What we are doing

We are working with Roger Chennells in the creation of a San Intellectual Property Centre with our project partner, the South African San Institute (SASI), an NGO that mobilises resources for the benefit of the San peoples.  This centre is intended to develop and strengthen the capacity of the San to fully understand, manage and utilise their heritage and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

The main components to the project are as follows:

1. 1)Legal Assistance
   

2. •  Protimos lawyers will provide co-ordinated legal assistance to the San to help
   

                them to protect their IPR, flowing from the Hoodia plant domestically and

                internationally.

2. 2)Legal capacity building
   

3. •  Running focused workshops with San communities to build their capacity to
   

                protect their IPR.

1. •  Sourcing funds to send two San to law school, and train and mentor these
   

               lawyers during the project.

1. •  Establishing a San Intellectual Property Centre, to institutionalise the San’s
   

                traditional knowledge and unique heritage.

1. •  Building up the legal capacity of the San Hoodia Trust.
   

The protection of Intellectual Property is a unifying force for the marginalised San, with the potential to protect their unique heritage through the San Intellectual Property Centre.  Furthermore, we hope that through this project, and with the further practical implementation of the Hoodia benefit sharing case, this will be an example to other countries and indigenous peoples worldwide.