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The lasting impact of peer research with Indigenous communities of Guyana, South America

Authors:
Jayalaxshmi Mistry at Royal Holloway, University of London
Jayalaxshmi Mistry
Andrea Berardi at The Open University
Andrea Berardi
Elisa Bignante at University of Turin
Elisa Bignante
Deirdre Jafferally at Cobra Collecive
Deirdre Jafferally
  • Cobra Collecive
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Abstract

Indigenous communities retain considerable knowledge and skills for environmental governance, but continue to be largely excluded from political, economic, social and cultural life, with limited rights to land and the mechanisms for determining their own development. Working in a team of academics and Indigenous peer researchers, the authors used participatory video and photography to explore the importance of community owned solutions for addressing environmental challenges in the Guiana Shield region of South America, as a means to further Indigenous empowerment and self-determination. Drawing on follow up video interviews conducted with Guyanese peer researchers, community members and wider government and non-governmental stakeholders, this chapter documents the lasting impacts of peer research, for individuals and communities, as well as policy and practice, beyond project implementation.
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The lasting impact of peer research with Indigenous communities
of Guyana, South America


!"
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('&%&%'()
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Abstract








 !

 

"

Introduction
#$%&&'$%&()*
+,-./"01
2,3#
4
),3#4*.",3#4
5555565 7
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

"8

"
7) *
894
0:



8.",3#4

 
":7
7;

"
Background

<%=
)$%&>*
7
8
7

8

-
?@/%
6
&(=
:)#$%&A*,




8

7
.1B/&!&
/'))0'
!''))!1/&
&&.'0&/'0'
1/&''
''&''!+)!
)!!&!)''
/-!)
)1$%%/,$%&A$>%*8

5555565
87  
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).F*)..*G 
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C.F..
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.",3#4.F..
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;
"
)'$%&(*-


6"7



0:3
J

K
.",3#47+,
#

"

7

BIL

)- .1
$%%@C'-$%%H*
7).'$%%$C
$%%/C4$%&<*
"
73

.",3#4
"
Methods
.",3#4

 '$%&>
"7

" 
,3I),3* 
J'
.:K
"7
#0-
.,:


"
"K
@%
8
8
7
2EEEE
+6
M
"
;

 
)K*
Findings

2&, $
@,
 <
8&2, 
8 
8
"


6N

.",3#42
B"-')'!10
-!)&)&)
0!))!!L)
*
B/))''&1/
-&''
&1/
')2L)*
 .",3#4

2
B'-!')&1
%3.'L)*
B%.'))&').'
!&)-!!
')0)1.'
'.'-')L)
*
;
.",3#42
B"!)O.",3#4P
!1%1/''!
$)0)))
L)*
8$2
87

,
2
B&--
!'0'')1
&&*##4*)))
#'#5&')'0'
"!%.'L)*
B"'061%.'!'
!1"!!
!17'%.'0"!!
').'--!"
!3.'%').'L)
*
8
2
B)!!.'!1
8)!-!!!'!
!!-!!
'L) *
B")'')!1"9!
&))'')17'%.'"
!&)')
:!)L)*
"
2
B%.'''&)!
1"'''
'!'!;<=<>L)*
B7'%.'"!'
*()!%&-'%
3!!)&)1"
&!!3?'))&)
!!L)*
;
2
B"9)O,3#4P&-!&!&)")'1
!))L)*
B&-!)1)-)!
!)3?)''1
!)&'!!18)
'L)*

..",3#4

  
 
K.",3#4



.F..
2
B%'@')-)1*-
')'01/
)%!
')13-')L)
*
B.'&)!0))!'
1%)&'&!
'')1!
&L)*
B?!%.''!!0&)
&&)&')!
!&)!&)!'!L
)*
B?)'&)1"-%-
&)!1")))))
'%))')L
) *
B-!)')!$
)&!&01"&)
')&)')O
P'&-L)*
8@2, 
, 
7 
2
B"-'-'!)&')
')'))L)
*
BA'-"&')'
&!)')$
.'0'!!L)
*

 
2
B3!%7!
!))!!'))'1"-
%!.&!')!!
!L) *
B&0!%7)-!&)
')-!''1"&
)'')&')
!'1%71#)!)
&')B9&2L) 
,3*
B"!))1%'&)!1 ')!
)C))1"'
)')')1
'))L)
 *
'.",3#4:

"2
B)'))//A1
%.'//A1/')'%)
)*3-1/)%')
)'')1'
)'&)
-'!
-L) ,3*
8<2
.",3#48
7
62
B'&'&)))
')-!)'
')&)!!L)*
,.",3#4



2
B%0'1"-))-1
)&-!)))&1
)0')')L) *


2
B'!*))))!1/&
-')1%'!'!
!1))'$L
)*
8."
,3#4

"?
2
B.'!!!
1/'.'0&)'!!
!1!)!')L
)*
, 

2
B")'D)'!&')
')'''')
!1')!$1"&')
'L)*
Discussion
37
;6

8
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
8

8
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
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B'-!')&1
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.",3#4

C

7
6
7
7

Q:
"
"

 
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7
:7

B%)&'&!
'')1!
&L.F..
"
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

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I
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N
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3
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7
 
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E"!!!
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'
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7K
.
BLB
L8
:"C"

87
K
.",3#4 3

K


3
J)e.g. 
'$%&(*
7
 +
,

.



87
?

8
 N

8.FE..
 
8
 
7
"
.7G
.",3#4J

E)*
78K
"


K8
"9

.",3#4
.FE.."
6

3:
'.:K
94K..E.F

"-
"


.",3#4,3#4

0,3#4:R
Conclusions
B"&$''+!!!'
'G"!)!'
C)&')"!)'))
-!')')H':)!
''!')'''
'-!"!)-!!
)'))'!!'
-!&0"!)L),$%&A$A%*
!

)'#$%&HC#I18
$%&H* 
 -
.",3#4
 2

)*
...F
+8
...F:
8

C)*
7
"

8
6
"

"
.",3#4
,,,,


)*8,,

"
Acknowledgements
94
.",3#4
.",3#4+.'
94!4+,
/-
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#'S,8+#3!1N4
#"4T!SK!F)$%&(*
 
 
'!7'$%)@*2<$
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#3''&@)&*2&&H &$%
#I+18- ')$%&H*+
7''@($)H$A&*2&$/$ &$/@
,F)$%&A*#
+24
I3!
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... The peer research approach has been widely used in youth, social work and public health research, as well as projects involving marginalised communities (Abma et al., 2019;Beaton et al., 2017;Kelly et al., 2020;Kilpatrick et al., 2007;Lushey & Munro, 2015;Martin et al., 2019;Mistry et al., 2021;Smith et al., 2002;Spuerck et al., 2023) and is gaining recognition in migration and refugee studies (Mata-Codesal et al., 2020;Nienaber et al., 2023;Tokola et al., 2023). Peer research can be broadly defined as a type of Participatory Action Research (PAR) in which people with lived experience of the issues studied are invited to take part in the project, not as research participants or gate keepers, but as researchers. ...
... The benefits for the research projects are widely recognised: peer researchers help to deepen researchers' understanding of the question studied, and provide valuable support in both the recruitment of participants and interpretation of data collected. Involving peer researchers has been seen as an attempt to reduce the asymmetries between the researchers and research participants, especially in areas where the researchers are in the position of privilege and/or the research concerns groups that are particularly marginalised (Beaton et al., 2017;McCartan et al., 2012;Mistry et al., 2021;Pincock & Bakunzi, 2021;Tokola et al., 2023). Thus, this participatory approach arguably contributes to decolonising academia by disrupting certain gatekeeping mechanisms, such as the authority of the academic researchers, and by broadening the scope of perspectives and experts, whose experience and voice is taken into account in research projects (Parker et al., 2018;Stanton, 2014). ...
... They are, however, crucial in recognising the power relations implicit in these collaborations, and ensuring that adopting the peer research approach is something more than just a way of obtaining access to difficult-to-reach groups. This is well recognised in indigenous research (see Beaton et al., 2017;Mistry et al., 2021) and emphasised in existing codes of practice for citizen science (see ECSA (European Citizen Science Association), 2015) as well as community research (see e.g. Lloyd-Evans et al., 2023; The Young Foundation: Ten principles of peer-research, date accessed, 2024). ...
Enhancing benefits for peer researchers: towards a flexible and needs-based approach to participatory research
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2024
  • Int J Soc Res Meth
The involvement of peer researchers has recently gained popularity insocial research, and the incentives for using participatory methodologies are well recognised. However, as we argue, the sole presence of peer researchers does not equate to their immediate empowerment, and more attention should be given to the roles they play in the research and the ways in which they can tangibly benefit from such collaborations. We explore the seemingly mundane aspects of work such as recruitment, training, conducting research, dissemination and the afterlife of the project, to suggest that meaningful engagement of peer researchers demands a tailored approach that is receptive to their particular needs and motivations, and is supportive of their individual growth. Our critical reflection stems from a two-year-long collaboration with peer researchers in Poland undertaken as part of a Horizon 2020 project, which explored the lives of young migrants and refugees in Europe.
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Using participatory video in environmental research
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2024
Tackling environmental challenges that face humanity requires us to acknowledge new ways of working and to cross disciplinary boundaries. However, the methodological toolkit used by environmental researchers to explore the human attitudes, knowledge and behaviours that drive global challenges such as biodiversity loss and climate breakdown remains constrained. Here, we describe participatory video, a methodology for capturing and communicating knowledge, which goes beyond interviews, focus groups and participant observation. We draw from the literature and our own experience of conducting participatory video projects in Nepal, Guyana and Peru. We demonstrate the diverse ways in which the methodology can be applied to environmental research and highlight its strengths and limitations. Participatory video provides a more holistic understanding of environmental issues by using multiple types of data, its longer‐term engagement with issues, opening channels of communication between stakeholders, engaging a diversity of knowledge systems and advocating for transformative change. By taking a participatory video approach, environmental researchers may begin to counter commonplace criticisms about lack of diversity and entrenched colonialism. This simultaneously responds to wider calls for environmental research to engage with social justice issues, represent diverse voices, understand different contexts and acknowledge the role of power. Crucially, this helps build trust amongst all those involved. By demonstrating how we have successfully used participatory video in projects in conservation, ecology and climate science, we provide guidance for researchers looking to expand their methodological toolkit. Ultimately, we seek to improve the use of participatory methods to help support communities to tackle the environmental challenges that they face. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
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Applying the system viability framework for cross-scalar governance of nested social-ecological systems in the Guiana Shield, South America
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2015
  • ECOL SOC
Linking and analyzing governance of natural resources at different scales requires the development of a conceptual framework for analyzing social-ecological systems that can be easily applied by a range of stakeholders whose interests lie at different scales, but where the results of the analysis can be compared in a straightforward way. We outline the system viability framework, which allows participants to characterize a range of strategies in response to environment challenges for maintaining the long-term survival of their particular system of interest. Working in the Guiana Shield, South America, and with a range of local, regional, and international stakeholders, our aim was to use system viability to (1) investigate synergies and conflicts between distinct scales of governance, (2) identify scale-related challenges, and (3) test the framework as a conceptual tool for supporting cross-scalar analysis for environmental governance. At the international and national levels, a number of civil society organizations explored system viability indicators that would measure the successful implementation of governance mechanisms relevant to sustainable development and natural resource management. At the local level, we used participatory video and photography within two indigenous territories to enable local participants to identify indicators of viability within community governance systems. A grounded theory approach was then used to identify common themes across the different scales of analysis. Five key themes emerged: land rights, leadership, partnerships, lifestyle, and identity. We found that although most categories of interest were theoretically aligned across scales, all perceived systems of interest were struggling to face up to various cross-scalar challenges undermining different system viability responses. In conclusion, we highlight how the system viability framework can be used with a disparate variety of stakeholders as a practical, participative and "big-picture" approach for facilitating the integrated governance of nested local and regional social-ecological systems.
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