Situating 'community-based conservation' in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea

Abstract

This essay explores the intentions of 'discourse' in the development setting. It explores how a discourse in particular can permeate cultural borders. It is about the power of a discourse being strong enough to shape peoples relationships to their environment through constructs of what is 'truth' and what is 'knowledge'. It is about the inability of this particular discourse to transcend its own agenda, thus compromise local development agendas. The discourse is 'conservation'. Its associates are inter alia 'biodiversity', 'preservation' and 'nature'. I intend to question the assumptions surrounding 'conservation', and explore whether the application of this discourse in particular is compatible, albeit appropriate to Bougainvillian culture. Because the discourse of conservation has been coupled with that of 'development' in recent years (see Brandon & Wells 1992, Western and Wright 1994, and for a critical discussion on the merger see Sachs 1999), I will also question the assumptions surrounding 'development'. Because 'community-based conservation' is the latest model attempting to marry 'conservation' and 'development' together, then this concept will compromise the basis for exploration.