Presentation short abstract

Dialogue of Water Stories is a methodology implemented in Lake Titicaca to strengthen its local defense. It uses global water struggle experiences to encourage ontological openness, community resonance, and transformative action, positioning watercourses as networked relational spaces.

Presentation long abstract

The presentation will offer conceptual and methodological reflections derived from a community-engaged research process conducted in the binational Lake Titicaca region. While the Peruvian side recently declared the lake a holder of rights, the ecosystem remains critically affected by severe contamination from mining operations and untreated wastewater. The project aimed to strengthen local defense initiatives by facilitating the brothering of struggles through arenas for co-learning, collective reflection, and transformative action.

The presentation will provide a detailed exposition of the "Dialogue of Water Stories" methodology, which will be presented as an approach co-designed with local civil society organizations. It centered on storytelling international water defense struggles (e.g., the Whanganui, Atrato, and Jordan Rivers) to mobilize action in the local context. Key methodological elements included utilizing deep attention, the "Formemos un río" dynamic to encourage ontological openness, and facilitating reflective spaces to generate resonance among participants. The methodology successfully articulated the plurality of community water values and historical care practices, particularly those maintained by women. By establishing symbolic, trans-local connections between struggles, the process prompted attendees to move beyond alienation and engage in self-critical dialogue regarding the lake's degradation. The presentation will conclude that the "Dialogue of Water Stories" is a fertile approach for mobilizing transformative action led by local communities, positioning watercourses as "networked relational spaces" that inspire socio-environmental transformations.