Contribution short abstract:

We would like to open discussions about documented oral histories and digital narratives of resilience in the Global South. These are not always captured in academic literature yet offer relevant insights into local peoples' strengths, challenges, and successes through time.

Contribution long abstract:

The concept of climate resilient development is gaining traction in science and policy domains as the world attempts to transition away from carbon-intensive and highly inequitable development pathways. However, climate resilient development pathways continue to be framed and understood based on ‘Global North’ or Eurocentric paradigms, marginalising the perspectives and lived experiences of communities in the ‘Global South’.

This session is informed by a new project that aims to create spaces for local and grassroots perspectives to emerge. The project will review oral histories and digital narratives, and complement these with a series of participatory activities such as storytelling and collaborative workshops with community members in the Philippines to understand how people’s aspirations of ‘a good life’ can inform climate resilient development pathways. Oral histories can provide insights into the past that other archival or quantitative sources cannot. Similarly, digital narratives from social media content can provide important data on sentiments about ‘a good life’ pre- and post-disasters. Together, these can reveal further insights into local values and culture which are widely recognised to be a predictor of resilience.

We welcome insights from participants on the benefits and challenges of using documenting oral histories and digital narratives to capture peoples' lived experiences.