The research uses de/anti-colonial and indigenous methodologies, placing the worldviews of those participating centre stage. This acknowledges the damage that the imposition of Western paradigms of knowledge production may have on the research and the communities in which we operate.
Instead, the project employs an ambitious action-focused, place-based methodological approach underpinned by a commitment to co-creation and the enhancement of critical climate literacy. The project uses participatory action research techniques to encourage sharing of traditional and indigenous knowledge and creative storytelling. This new knowledge informs eco-trekking experiences and through this, the women taking part in the research become involved in climate action.
This approach builds on previous work, focusing on youth-led climate action in the Lao Cai province and brings together the social sciences, arts, humanities and environmental sciences. This is research conducted ‘with’ not done ‘to’ communities which recognises lived experience as expertise, especially of traditionally underserved, underrepresented and under-resourced communities