Research Institute of World Ancient Traditions Cultures and Heritage, India, Arunachal Pradesh
(An Affiliate Unit of ICCS-US)
 

Research Institute of World’s Ancient Traditions Cultures and Heritage (RIWATCH) is a non-profit, non-governmental research cum community based organization demonstrating how cultural empowerment of ethnic communities is crucial for sustainable development. Our community based contacts and networking with community elders is our strength. 

RIWATCH has been ideally located in serene environs of a 5 hectare campus, far from the madding crowds in Khinjili village, 10 Kms off Roing town. It is also a qualitative facilitation center for various universities to execute field studies in different disciplines related to ethnic life of the local communities for awarding M.A., M. Phil, and Ph.D. degrees. Since 2013, every alternative year, RIWATCH executes Study Abroad Program for the students of University of South Florida, Tampa, USA

The institute provides expertise and facilitation for research scholars an access to a living laboratory of ethnic value system. We have honorary faculties of national and international repute, collaborations with renowned international institutes like University of South Florida and above all second line honorary faculties from elders of the community - the “wisdom keepers of traditional knowledge”. The institute’s Governing Body members are recognized experts in areas of education, social work, environmental science, traditional knowledge and international relations. 

Highlights

• RIWATCH, which was born as a project of the International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS USA) and was founded in November 2009. Today RIWATCH has,
• Ethnographic Museum of Northeast India
• Independent Research cottages to accommodate about 20 scholars at a time
• Model Herbal Medicinal Plants garden of 80 varieties of herbs
• Organised four national and three international seminars. Published two books, and third is under print.
• Documentation Center-with state of the art Audio Visual documentation facilities is under construction.
• Conference Hall, facilitation for Home-stay with indigenous communities etc.
• RIWATCH has been recognised by United Nations University - Institute of Advanced studies (UNU-IAS) as Regional Center of Education in Sustainable Development.
• Study Abroad programs with University of South Florida, at every alternative year since 2014.
• Won 2017 Obama-Singh Foundation Award jointly with University of South Florida & Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh for developing common curriculum  for under Graduate students in Environmental Education for US and India universities.
• Accomplished critical research on Tuberculosis involving Stanford University California, Guwahati Medical College, Assam and RIWATCH- Research published in International Journals in 2013.
• Published four Peoples Biodiversity Registers for UNDP and State Biodiversity Board Ar.Pr.
• Sent number of scholars on international platforms.
•  Active involvement of support of Govt. of India and State Government

RIWATCH receives financial support from philanthropists, state and central Government, International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS) and Sewa International. RIWATCH has been registered as a “Society” (Non-profit organization) under Societies Registration Act-1860 of India. 

RIWATCH is an affiliate Unit of International Center for Cultural Studies, US.

What makes RIWATCH special in the world is it’s unique approach in bringing ethic knowledge into academic forefront, It has two tracks of faculties to guide the research scholars,
 
1.    Senior professors and academic professionals. 
2.    Elders of various ethnic communities as Honorary Professors/Guides

This has provided open access for all the scholars to interact with ethnic communities in their living environment. To be more precise, RIWATCH’s approach has made access easy to the “living laboratory of rich culture”.

The foundation RIWATCH Campus was laid by His Excellency the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, General J. J. Singh, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retired), on 07 November 2009. He is also a Chief Patron of RIWATCH.

Vision and Mission

This vision and mission goes very much in tune with United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals and Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. It states “Cultural diversity widens the range of options open to everyone; it is one of the roots of development, understood not simply in terms of economic growth, but also as a means to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence.”

Vision Statement : “Vibrant culture through sustainable prosperity”

Various experiments done in different parts of the world shows that ‘development without integration of cultural values was not sustainable and vice versa. The vision of RIWATCH therefore envisages an inclusive approach ‘a vibrant culture’ through prosperity that is sustainable.  

Mission Statement :  “Empowering ethnic communities to prosper sustainably by strengthening their value system”

The objectives of RIWATCH further envisage promotion of research in cross cultural studies involving different unique traditions and cultures followed across the world. It is to unfold that the ethnic communities all over the world think alike and cherish same dreams.

Thus RIWATCH is a leading and upcoming cultural research institute of Northeast India, based in Roing, Dibang Valley district of eastern Arunachal Pradesh. Established in 2009, it has been making remarkable contributions to promote culture with ecological sustainability and economic development by hand-holding with research institutions, universities and community organizations of Arunachal Pradesh.  It has a managing council with Arunachali experts and scholars, with a Fulbright Scholar as Executive Director. RIWATCH has also a unique ethnographic museum since 2017, the only people’s museum in the NE India.

Withing a short span of 10 years, RIWATCH has number of research papers to its’ credit. It hosts Regional Centre of Education in Sustainable Development, recognised by United Nation’s University, Institute of Advanced Studies. Many universities like Dibrugarh University Dibrugarh (Assam), Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh, (Arunachal Pradesh), University of South Florida, Tampa (USA) have academic collaborations with RIWATCH. A new species of ginger (Zingiberaceae) found in upper region of Dibang Valley  has been named after RIWATCH as “Amomum riwatchii”.   In it’s effort in empowering communities, RIWATCH was catalyst in getting a GI tag to Idu-Mishmi textiles in the name of Idu Mishmi Cultural and Literary Society.

https://search.ipindia.gov.in/GIRPublic/Application/Details/625

Today RIWATCH houses an ethnographic Museum, a Documentation Center, Herbal Garden, Research Cottages, Conference Hall, Library & reading facilities. The strength of RIWATCH is it’s volunteer force, honorary visiting faculties, traditional knowledge holders from different ethnic communities and above all great support of local people from Arunachal Pradesh.