At Community Level

A key component of the knowledge mobilization activities of I-CAN will take place at community level.

Participatory videos

I-CAN will engage in a broad-based program of participatory video, which will act both as a research method generating knowledge about environmental subjects and as a knowledge mobilization process creating media illustrations of local views on topics we are addressing that can be disseminated for viewing in local communities and at workshops and conferences.

In January 2016, McGill PhD candidate, Nicholas Barber, in collaboration with John Kamanga, Albert Kuseyo and others of I-CAN partner organization SORALO conducted a participatory video training at ACC’s Lale’enok Resource Centre in Olkiramatian, Kenya. Read a summary of the training here. Following the training, a group of residents and leaders produced the following video, which will be use to affect policy on land concerns and conflicts in their community. In July 2016, Kathleen Godfrey and Christina Puzzolo organized a screening of the film, and wrote a report on the screening which can be read here.

Participatory mapping

As part of the support SORALO provides to group ranches to develop land use plans, I-CAN was to conduct research scoping studies in Naroosura and Elangata Enterit group ranches. After completion of these two studies, I-CAN was invited to participate the next step which is the development of land use maps and land use plans for these group ranches. We proposed a methodology for the establishment of land use maps by the communities themselves, in the form of a concept note which is available here but does not reflect exactly the methodology that was eventually adopted. Up to date information will be available soon, after completion of the map. To date, the mapping has been completed in Naroosura group ranch and the map will be discussed soon with the community for feed-back.

Radio

A radio program on land issues in Maasailand was produced and aired by NOSIM FM, a Maa language station under the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) on September 14, 2015. Mr. Johnson Ole Kaunga, CEO of IMPACT and one of the I-CAN project partner organizations was the studio guest. The program featured call-in discussions where members of the Laikipia Maasai community raised their concerns over the subdivision of their land, purchases by external investors, and the effects on the pastoralist livelihoods.