Asrat Asegie and Sara de Wit in Trouw about indigenous knowledge

How can we deal with climate change without repeating old colonial patterns of thinking? In newspaper Trouw, Dr. Sara de Wit (Leiden African Studies Centre and Leiden Humanities) and PhD candidate Asrat Asegie emphasise the importance of indigenous knowledge.

Research in Ethiopia, Madagascar, Cameroon, and other countries shows how traditional ecological knowledge is often more resilient than top-down technocratic solutions. From seed diversity and soil health to water management and biodiversity, local communities have been building knowledge for generations that is crucial for climate adaptation, but which is still too often ignored in Western development and climate projects.

The article dissects the paternalistic attitude in development cooperation, offers critical comments on the persistent crisis thinking about Africa, and advocates for the co-production of knowledge instead of a one-sided transfer of 'expertise'.

Read the full article (in Dutch).