Author: tatasgonzalez

Science & Theatre – relationality starts with us

Last meeting with some of the project’s members.

Relationality, community and affection between members of the project occur in many ways, one of which is, in an interdisciplinary team, learning from each other. In our FoRel, science and theatre merge creating new possibilities for the process of (co)producing knowledge and for knowledge itself, Dadivo José and Christopher Cheupe from the teams in Mozambique and Kenya, respectively, shared and educated us about theatre, their trajectories and the importance of this approach in their respective countries.

Chris shared how the theatre has been used in research and dialogues between academia and communities and taught us about different participatory theatre types. He also shared his trajectory within the theatre and how he feels confident today, being a facilitator who makes sure to understand about the subject being dealt with and about the local context.

Dadivo, in turn, taught us how theatre has been used through the history of Mozambique since pre-colonial times to spread information and educate the population. He also told us about the use of theatre as a healing process. This theatrical healing process occurs with the audience (also in the community), and the actors. Dadivo shared how himself went through this transformative process, healing the traumas of the Civil War. Whoever is involved with theatre in Mozambique would ask at some point: “are we healing from the trauma by forgetting or remembering?”.

In both cases, the theatre has been used effectively to promote informative campaigns and raise awareness about different topics. Another point in common between the two presentations was that language in theatre must respect the local language and “context language”. However, as they put it, theatre allows us to create a safe space where local histories can be told. For them, one way to deal with sensitive themes or even with local power structures (for example, gender issues), is to use songs, dances and humour.

The FoRel project is immensely grateful for having professionals of such sensitivity, knowledge and competence, which allows us to learn whenever we meet and enriches the relationality of our project.

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Relacionalidade, comunidade e afeto acadêmico entre membros do projeto dá-se de muitas maneiras, uma delas é, no nosso time interdisciplinar, a aprendizagem entre o grupo. Em nosso FoRel, no qual a ciência e o teatro se fundem e criam novas possibilidades de produção de conhecimento e um novo conhecimento, Dadivo José do time de Moçambique e Christopher Cheupe do Quenia, compartilharam suas trajetórias e  nos educaram sobre teatro e a importância dessa abordagem em seus respectivos países. 

Chris compartilhou como o teatro vem sendo utilizado em pesquisas e diálogos entre academia e comunidade, além de apresentar os diferentes tipos de teatro de participação realizados no Quênia. Também compartilhou a sua própria trajetória dentro do teatro e como hoje ele se sente seguro em sendo um facilitador que, segundo ele, precisa entender sobre teatro, sobre o tema tratado e sobre o contexto local. 

Dadivo, por sua vez, nos ensinou como o teatro vem sendo utilizado na história de Moçambique, desde de tempos pré-coloniais para difundir informação e educar a população, bem como a utilização do teatro de hoje dia, considerada como um processo de cura. Esse processo teatral de cura ocorre com a audiência (a comunidade que se apresenta), e também com seus atores. Dadivo compartilhou como ele próprio passou por esse processo transformador, curando os traumas da Guerra Civil, “estamos nos curando do trauma esquecendo ou lembrando dele?”.

Em ambos os casos o teatro vem sendo utilizado de maneira efetiva para promover campanhas informativas e aumentar a consciência sobre temas diversos. Outro ponto em comum entre as duas palestras foi o fato de que a linguagem no teatro deve respeitar a Língua e linguagem (contexto) local. Entretanto, O teatro nos permite criar esse local seguro para contar a história local. E uma maneira para se lidar com temas sensíveis ou até mesmo com as estruturas de poder locais (por exemplo, gênero), compartilhado por eles, é a utilização de canções, danças e humor.

O projeto FoRel é imensamente grato por contar com profissionais de tamanha sensibilidade, conhecimento e competência, que nos permite aprender sempre que nos reunimos e que enriquece o projeto relacional dentro da relacionalidade do nosso projeto.  

Short Interviews – Science&Theatre

Dadivo José – Art specialist for community mobilization, describes here his experience as an academic artist or an art scientist, with art. Bilingual interview.

1- Como pesquisador que iniciou sua carreira acadêmica através das artes o que você pode dizer sobre a integracão das artes na academia? O que a arte tem a oferecer à ciência e o que a ciência tem a oferecer as artes?
Primeiro devo dizer que iniciei a minha carreira artística na rua, ou seja, longe do rigor técnico da academia. Não tinha possibilidades para estudar as artes em Moçambique (na altura, o ensino das artes a nível superior era uma utopia), fui evoluindo a base de experiências partilhadas com outros praticantes e viajando para grandes festivais. Quando em 2008 introduzimos o curso de teatro na UEM foi mesmo o aproveitar da experiência prática de um grupo de docentes, que já levavam décadas trabalhando com teatro. Aprendemos com a academia o rigor profissional e o sentido do pensamento artístico sistematizado. A academia e a ciência ganharam a prática e experiência dos docentes que estiveram em diversos palcos, o que constitui um factor motivador para os estudantes que olham para os docentes com uma carreira feita da força em buscar motivações e energias para chegarem longe. A História que cada um dos docentes escreve com a sua carreira constitui sem dúvida, uma forma de manuseamento do conhecimento artístico local. Com a ciência redescobrimos o grande valor que as artes locais tiveram nas diferentes etapas da história do país que incluí a sociedade, política, económia e cultura.

First, I must say that I started my artistic career on the street, that is, far from the technical rigour of the academy. I had no possibilities to study the arts in Mozambique (at the time, teaching art at a higher level was a utopia), I was evolving the base of experiences shared with other practitioners and travelling to major festivals. When in 2008 we introduced the theatre course at UEM, it was really taking advantage of the empirical experience of a group of teachers, who had been working with theatre for decades. We learned from the academy the professional rigour and the sense of systematic artistic thinking. The academy and science have gained the practice and experience of teachers who have been on different stages, which is a motivating factor for students who look to teachers with a career made of the strength to seek motivations and energies to get far. The history that each of the teachers writes with their career is undoubtedly a way of handling local artistic knowledge. With science, we have rediscovered the great value that the local arts had in the different stages of the country’s history, which included society, politics, economics and culture.



2- Quais os desafios relacionados a essa integração? / What are the challenges related to this integration?
A questão da natureza disciplinar (as artes têm as suas peculiaridades) traz consigo os desafios, tanto para a oligarquia académica, como para o seu corpo administrativo. Por exemplo, os exames de admissão, as avaliações, a composição das turmas e a infraestruturas continuaram a ser concebidos de forma tradicional, respeitando os paradigmas dos cursos já enraizados na instituição. Continuamos na luta de influenciar o pensamento administrativo e das políticas da faculdade de forma a acomodar as especificidades artísticas. A cultura da disciplina existe para os docentes e estudantes, mas ainda carece de algum esclarecimento para o seu corpo técnico administrativo.

The issue of disciplinary nature (the arts have their peculiarities) brings with it challenges, both for the academic oligarchy and its administrative body. For example, entrance exams, assessments, class composition and infrastructure continued to be designed traditionally, respecting the paradigms of courses rooted in the institution. We continue to struggle to influence the faculty’s administrative and policy thinking to accommodate artistic specificities. The culture of the discipline exists for teachers and students, but it still needs some clarification for its administrative-technical staff.

3- Como essa integracão tem modificado a sua maneira de enxergar essas duas carreiras? / How has this integration changed the way you see these two practices?
Acredito que a integração das artes na academia, ou vice versa, tem ajudado na forma de encarrar as carreiras artísticas. Hoje sinto-me artista mais maduro e capaz de melhor dar resposta a questões de intervenção comunitária, por exemplo. Como docente, também vejo um crescimento na relação com os estudantes e nas pesquisas feitas, como resultado da minha interacção com as várias audiências  com as quais tenho cruzado ao longo da minha carreira. A integração das artes na academia contribui para uma visão holística das mesmas e ajuda a reclamar a existência histórica dos criadores de um país. Transforma a academia também como um lugar no qual os pioneiros na perservação do pensamento artístico estão presentes.

I believe that the integration of the arts in the academy, or vice versa, has helped in the way of seeing artistic careers. Today I feel I am a more mature artist and able to better answer questions of community intervention, for example. As a teacher, I also see an increase in the relationship with students and in the research done, as a result of my interaction with the various audiences that I have crossed over my career. The integration of the arts in the academy contributes to a holistic view of them and helps to claim the historical existence of the creators of a country. It also transforms the academy as a place where the pioneers in the preservation of artistic thought are present.

4- Qual é a peculiaridade que surge em utilizar a perspectiva relacional a esta técnica de teatro participativo? / What is the peculiarity that arises in applying the relational perspective to this participatory theatre technique?
É uma questão do compromisso em cada uma das vertentes. Costumo dizer que um praticante das artes anda sempre com dois corações:  a do artista- que deve saber fazer muito bem o que se lhe oferece como artista e, a de investigador da area temática em questão- o que lhe faz procurar sempre perceber o lado temático do que se vai abordar para melhor casar com as artes. Isso implica o domínio dos métodos científicos aplicados ás artes. Por exemplo, sabemos que todas as percepções populares sobre as mudanças climáticas em Inhaca foram resultados de uma busca que obedeceu a rigores científicos da pesquisa. É com o mesmo tratamento na análise e interpretação de dados que pegamos nos resultados e transformamos em drama. Cruzamos a diversas ciências para chegarmos a um produto artístico-teatral, que continua a obedecer os critérios e os objectivos do projecto em que estão nele inseridos.

It is a question of commitment in each aspect. I often say that an arts practitioner always has two hearts: the artist – who must know how to do very well what is offered to him as an artist; and the other one, the researcher in the thematic area in question – which makes him always try to perceive the side thematic of what will be approached to better match the arts. This implies the mastery of scientific methods applied to the arts. For example, we know that all popular perceptions of climate change in Inhaca were the result of a search that followed scientific research rigours. It is with the same treatment in the analysis and interpretation of data that we take the results and turn them into drama. We cross several sciences to arrive at an artistic-theatrical product, which continues to obey the criteria and objectives of the project in which they are inserted.

5- Quais são os resultados que você espera alcançar/ver com o projeto? / What results do you hope to achieve/see with the project?
Espero mais uma vez ver a capacidade de mobilização e participação popular de teatro. Espero ver a libertação que o forum confere aos “especta-actores”. Espero ver os estudantes dentro de contexto comunitário concreto. Espero ver o assunto em debate cada vez mais esclarecido de forma simples numa situação de envolvimento e participação da comunidade que poderá ser vista sob forma de identidade, localidade e fenomenologia. Esses resultados estarão também diversificados numa relação de teatro para a comunidade; teatro com a comunidade e; teatro da comunidade.

I hope once again to see the capacity for mobilization and popular participation in theatre. I hope to see the release that the forum gives to “specta-actors”. I hope to see students within a concrete community context. I hope to see the subject under discussion increasingly clear and in a simple way in a situation of community involvement and participation that can be seen in the form of identity, location and phenomenology. These results will also be diversified in a theatre relationship for the community; theatre with the community and; community theatre.

Short Interviews – Fieldwork area – Kenya

Professor Halimu Shauri – Project leader of the Kenyan team. He is Associate Professor in Sociology at Pwani University in Kenya. Here, Professor Shauri talks about his home, Msambweni, the project’s focus area in Kenya.


1- What is your relationship with the studied area? 
I was born, attended my basic education and secondary education in the area. Am thus very conversant with the area, the people and how it was and how the area is due to the changes that have been taking place, some social and others environmental.

2- Is there any particularity about the place and/or its communities that you could share?
The community is very social and hardworking. The peculiarity would be low levels of literacy that have contributed to the poor well-being  and livelihood strategies that have had an impact on the environment.

3- What could communities gain with a project like the FoRel?
Knowledge, especially on environmental conservation that has contributed to the challenges of poor livelihoods to some extent in the area. Conservation of fish breeding sites, especially Octopus, which does very well in the area, will certainly help improve the livelihood conditions of the community.

4- What are your hopes for the future of the area, and how do you believe the project could contribute to this?
Am positive about the future of the area with conservation. If we are able to convince the community on the need to conserve fish breeding grounds, like for example, have a community fish breeding conservation area, owned and protected by themselves through this project, we will have had a breakthrough for the community’s future.

5- How could the relational perspective help to understand the region?
All what humanity does has some elements of relational-ity. What we do needs a lot of synergy from others. We are not self sustaining and hence we in a way depends on others for our needs and survival. Relational perspective therefore helps us understand more our common humanity for symbiotic relationship, which is the whole mark of human survival. We are humans and relational perspective enhances our humanity in the way we interact, engage and transact business with each other for individual and common needs and development.


Short Interviews – Fieldwork area – Mozambique

Professor Salomão Bandeira – Project leader of the Mozambican team
He is Associate Professor in Marine Biology at the Department of Biological Sciences (DCB), Eduardo Mondlane University. Here, he talks about his relationship with the project’s focus area in Mozambique, the beautiful Inhaca Island!

1- What is your relationship with the studied area? / Qual é a sua relação com a área estudada? 
I visit Inhaca several times a year. I also maintain close contact with the Island via my students who visit the Island/EBMI (Inhaca Marine Biology Station) every month; also in contact with EBMI technicians. I have been running projects on Inhaca almost uninterrupted for many years till now. Currently, I also ran a project on seagrass restoration in the Island. 

Visito Inhaca várias vezes por ano. Eu também mantenho contato próximo com a ilha através dos meus alunos que visitam o local/EBMI (Estação de Biologia Marítima da Inhaca) todos os meses; também em contato com os técnicos da EBMI. Tenho executado projetos em Inhaca quase ininterruptamente por muitos anos até agora. Atualmente, também executei um projeto de restauração de ervas marinhas na ilha.

2- Is there any particularity about the place and / or its communities that you could share? / Qual é uma particularidade que você acredita poderia dizer sobre o local e/ou suas comunidades?
The Inhaca Island for Biologists is a miniature of a tropical setting and Mozambique; because it has all key tropical habitats in close vicinity (mangroves forests, seagrass meadows, coral reefs, rocky and sandy shores, rough and calm waters, endangered and charismatic species, fisheries etc.). Inhaca is a great laboratory that is linked with my own story of being a marine biologist. I value very much the connection between those habitats have among themselves such as the link between seagrass and dugongs as an example (there are many more examples like the fish that roam around between seagrasses and coral reefs or with mangrove forests; turtle nesting in the dunes with their voyager over high seas and the bay etc.). Unique also is the link that EBMI has with its research management/conservation with forest reserves since 1965. For communities, the EBMI means a lot, it gives an immense sense of place and value to them as demonstrated the link with food/protein security, tourism, etc. 

Ilha da Inhaca para Biólogos é uma miniatura de um cenário tropical e de Moçambique; porque tem todos os principais habitats tropicais nas proximidades (florestas de manguezais, prados de ervas marinhas, recifes de coral, costas rochosas e arenosas, águas agitadas e calmas, espécies ameaçadas e carismáticas, pesca, etc.). O Inhaca é um grande laboratório que está ligado à minha própria história de ser um biólogo marinho. Eu valorizo muito a conexão que esses habitats têm entre si, como a ligação entre ervas marinhas e dugongos por exemplo (há muitos mais exemplos, como os peixes que vagueiam entre ervas marinhas e recifes de coral ou com manguezais; tartarugas nidificando nas dunas com sua viagem em alto mar e na baía, etc.). Único também é o vínculo que a EBMI tem com sua pesquisa de gestão/conservação com reservas florestais desde 1965. Para as comunidades, a EBMI significa muito, esta oferece um imenso sentido de lugar e valor para essas, como demonstrado a ligação com segurança alimentar/proteica, turismo etc.

3- What could communities gain with a project like the FoRel? /  O que as comunidades podem adquirir com um projeto como o FoRel?
They can acquire wider understanding on Inhaca resources on the perspective of both habitats and peoples vulnerability; The spectrum of value that nature gives them also offers immense potential for future benefits like those associated with climate adaptation of Inhaca resources. FOREL provide the necessary sensitization and options for appropriate discussion and for people to make their decision/participation in the management of resources and practices in a manner that encourages sustainability and reduce vulnerability.

Eles podem adquirir uma compreensão mais ampla dos recursos da Inhaca na perspectiva dos habitats e da vulnerabilidade das pessoas; O espectro de valor que a natureza lhes dá, oferece também um imenso potencial para os benefícios futuros como aqueles associados à adaptação climática dos recursos da Inhaca. O FOREL fornece a sensibilização e opções necessárias para uma discussão adequada e para que as pessoas tomem a sua decisão / participação na gestão dos recursos e práticas de forma a incentivar a sustentabilidade e reduzir a vulnerabilidade.

4- What are your hopes for the future of the area, and how do you believe the project could contribute to this? / Quais as suas esperancas para o futuro do local e de que maneira você acredita que o projeto poderia contribuir com isso?
Such clips/footage can be used to engage people in debates, discussions of their participation and contribution towards better management and self-learning. Inhaca, together with the regions extended to the south to Ponta de Ouro, west and south of Maputo Bay, was recently suggested to be part of UNESCO Heritage. This area is part of the POPMR (Ponta de Ouro Partial Marine Reserve) contiguous with Maputo Special Reserve. Both area part of APA (Area de Protenção Ambiental category as per the Conservation Law in Mozambique). The proposal is to connect with the world heritage in continuation to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. We have a major change and the advancement of Forel together with community awareness and the meaning of power to communicate climate change preparedness and adaptation can help make a difference to engage communities and stakeholders in the right direction.

Esses clipes/cenas podem ser usados para envolver as pessoas em debates e discussões sobre sua participação e contribuição para uma melhor gestão e autoaprendizagem. Inhaca, juntamente com as regiões estendidas ao sul até a Ponta de Ouro, oeste e sul da Baía de Maputo, foi recentemente sugerida para fazer parte do Patrimônio da UNESCO. Esta área faz parte da POPMR (Reserva Parcial Marinha da Ponta de Ouro) contígua à Reserva Especial de Maputo. Ambas fazem parte da APA (categoria Área de Proteção Ambiental conforme Lei de Conservação de Moçambique). A proposta é conectar-se com o patrimônio mundial na continuação do Parque iSimangaliso Wetland em Kwazulu Natal, África do Sul. Temos uma grande mudança e o avanço da Forel, juntamente com a conscientização da comunidade e o significado do poder para comunicar a preparação e adaptação às mudanças climáticas podem ajudar a fazer a diferença no envolvimento das comunidades e as partes interessadas na direção certa.

5- How could the relational perspective help to understand the region? / Como a perspectiva relacional poderia ajudar a compreender a região?
Climate change issues occur widely in the region and in Inhaca, though FOREL, can become a model to the replication of good practices of community engagement and troubleshooting engagement in discussion, finding solution and examples of people’s adaptation and reduction of vulnerabilities. This can be part of the culture of conservation for this area and beyond.

As questões das mudanças climáticas ocorrem amplamente na região e na Inhaca. O FOREL pode tornar-se um modelo para replicar [ser reproduzido como exemplo de] boas práticas de engajamento da comunidade e engajamento em discussão, encontrando soluções e exemplos de adaptação de pessoas e redução de vulnerabilidades. Isso pode fazer parte da cultura de conservação para esta área e além.

Short Interviews – Caroline Abunge on Relationality

Here we present a series of short interviews with some of those involved in the project during which we discuss their perspectives on the relational approach that is at the core of the project. We talk about how it has influenced, influences and/or will influence their work. With these interviews, we investigate whether relationality might allow us to cross academic barriers and even the frontier between research (work) and the daily and personal lives of those who start to think from this perspective.

02/11/2020
Caroline Abunge is a socio-economic research scientist involved in publications with the Wildlife Conservation Society Marine program and part of the FoRel Kenya’s team. She has been working with Coastal communities on various projects encouraging sustainability of coral reef fisheries through fish landings monitoring, seeking perceptions of resource users on different conservation options and active feedback of the research findings to same communities and stakeholders. She is also part of the current FoRel fieldwork in Msambweni. 

1- What impressed you most about your fieldwork?
The respondent’s excitement about the methodology. They were happy to know that the result of the surveys is to have theater play to help them understand the concept of climate change better.

2- What was a surprise factor in the field?
Despite the major changes in the fishery sector, over 80% of respondents did not want to leave fishery but supplement their marine related activity with another job. The community was very free to talk about their social changes and challenges.

2.1- What did you expect to find and did not find?
Some willingness to leave fishery for other occupations with better returns.

2.2- What did you not expect to find but found?
Despite the helping culture in the muslim community and religion, fishers got very little help from their wealthy and capable friends and other family members. This was because fishing was considered unprofitable therefore nobody wanted to put their money in it. It was considered as both very important as an employment opportunity but very useless as it made no difference to those involved.

3- What did you think was different about doing fieldwork with a relational perspective?
The deeper understanding of daily activities. Apart from knowing what one does, we get to know when, how, with whom; these three elements are unique to this project and not found in others.

4- What are your thoughts so far, would you like to add something?
I could have been interesting to investigate all different activities in the community. It was mostly marine, and other activities came out as partial or alternative livelihoods thus not discussed in details.

Thank you!

Short Interviews – Christopher Cheupe on Relationality

Here we present a series of short interviews with some of those involved in the project during which we discuss their perspectives on the relational approach that is at the core of the project. We talk about how it has influenced, influences and/or will influence their work. With these interviews, we investigate whether relationality might allow us to cross academic barriers and even the frontier between research (work) and the daily and personal lives of those who start to think from this perspective.

30/10/2020
Christopher Cheupe – FoRel project research Assistant, Kenya. He has been working with the Wildlife Conservation Society in a project called SPACES, where they used theatre to share the results for the community involved. The SPACES project has Tim Daw as a PI. Tim is also a member of the FoRel Team. Chris has conducted his fieldwork in Msambweni, during July and October 2020.   

1- What can you say about your fieldwork, what impressed you most about your fieldwork?
“There are so many things that impressed me during the fieldwork, especially when we arrived in Msambweni, where we collected our data. I was impressed about the beach management Unit officials, they are very new to the office because the election was done last year, so they are still new to the office, but they do very well. They were very ready to help us in organizing our work so we could conduct our fieldwork in a peaceful environment, so the BMU officials were ready to work with us. Secondly, the community members also impressed me, because after introducing the project to them, we had a meeting with the community leaders, for them to later share the meeting deliberations and FoRel project information to the members of the community. So, I was impressed with them too, because they were happy and ready to participate in the project so that it can realize its objectives. Another thing I was impressed was… for most of the respondents was their first time to participate in the research project. They have never been engaged in any kind of research; thus their first time sharing their new ideas. So, I was surprised, because having a new project, having new BMU Officials and new ideas coming to them and from the participants. Participants could effectively share their perceptions. So, these are the things that really impressed me throughout the fieldwork.”

2- What was the surprising factor for you in the fieldwork, something that surprised you?
“What surprised me was the issue of the community members, their willingness to participate. Everyone we came across was ready to take part in the interview […] we could have interviewed everyone if time and money could allow us, everybody was ready to do the interview and share information without fear. The information they gave us is very, very, very rich. Another surprise was the issue of climate change, for example, the issue of sea-level rise, which was clear, and the participants were able to perceive that change happening in that community.”

2.1 Maybe you have already mentioned, but could you tell us what did you not expect to find but found?
“One thing we collected our data during the period of the COVID19 which affected everyone. The movement from one region to another region was restricted by the government, from Mombasa especially, because it was the hotspot from the COVID19. So, we thought that maybe the participants would not want to participate in the interview with us because we were from Mombasa, and there were a lot of cases of COVID19… Then, we thought that it would be a little bit difficult, but on the contrary, they were ready, they were eager to take part in the project. We also followed all the COVID19 government guidelines of the preventive measures and the WCS COVID 19 protocols, so we were ready to give them face masks during the interviews and also manage to respect the social distance. […]”

I see, the COVID19 situation was not expected and you faced it during the fieldwork, but also, on the other hand, the response of the participants and their willingness to participate in the research was something that you even did not expect to find there and you found! So, there is a double way to see it, something you expect to find, their resistance and did not find! And it can be a very nice example to observe how the participants can play a fundamental role when it comes to finding solutions in the field!

3- I would like to ask you about the relational perspective. What did you think was different about doing fieldwork with a relational perspective?
“For this is the aspect of interviewing people in the same assemblage and understanding the changes the people in the community perceive… Unlike other research that I have been doing, the socio-ecological aspect, the ecological network with social makes this project unique. So, I am happy to see this connection between man and nature in this relational approach and this in this project is what makes it unique than other projects.”

4- Do you like to share some thoughts or if would you like to add something now is the time!
“Ok! Maybe I could just say something, it is just one observation about the fieldwork, the community or the participants really like this project, and they are eagerly waiting for the feedback, especially the theatre part. All the participants that we interview are willing to be part of the feedback meeting and the theatre that we are going to share the information that we receive from them. So, they are very willing to become part of it and to act. And I believe that they are in a better position to do it well because they are ones who understand better about their problem and they are in a better position to suggest also the so-called solutions for their problems. So, those who do not want to participate in the community theatre they want to participate as an audience, but this audience will also become actors! From me is this, it is what I want to say… The majority wants to be involved in the research, and they are very happy to be part and see the new management of the bay, so it is a plus to the community this project, and I believe that at the end of this project the community will be at another level.”

Thank you!

Short Interviews – Taís González on Relationality

Here we present a series of short interviews with some of those involved in the project during which we discuss their perspectives on the relational approach that is at the core of the project. We talk about how it has influenced, influences and/or will influence their work. With these interviews, we investigate whether relationality might allow us to cross academic barriers and even the frontier between research (work) and the daily and personal lives of those who start to think from this perspective.

23/10/2020
Taís González is finishing her master’s degree in Social-Ecological Resilience for Sustainable Development at the Stockholm Resilience Center. She conducted her traineeship within the FoRel project between May and August 2019, when she travelled to Inhaca island to begin fieldwork in Mozambique.

1- O que mais te marcou no seu trabalho de campo? / What impressed you most about your fieldwork?
O contato com as pessoas é algo que sempre me inspira. Acredito que ter sido recebi na Ilha da Inhaca com tanto carinho e ter podido interegir e aprender com os habitantes daquele lugar foi o que mais me marcou no meu trabalho de campo. Todos foram tão receptivos, curiosos e participativos que o meu trabalho, no campo, tornou-se mais fácil.

I believe that connecting with people is something that always inspires me. I think that being welcome on Inhaca island with such affection, being able to interact and learn from its inhabitants was what most impressed me during fieldwork. Everyone was so receptive, curious and wanted to participate in the project, which resulted into my work in the field becoming easier.

2- O que foi um fator surpresa no campo? / What was a surprise factor in the field?
Houveram muitos elementos surpresas, com toda a certeza…

There were many surprises, for sure…

2.1- O que você esperava encontrar e não encontrou? / What did you expect to find and did not find?
Mas seu eu tivesse que escolher algo que eu não esperava encontrar foi resistência da comunidade e das autoridades locais em receber e projeto abraçar o projeto. 

But if I had to choose something that I did expect to face, but did not happen, it would be the resistance from the community and local authorities to receive and embrace the project.

2.2- O que não esperava encontrar, mas encontrou? / What did you not expect to find but found?
Duas coisas aconteceram comigo que servem de lição de “trabalho de campo”, para todo o sempre na minha vida agora. Primeiro, depois de uma semana em Moçambique e segundo dia na Ilha eu quebro o meu celular. Não consegui utilizar o touch-screen o resto da viagem. Eu tinha que abastecer as reder sociais do projeto e além do mais, o WhatsApp é a forma mais rápida de comunicação – eu tinha a versão online conectada com essas mídias e o que eu fiz foi deixar o meu celular carregado o tempo todo para que ele não desligasse. E eu tive que “alugar” um celular analógico de um local. Aprendi que eu devo mesmo deixar tudo conectado e que o ideal é levar um celular antigo para emergências!
Segundo, eu fiquei doente na Ilha, levei uma picada e passei uns 3-4 dias com febres e muito cansada. Eu não tinha levado muitas medicações de casa e o atendimento no hospital local foi exelente, mas dependendo de onde o trabalho de campo se desenvolver é fundamental levar medicamentos que você esteja acostumado e um kit primeiro-socorro!

Two things happened to me that will serve me as “fieldwork” lessons forever and ever in my life now. First, after a week in Mozambique and the second day on the Island, I broke my cell phone. I was unable to use the touch-screen for the rest of the trip. This was a problem particularly because I had to feed the project’s social networks; moreover, WhatsApp is the fastest form of communication in the field and to keep me in touch with the team back in Stockholm and my family and friends – I had the online version connected to my laptop and this is what saved me! I had to leave my phone charging all the time, and I “rented” an analogue cell phone from someone in the community. I learned that I really should leave everything synced (cell and laptop) and that the ideal is to always have an old cell phone for emergencies!
Second, I got sick and spent about 3-4 days with fevers, feeling really tired. I had not taken many medications with me, but the care at the local hospital was excellent. Still, depending on where the fieldwork is taking place, it is essential to have medications you are used to and a first aid kit!

3- O que você achou de diferente em realizar um trabalho de campo com uma perspectiva relacional? / What did you think was different about doing fieldwork with a relational perspective?
A princípio foi confuso, pela minha tendência de pensar nas entidades primeiro do que as relações – eu vejo como o ego e o eu batalhando para estar neste local de destaque e a partir do eu outras formas aparecem, como as formas de relacionamento. Pensar que o local, o mar, o barco, as ferramentas de pesca ou a terra, as ferramentas de agricultura, os animais essas relações constitúem os participantes da pesquisa. E essa, é uma maneira totalmente diferente de pensar, sentir e perceber a realidade – também o trabalho de campo e se perceber no trabalho de campo.

At first, it was confusing, due to my tendency to think of entities more than relationships – I see how the ego and the self struggle to be in a prominent place and departing from the self, other forms appear, such as the relationship forms. Thinking that the place, the sea, the boat, the fishing tools or the land, the agricultural tools, the animals, these relations constitute the participants of the research. And this is a totally different way of thinking, feeling and perceiving reality – also fieldwork – and perceiving yourself in fieldwork.

4- Quais as suas reflexões até agora, e você gostaria de acrescentar algo mais? / What are your thoughts so far, would you like to add something?
Eu percebi que a pesquisa dentro da perspectiva relacional me tirou do foco e da escurião da objetividade da academia tradicional. Revelou que sou parte da pesquisa e que a pesquisa se faz parte de mim também, me transformou de certa maneira. O mesmo eu acredito que ocorreu com todos aqueles que me relacionei em Inhaca e Maputo – nos fundimos em determinado ponto e isso traz tantas oportunidade de aprendizado. Pensar que essas relacões me constitúem faz com que eu abrace as incertezas e as trocas fiquem mais leves, mais fluídas e que eu entende que estamos todos juntos nesse desdobrar como uma mandala com suas cores, que se desdobram e formam novos desenhos, com novas cores – são novas oportunidades e novas estampas que estão continuamente se formando.

I realized that research from a relational perspective took me out of the focus and darkness of the objectivity of traditional academia. It revealed that I am part of the research and it is part of me too, it has transformed me in some way. I believe the same thing happened to all those I related to in Inhaca and Maputo – we merged at a certain point, and this brings so many learning opportunities. Thinking that these relationships constitute me makes me embrace uncertainties and exchanges become lighter, more fluid and I understand that we are all together in this unfolding like a mandala with its colours, which unfold and form new designs, with new colours – there are new opportunities and new patterns that are continuously forming.