DIGGING FOR DIVERSITY
We aim to dig deeper into the fascinating world of research about diversity and social-ecological tipping points in the Southwestern Amazon and to provide an insight into interdisciplinary science and teaching.
Our goal is to foster dialogue among natural and social scientists, but also among civil society and practitioners. The research we cover is conducted in the frame of the research project PRODIGY, funded by the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF).
Since we are an international project, episodes are published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Here is the lastest episode and a list of other chapters.
Episode 1: PRODIGY in a nutshell
In this first episode we invited Dr. Regine Schönenberg and Prof. Hermann Jungkunst to tell us more about where the idea of the PRODIGY project came from and in which topics the researchers are most interested in.
Episode 2: Teaching the Peruvian Amazon
In this episode we talk with Ana Molina, a researcher working on and in the Peruvian Amazon. We talk about the narratives that exist about this region and about the local knowledge that exists there. And we hear about her attempts to open the dialogue between local knowledge holders and academia.
Episode 3: Gender and Community Feminism
This time we talk with two participants from the PRODIGY postgrad-course about community-based feminism (Lorena Cabnal) and gender theories. We reflected on the power dynamics that are visible in society, for example in the mining sector and talk about alternative knowledges and ways to see and understand the world.
Episode 4: New Commitments and More Delays?
In the following podcast two former PRODIGY course participants tell us about their experiences as observers at the UN Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow which took place in november 2021. Who are the YOUNGOS and RINGOS? What was the impact of the pandemic on the conference? Which were their takeaways from the COP26? You will find the answer to this and other questions in the following podcast
Episode 5: In another corner of Pando: The Departmental Reserve Bruno Racua
In this episode, two members of the team of the Departmental Secretariat of Mother Earth in Pando, Bolivia, talk about the competencies of the departmental institution and its role in the Departmental Wildlife Reserve Bruno Racua. This protected area was created in 2005 and is located in the Bolivian Amazon, in the department of Pando. If you want to learn more about Pando, we invite you to listen to this talk.
Episode 6: Convergent Spaces: Delusive Division Between the Human and the Natural
In the following chapter, two members of the Departmental Secretariat of Mother Earth share their experiences in managing conservation of ecosystems in nature reserve areas, specifically for the Bruno Racua Wildlife Reserve in the department of Pando, Bolivia. What differences exist in the protocols for the protection of domestic and wild animals? What is the role of indigenous peoples and other communities living in nature reserve areas? How are environmental education programs targeting children being developed? Listen to these and other related discussions in the podcast.
Episode 7: Between the Sea and the Forest: Extractivist communities in the Amazon rainforest and at the coast of Baja California, Mexico
We talked with Prof. Dr. Sergio Cruz and Prof. Miguel Villavicencio about their work with fishing communities and collectors of pine nuts in Mexico and Brazil nuts in Bolivia, respectively. In this episode, both illustrate their perspectives on the linkages between humans and nature, delving into the trade-offs between conservationist discourses and the logic of economic benefit. How do they critically reflect on development? Which challenges do they face in the search for sustainable economic alternatives that will last over time and thus be a viable option to maintain the dignified life of individuals in the communities? We explore the challenges of building an environmental education that offers a viable alternative for future generations, as well as a sustainable environment for all living entities of diverse social-ecological systems.
Episode 8: The Strengths of Being a Researcher and a Mother
We spoke with Yara Paula, an Acrean woman and biologist who studies fire in the Amazon. Her scientific activities are enriched by a practice of dialogue with the lineage of women in her family, spanning generations, and with the populations of the Amazon rainforest.
Episode 9: Dialogues Between Territorial Borders and Disciplines
We talk with two students from Bolivia and Peru who participated in the third online graduate course, “Transformations in Socioecological Systems in the Southwestern Amazon.” They shared their impressions of the fieldwork conducted in 2022 and discussed the challenges and opportunities of interdisciplinary work in the MAP region. By comparing Pando and Madre de Dios—each with specific regulations for their natural reserve zones—their approaches offer insights for reflecting on diversity in interconnected areas. We conclude by discussing the methodological practices they used to decolonize ways of acquiring and producing knowledge during the fieldwork.
Episode 10: A Course as a Space for Cross-Border Knowledge and Friendships
We talk with Laiane Santos from Brasiléia, Acre, Brazil. Laiane, a feminist and socio-environmental activist, shares her experience in the Prodigy course. This conversation highlights that a learning course on socioecological transformation processes is more than just learning from those who teach—it’s also about learning from the participants themselves. People like Laiane brought their knowledge into the course, fostering the appreciation of diverse types of knowledge as well as relationships with other participants and the people they met during fieldwork. For Laiane, the course was a space for engaging with new methods of knowledge and a place where friendships were formed.
Episode 11: Raimundo, Environmental Leader, Shares His Amazonian Memories
Through the stories of Raimundão, an environmental leader and resident of the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, we delve into the collective resistance of extractive communities during the decline of the rubber boom in the 1970s. Their fight against advancing land uses is highlighted through the strategy of “empate” (a form of non-violent resistance). Additionally, we explore the cultural dimension of these communities, featuring the Prayer to the Rubber Tree and the belief in forest spirits—elements that are increasingly absent from the narratives of younger generations. Join us on a sound journey of courage and struggle, reminding us that Brazilian society’s vision regarding land use in the Amazon is still being negotiated.