Chévez, Estrella

In the context of transdisciplinary research in Latin America, community members often expect to be recognized as citizens with valuable capabilities and knowledge, co-creating a common understanding of social-ecological systems and strategies to safeguard resources. Communication has played a major role in recovering historical memory and driving social changes in Latin America, particularly within social mobilization, such as decolonization and environmental justice movements. For many Latin American actors, such as local communities, grassroots organizations, and leaders from non-profit organizations, the term ‘communication’ is understood as something shaped and transformed by lived experiences, cultural narratives, traditions, and power dynamics. The Network for Participatory Research in Latin America (Red de Investigación Participativa en América Latina - RIPAL) is developing a repository of transdisciplinary research tools and cases for the region that are publicly accessible online. The objective of this work is to compare and analyze these tools and cases, to answer questions about the factors affecting the communication between researchers and non-researchers, the forms and channels of communication (e.g., oral, visual, written, or performative), and how inclusive different worldviews are in these communications. These tools are applicable in pedagogical, practical, and research contexts. They facilitate the use of qualitative and quantitative data and promote consensus. They are collaborative, useful for stakeholder mapping, applicable in in-person or virtual workshops, foster trust, and are suitable for all ages and diverse contexts. Within this work we aim to offer a common ground to facilitate discussions on the challenges and opportunities in advancing communication within transdisciplinary research on Latin American common-pool resources.