Bridging Cross-Cultural Knowledge Through a Bilingual Biosecurity Glossary

Abstract

This chapter outlines the issues in the development of a multi-disciplinary social science and science glossary related to biosecurity management in Northern Australian and Eastern Indonesia. Specific issues related to bilingual, bicultural communication as they relate to the growth of biosecurity research capacity are addressed. For the last 3 years, the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity (CRC NPB) has conducted a project managing biosecurity across borders based on partnerships, collaboration, and cooperation between various institutions in Australia and Indonesia. It became apparent early on that knowledge about the biosecurity issues of communities on both sides of the border was limited. As a result this unique glossary of terms called Glossary of Biosecurity Management was developed. This glossary documents and defines the cross disciplinary terms necessary to understand the community management of biosecurity (CMB).

The three main sections of the glossary are biosecurity, social science and community, and are presented in both English and Bahasa Indonesia languages. It is arranged in four sections. The first is concerned with identifying that the purpose of the glossary is to increase clarity and consistency in the use and understanding of terms and definitions around CMB, as well as for information and knowledge exchange, while the second focuses on building an initial list of terms and definitions: the terms are sourced mainly from the research teams’ reports, input from extensive international networks of academic and practitioner colleagues and of course from the internet. The third section evaluates the glossary drafts by team members and the international networks mentioned above and finishes by revising and printing the first edition. It is recognized that the glossary is in a constant state of development and must be reviewed at regular intervals. It is also planned to develop the bilingual glossary into a multilingual glossary of CMB, using other major languages. Of key importance will be the capacity of the glossary to bridge the cross-cultural knowledge bases of global biosecurity and to provide a tool for promoting cross-cultural communication and common understandings in this area.

* The English version of the Glossary with the Indonesian language equivalent terms is reproduced as Appendix A to this book. There is in addition, an Indonesian Glossary. The Glossary is published in full on the AusIndoBIOCOM website www.ausindobiocom.net with a link on the home page.