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Each person possesses knowledge. This is made up of facts, feelings, ideas,
thoughts, experiences, interpretations, and stories.
When people come together they share their knowledge.
Sometimes this is the same.
Sometimes this is similar. Sometimes this is different.
Sometimes no one knows.
When it is not the same or when no one knows this is where research can help.
The researcher is a facilitator and collector
of information, and synthesiser and translator of this information.
The researcher is influenced by their own knowledge.
The researcher utilises three things: (1) Fellow researchers, experts
(2) Previous research (3) Stakeholders
Stakeholders can include:
(1) Decision makers (2) The Community of interest
(3) The general public
The impact of research can be negatively influenced by bias, politics, power and fear.
It can also be negatively impacted up on by poorly interpreted data, poorly constructed methodology.
How do we exchange knowledge to find the truth and avoid the negative influences
Dr. Marika describes this formation of new knowledge as Ganma
Dr. Marika describes this formation of new knowledge as Ganma
Ganma is the name of a lagoon where saltwater meets fresh water. Water is a symbol of knowledge
in Yolngu philosophy and the metaphor for the meeting of two bodies of water is a way of
talking about knowledge systems of two cultures working together.
DIFFERENT VOICE: A river of water from
the sea and a river of water from the land mutually engulf each other upon flowing into
a common lagoon and becoming one. In coming together, the streams of water mix across
the interface of the two currents and foam is created. This foam represents a new kind
of knowledge. The forces of the stream combine and lead to deeper understanding and truth.
Essentially, Ganma is a place where knowledge is (re)created
Water like knowledge has memory. When two
different waters meet to create Ganma, they diffuse into each other, but they do not forget
who they are or where they come from. Using this metaphor, people from differing cultures
and backgrounds can share deeply, without losing their history or integrity.