Project Details
Projekt
Confronting 'Green Colonialism' - Indigenous-led Action and Solutions for Food-Water-Energy Sustainability
Applicant
Professor Dr. Jürgen Runge
Subject Area
Physical Geography
Term
since 2024
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 539498712
The aim of the DFG proposal IPWA (Indigenous Peoples of West Africa) is on confronting ‘Green Colonialism’ is the empowerment of Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable Local Communities (IPvLCs) in Togo and Bénin by disclosing restrictive social and political structures to promote governance issues that are inclusive of Indigenous leaders. This inclusion and acknowledgment are needed to pave the way for Indigenous communities being part of identifying innovations, solutions, and ways forward in adapting and mitigating climate change. The major objectives of the project carried out with Kabyè and Peulh people are (1) to document the impacts of green colonialism on Indigenous People, (2) to identify Indigenous innovations and climate solutions that contribute to sustainable livelihoods, and (3) scaling-up research innovations for policy impact.The research approach is novel in six ways: (i) it is placed in an inter- and transdisciplinary research context recognizing and including Indigenous Knowledge as equal to science, (ii) the research team respects the inherent rights of Indigenous People to self-determination in research, (iii) it positions Indigenous Knowledge holders as experts on biodiversity and well-being, (iv) it will privilege Indigenous graduate students and mentor youth/young adults from Indigenous communities who have had limited post-secondary training but who can contribute to, and benefit from, mentorship by elders, academics and other young people, (v) the project considers diverse perspectives as it engages a significant number of woman and 2SLGBTQ2+ peoples as well as others living with disabilities, and (vi) the unprecedented global scope giving a diverse number of Indigenous People a voice across scales.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
International Connection
Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, USA
