GROUPE DE RECHERCHE SUR LES SAVOIRS TRADITIONNELS

history

©GREST 2006
"Let us keep on the memory of the past to build the future..."
Samedi 19 Avril 2025

History

The idea to create a workgroup on the " native knowledges " in the Ivorian context was born after the congress of the IFLA in 2003 (International Federation of librarians' Associations). During this congress, a statement(declaration) said about Glasgow advanced the key role of the librarians and the information officers of the southern countries, in the valuation of the local knowledge. The international frame is right current favorable to a movement of return towards the " traditional knowledges: Indigenous Knowledge ". In the least industrialized countries numerous bodies are born around the question of among which: L'Indigenous People's Biodiversity Network (IPBN) ; le Conseil Mondial des Peuples Indigènes (CMPI) etc.
People's Indigenous Biodiversity Network ( IPBN); the World Council of the Native Peoples ( CMPI) etc.
The objective of the Group of Research on the Traditional Knowledges is to list the know-how of the peoples of Ivory Coast. In it, the association makes a little pioneer's face. Monumental works were realized from the dawn of the conquest of the continent by eminent researchers (ethnographers, sociologists, anthropologists). Let us remind the memory of professors MEMEL Foté and NIANGORAN Bouah; these founding masters of the Institute of Ethno-sociology of Abidjan. Also let us quote the works of the Group of Research in Oral Tradition. ( GRTO). All these works privilege to our report, the "intellectual" aspect; the knowledges and not the " know how ".
The originality of our initiative lies in our will to list these know-how, to fix in writing, practices spontaneously taught, orally within the rural populations. It is thus a question for every "practice", to spot the materials of preparation (clothing business), the technique of manufacturing, and the directions for use, by using the technologies of information and communication put in our reach(impact).
Our project leaves a concern deliberately utilitarian: the possible re-use of these various instruments in the future. Our work wants scientist, but not learned work reserved for a class of initiated. It wants a popularization work of accessible to a large number.
Africa needs to rediscover, and to exploit its own values to build itself. It remains for us a strong, visceral conviction. That is why we choose as logo of the group, the Achan weight San kô fa where the bird bites its tail. Symbol of the return to basics, it means: return towards your past to build your future. This weight summarizes all our concern : to know himself, take support on this knowledge to build the Future.
Our ambition is big, the "disproportionate" task, the conversely proportional means in the intention. But our faith in the correctness of our comment is even stronger and the unlimitedness of the task does not pall us. We know how to rely on willingnesses such yours, to help us realize this project.
We deliver you on this web site an outline of the working program which we suggest undertaking within the framework of the association, modest contribution to the discovery again our knowledges and values.

The président of the GREST

Mrs Monnet Badjo Bernadette

Sociologue Conservateur des bibliothèques

Our contacts
Mrs Monnet (00225) 47 043 654
M. DJIRE Ousmane (00225) 04 829 656
Address: postal 22 BP 1039 Abidjan 22 mail: grest_ci@yahoo.fr
Headquaters : Côte d’Ivoire/ Abidjan_ Yopougon FICGAYO/ face résidence ODI/ Appart N°2386