Local research: our own language, our own knowledge

Local research: our own language, our own knowledge

Colombia - 03 December, 2014

Pragmatic and experiential knowledge of women and men living in direct contact with natural resources and ecosystem services is a fundamental part of the cultural heritage of local communities. Such knowledge is translated into decisions that are taken on a daily basis by farmers and other inhabitants of the territory. This local knowledge is transmitted through generations, sometimes it includes variations and sometimes it is actively built and renewed in face of adaptation challenges, in terms of environmental factors or the appearance of new actors.

For this reason, Tropenbos International Colombia promotes the strengthening of capacities of High Andean campesino communities for the adaptation to climate change and stimulates local research among them under the framework of the project Communities in the Páramos. This approach not only serves as a strategy to make visible and systematize local knowledge, but also works as a tool for self-reflection and expression of the realities and the complexity of the living conditions of the different social groups.

The first step in developing local research is the identification of a theme or question that needs to be analyzed, for instance: climate variations and its relationship to human existence, what are plants used for, how much does it cost to grow potatoes, what are the tasks undertaken by women in the community, and so on. The main questions local researchers ask themselves are: what do I know and what do I need to research about? And, what is the best language to carry out my research? Since this is a methodology based on observation and dialogue, interaction and discussions are key components to create awareness about the surroundings and to find arguments to validate or reject certain practices.

The joint construction of local knowledge and management alternatives in local communities allows solid environmental management processes. It creates horizontal relationships based on trust and strengthens local actors in policy making processes by helping them to discover their own voice.

For more details about the local research processes in the project Communities in the páramos, please consult the poster: Local researchers, people from the páramo who know and recognize their territory (in spanish)