Partnerships and Networks of WISIONS
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Partnerships with Research Focus
Community Forests
Ilaje People
Ilaje migration and homeland interrelations
The Aiyetoro community in Lagos, Nigeria, has been home to a diasporic Ilaje population for over 50 years. The Ilaje, originally from fishing communities in Ondo – approximately 250 kilometers north of Nigeria’s capital – have maintained a strong cultural identity and deep-rooted ties to their homeland. Faced with marginalization by both host communities and government authorities in Lagos, the Ilaje diaspora has developed bottom-up governance strategies. These include initiatives such as participatory land mapping and allocation systems that safeguard women’s land rights.
This partnership project aimed to deepen understanding of the dynamic relationships between the Ilaje diaspora in Aiyetoro and their communities of origin. It specifically explored how these connections might be reconfigured to strengthen sustainable ‘ways of living’ in both their rural homelands and urban contexts.
To achieve this, the project adopted an action-oriented research approach, employing qualitative and collaborative methods designed to foster critical reflection and promote tangible, community-driven outcomes.
Our Partners
The Rural-Diaspora Nigeria project is organised in close cooperation with the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, in particular with the Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law.
One of its main objectives is to develop the human capacity needed to formulate and implement energy policies and regulations for the effective management of natural resources in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and to provide a platform for energy professionals, institutions and the general public to meet.
Objectives
The project aimed to achieve the following objectives:
- Map Urban-Rural Relations to explore and document the various forms of connection the Ilaje diaspora in Aiyetoro maintain with their places of origin – facilitating mutual understanding between communities across urban and rural contexts.
- Trace Influence on the home territory to examine how interactions with the diaspora shape and impact the social, economic, and environmental realities of the Ilaje homeland.
- Strengthen Ways of Living to identify and co-develop opportunities for reshaping diaspora – homeland relations in ways that enhance the potential for sustainable, fulfilling, and prosperous lives in both rural and urban settings.
Results
Misak People
Misak migration and homeland interrelations
In Colombia, many Indigenous communities have been displaced or have settled far from their ancestral territories. In the department of Cauca, the Misak community has experienced significant youth migration driven by the pursuit of education and income-generating opportunities outside their traditional lands. Yet, many of those who have migrated maintain strong familial and cultural connections with their communities.
This partnership project aimed to deepen understanding of the dynamic relationships between migrants and their territories of origin, with a particular focus on how their knowledge and practices influence the future of mountain landscapes and community life in the original territories. To achieve this, the project employed an action-oriented research approach, using qualitative and collaborative methods aimed at fostering reflection and driving tangible, community-based actions.
Our Partners
The Mountain-Diaspora Colombia project was organised in close cooperation with the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá, particularly the Excellency Center on Sustainable Agri-food Systems (CE_SAS). Among its various initiatives, CE_SAS has led an action-oriented research project focused on transforming food systems to enhance livelihoods and promote environmental sustainability in two Indigenous territories. Through this work, it has already established connections with the Misak community in Cauca.
Objectives
The project aimed to achieve the following objectives:
- Characterize Diasporic Situations by analyzing the relationship between community actors settled in the ancestral territory and those settled outside it.
- Identify the Impact that diasporic conditions have had on the configuration of the ancestral territory, particularly on the agri-food systems and on the energy practices.
- Co-create Strategies to promote diasporic situations that contribute to dignified and sustainable ways of life in ancestral territories.
Results
Partnerships with Capacity Building Focus
YouthEnergy
ACCESS
CTH Nigeria
ICA & RedBioLAC (capacity building)
Energy Practitioner Networks
- RedBioLAC
- HPNet
- WindEmpowerment
- RedBioCol
