DECODE webinar: Wise Women. Acholi Knowledge. Climate Leaders.

The UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education organised a DECODE webinar - Wise Women. Acholi Knowledge. Climate Leaders - An African Webinar on Traditional Knowledge & Climate Resilience, on Thursday, April 10th, 2025.

This webinar was part of the DECODE project, which seeks evidence of policy or practice impact in the context of epistemological diversity and decolonized co-construction of locally contextualized and actionable knowledge. With an analysis of six case studies internationally, the implications for undertaking such research and making impacts on climate resilience will be shared.

This webinar explored how traditional African knowledge, exemplified by the Wise Women Uganda case study, is actively contributing to climate change mitigation and community regeneration. By sharing insights alongside practices from a similar network in Embu, Kenya, the discussion co-generated a deeper understanding of climate solutions rooted in African wisdom. The Director of the Centre for Training Community Based Participatory Research and Vice Chancellor of Gulu University, Professor George Openjuru, helped situate the discussion together with engaged scholar Professor Madrine King`endo of Embu University and Dr. Rajesh Tandon - the UNESCO Co-Chair in Community Based Participatory Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education. The aim was to highlight the potential of these approaches for broader application and policy influence in addressing environmental and societal challenges.

The DECODE project is funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and coordinated by the UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education. It builds on the Knowledge Democracy studies originated by Co-Chairs Dr. Rajesh Tandon and Prof. Budd Hall.