motion.

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Publicity Campaign for Fatou Seck's

TraditionalR

ecipe Book Recipe book could be a valuable resource to Guede

Chantier

Retain cultural element: food culture

We learned that millet crop disappeared withmodernization

Book requires local campaign so that people will

know about it and use it Recommendation:

Fatou Seck and small team visit homes to presentbooks and explain nutritional benefits

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Franco Islamic School

Importance: Learned from Imam Ly that manyfamilies dislike formal education because it conflictswith Fulani culture

But, the people also recognize the need for moderneducation in order to develop

Therefore, a Franco-Islamic school is a goodcompromise

Land has been granted to Imams and theirassociation (Association Islamique)

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Cultural Center

Should promote diversity but mainly support WestAfrican and Fulani traditions

Why? Guede Chantier very diverse, but also a very

strong Pulaar culture

Pulaar culture is also very diverse (Hal-pulaar)

Classes in music, visual art, and dance

Benefits: provide jobs, encourage creativity,reinforce pride in local cultures

Suggestions: Establish this Complexe Culturelle inthe building designated to be developed into a youthcenter.

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Future Research Suggestions

Why are culturalbuildings (i.e. womensand youth centers)

underused? Gender specific issues-

at the local levelwomen are inspired to

become leaders: whatdo they need forencouragement?