Women, Water, Wisdom: Making Space for Traditional Knowledge in Western Climate Policy and Practice

The Pacific Ocean is the most sparsely populated region on earth, while the island nations and peoples are also among the most threatened by climate change impacts. The isolation of these islands geographically is even akin to their isolation from western climate science and global climate policy discussions. In a time of rapid environmental, economic, and cultural change, how can we help these peoples and countries cope? Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) or indigenous ecological knowledge provide a valuable understanding of nature and culture to promote hope and positive action. In the first episode of Season 2, we meet Tui Shortland, Director of Te Kopu, Pacific Indigenous and Local Knowledge Centre of Distinction. Tui is a climate change leader for many of the island nations in the Pacific, and she’s worked hard to create space for indigenous peoples and women in the international climate policy community. New openings have appeared recently. Fiji recently hosted COP23 in December 2017, and the UNFCCC has created a new means for voices from non-state actors such as NGOs, ethnic and indigenous minorities, gender groups to participate in climate negotiations structured through a Polynesian tradition called “Talanoa dialogues” (https://talanoadialogue.com/). Tui describes a positive, urgent vision for residents of the Pacific Islands who have done little to contribute to global climate change but now face a highly uncertain future in their homelands. Following that conversation, we bring in AGWA’s Coordinator, John Matthews, to kick off a brand new segment called “Postcards from the Future.”

The Pacific Ocean is the most sparsely populated region on earth, while the island nations and peoples are also among the most threatened by climate change impacts. The isolation of these islands geographically is even akin to their isolation from western climate science and global climate policy discussions. In a time of rapid environmental, economic, and cultural change, how can we help these peoples and countries cope? Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) or indigenous ecological knowledge provide a valuable understanding of nature and culture to promote hope and positive action.

In the first episode of Season 2, we meet Tui Shortland, Director of Te Kopu, Pacific Indigenous and Local Knowledge Centre of Distinction. Tui is a climate change leader for many of the island nations in the Pacific, and she’s worked hard to create space for indigenous peoples and women in the international climate policy community. New openings have appeared recently. Fiji recently hosted COP23 in December 2017, and the UNFCCC has created a new means for voices from non-state actors such as NGOs, ethnic and indigenous minorities, gender groups to participate in climate negotiations structured through a Polynesian tradition called “Talanoa dialogues." Tui describes a positive, urgent vision for residents of the Pacific Islands who have done little to contribute to global climate change but now face a highly uncertain future in their homelands.

Following that conversation, we bring in AGWA’s Coordinator, John Matthews, to kick off a brand new segment called “Postcards from the Future.”