Image: Lina Loos / Unsplash
On September 11, 2024, Dr. Jim Taylor from the University of KwaZulu-Natal shared his 25-year journey with the Southern African Development Community – Regional Environmental Education Programme (SADC-REEP) at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Jim is the former President of the Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) and founder member of the SADC Regional Environmental Education Programme, amongst other accomplishments. His presentation offered valuable lessons for addressing todays’ global environmental and development challenges.
A key theme was the value of indigenous knowledge, which Jim argued is essential for building sustainable futures, especially as we transition to a post-fossil fuel economy. Despite often being overlooked, indigenous practices offer insights that modern science could benefit from. Jim highlighted the resource-based challenges in the Global South, such as water scarcity and food insecurity, and criticized rigid measurement frameworks like SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound) goals, which often hinder promising development projects.
The seminar also emphasized the need to shift from learning facts to learning to learn, meaning that knowledge from sources such as indigenous expertise is something we must learn to use. This is especially relevant in addressing “slow violence,” a term Jim uses to describe gradual, long-term environmental damage which over time leads to excess loss of life. He stressed that citizen science, through projects like miniSASS (a biomonitoring tool for assessing water quality), empowers local communities to actively address sustainability issues while utilizing the unique characteristics that local citizens bring with them.
Jim further spoke about decolonial perspectives and promoting Afrophilia, which embraces African heritage and challenges colonial biases in development work. He encouraged a focus on handprints for hope—positive actions for environmental change—over the often-negative narrative of footprints.
In closing, Jim urged donors and bureaucrats to be pragmatic, providing genuine support to recipients’ challenges. His talk, alongside reflections from Dr. Janet Vähämäki, highlighted the power of collaboration and inclusive processes in overcoming today’s environmental crises.
To see a recording of the presentation, please contact .
This post was written by Theodor Wagner Robinson, intern at the Development, Policy and Finance Team Stockholm Environment Institute.
