Centre For International Ethnomedicinal Edu And Research

The loss of both indigenous knowledge and plant biodiversity is accelerating throughout the world. Knowledge of the uses of medicinal plants especially from vanishing cultures living in threatened habitats appears to be especially vulnerable to loss. To counteract this accelerated erosion, CIEER proposes to develop the Global Ethnomedicinal Information Retrieval System (GEIRS). GEIRS will serve as an invaluable Internet archival tool which will assist the collaborative exchange of research data from 10 major regions. This novel 5 year initiative will establish an unprecedented collaboration of scientists, guide prioritization of global ethnomedicinal research efforts and serve as a basis to systematically archive the world's 40,0000+ medicinal plants. Information will be returned to participating indigenous communities as educational materials to permanently archive their traditional knowledge, and empower local traditional health care systems. Funds received will be used to purchase computer equipment, publish educational materials, and provide technical training/workshops for collaborators.