Territory, climate and social justice: Strengthening the capacities of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in Pará through participatory methodologies

Key messages

  1. The effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LCs) in climate governance and in REDD+ projects and jurisdictional (JREDD+) initiatives depends on them having prior access to clear, accessible and contextualized information. Learning processes influence not only who participates but also how they participate and under what conditions, making the production, translation and dissemination of knowledge central elements of climate justice.
  2. Participatory methodologies – like practical experiments, theatre, artistic activities and public consultation simulations – are effective tools for transforming complex issues related to climate change and carbon markets into meaningful learning processes.
  3. Through well-designed participatory learning methods, IP&LCs not only understand climate change and mitigation mechanisms like REDD+ and JREDD+, they can also more effectively engage in critically analysing potential benefits, risks and implications for their livelihoods and territories.
  4. Training community facilitators to replicate these methods strengthens local organizations and creates the conditions for community leaders to expand capacity- building and knowledge-sharing processes.
  5. More than simply conveying information, learning through participatory methods reinforces the value of local knowledge, community organization, collective action and the self-determination of IP&LCs in the face of decisions that affect their territories, contributing to more inclusive and just climate governance.
Authors

Cromberg, M.,Freitas, T.,Larson, A.M.

Publication year

2026

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