As part of setting the scene for CSSI2024 and initiating collective thinking and reflection on power and inclusion in cross sector collaboration, paticipants were invited to listen to recordings of two insightful academic-practitioner conversations on the topic.

In their 15-minute conversation, Professor Barbara Gray of Pennsylvania State University and Dr Rajesh Tandon, Founder of PRIA (Participatory Research in Asia) discuss their experiences of power in collaboration, reflect on the role of diverse knowledge systems and explain the concept of “epistemicide”.  They also consider different factors that perpetuate exclusion of communities and other actors in collaborative initiatives for social development.  

Video link: https://youtu.be/SJqJe9PowDw

In their 17- minute conversation, Professor Domenico Dentoni of Montpellier Business School and Resson Kantai Duff of Portfolio Funding Director of Maliasili, discuss the history of conservation in Africa and what is required to shift the long standing power imbalances that characterize multistakeholder collaboration in this space. They reflect on practical strategies from the recent Africa Community Conservation Forum to promote inclusion and consider what can sometimes appear like a disconnect between discourse, strategy and behaviour.   

Video link: https://youtu.be/MTorzYcg9yI