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UNCBD Clause of "Access and Benefit Sharing": Linking through traditional medicines, despite legal challenges

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 Slugline: Biological Diversiy has its legal challenges  By Malini Shankar   Digital Discourse Foundation Potions and lotions help with home remedes ... power of traditional medicines.  It was the days of the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations in the second half of the 1980s when bureaucrats from all countries were haggling out the best possible terms for the welfare of the people in their own countries. The Uruguay Round of Trade Negotiations made way for Agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) under the World Trade Organisation. This had nothing much to do with day long excursions as it comes out but belongs truly to rarefied, intellectually challenging trade negotiations - utterly invisible in plain sight. Negotiations was not easy for emerging economies in trade, more so in areas such as intellectual properties and traditional wisdom. Imagine the hapless bureaucrat’s state of mind if he or she had to negotiate to quantify intangi...
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2. Nutraceuticals – effective remedy for drug resistance.

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By Malini Shankar Digital Discourse Foundation Slugline:  Convention on Biological Diversity maybe an international covenant to conserve the biological wealth of Planet Earth – for Humanity alright. But how do we make stake holders benefit from this Convention so as to make it a win-win situation? In this 2 nd  article on the series Traditional Medicines, Malini Shankar takes a look at how Biological Diversity benefits Humankind. In the age of drug resistance and COVID 19 triggered steroid administration or modern medication –if you like - nutraceuticals have turned out to be the Manna from Heaven in battling drug overdose and steroid induced complications. Dr. H.B. Shivaleela, retired Head of the Department of Food and Nutrition in the University of Agricultural Sciences, G.K.V.K. Campus in Bangalore tells  Digital Discourse Foundation   that fenugreek sprouts is the go to solution to reverse the harmful impact and sife effects of steroid administration on our a...
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1. Using biological wealth sustainably is one of the links to Biodiversity conservation

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  Slug: United Nations’ “ Convention on Biological Diversity ” is often a less understood phrase bordering on ivory tower intellectualism that beats the comprehension of the Common person on the street. In this  series of articles we will uncover the significance of these three heavy words. By Malini Shankar Digital Discourse Foundation One of the ways the Convention on Biological Diversity manifests for common Man’s significance is traditional medicines.   Medicinal plants is a significant focus area for Biodiversity conservation indeed. The term “biodiversity” itself remains beyond the comprehension of the lay person, unfortunately. Biodiversity – simply put - is the value of a life form – a biological being – like say a very old tree - to the human landscape. Its value could obtain from its ecological, botanical, nutritional, organic, economic, spiritual, zoological, genetic, medicinal, agricultural livelihood value etc. The Dodda Sampige Tree – the Pagan ...
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Disaster Mitigation calls for transparent governance

  Editorial Disaster Mitigation calls for transparent governance The Myanmar Earthquake of 28 th March 2025, now referred to as the Big Mandalay Earthquake , left more questions unanswered than bringing clarity to the situation. Nearly two weeks after the 7.7 tremor the final death count nor the list of injured is readily available in public domain. Questions on preparedness almost do not exist for the ruling Junta. There are no official press releases, social media photos or other graphics readily available for referencing. Administrative documentation aint forthcoming. International media does not have access to survivors. There isn’t a quantifiable and credible national media that claims visibility. Media is left scrambling for an official website with official sources of information flow. The shallow depth of the epicenter (barely 16 kilometres below the surface) will account for denser than usual casualties, mortalities. Last reports – a week after the Earthquake indicat...
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