Workshop de ação climática colaborativa da Zâmbia
Uma ação climática eficaz requer soluções localmente fundamentadas que estejam estrategicamente alinhadas com as prioridades nacionais e globais. Neste artigo, refletimos sobre um workshop fundamental realizado na Zâmbia, onde os parceiros do programa Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) se reuniram para aprimorar a colaboração e preparar o caminho para um engajamento político impactante. O evento de cinco dias proporcionou um espaço crucial para refletir sobre o progresso, identificar oportunidades e traçar de forma colaborativa o curso para a fase restante do programa.
Esse encontro colaborativo fortaleceu as parcerias entre diversas partes interessadas, facilitou a troca de conhecimentos vitais e demonstrou o impacto significativo do programa VCA. Os participantes exploraram abordagens inovadoras, discutiram a importância do pensamento sistêmico para intervenções eficazes e iniciaram o desenvolvimento de um plano conjunto de defesa para ampliar as vozes da comunidade e influenciar a política em questões importantes, incluindo a Lei de Cultivadores de Plantas.
O workshop ressaltou o vínculo fundamental entre a ação local e a política nacional. As principais conclusões, diretamente relevantes para os formuladores de políticas e financiadores, incluem:
- Enhanced Local Ownership and Partnership: The workshop fostered stronger partnerships and relationships, creating a conducive environment for local ownership of climate initiatives. This is a critical foundation for sustainable and impactful interventions, ensuring community buy-in and long-term engagement. The “speed-dating” session proved effective in initiating new collaborations.
- Facilitated Learning and Knowledge Sharing: The workshop facilitated a deep exchange of knowledge and insights among alliance members and partners. Participants gained a deeper understanding of each other’s work, which directly enhanced collaboration efforts and avoided duplication of effort. This cross-learning is essential for maximising the effectiveness of climate interventions.
- Showcasing Impact and Collective Storytelling: The workshop successfully showcased the collective impact of the VCA programme, enabling participants to articulate a unified narrative of the programme’s achievements. This thematic storytelling is crucial for communicating impact to policymakers and funders and demonstrating the value of investing in locally led solutions.
- Identifying Fundable and Scalable Local Solutions: The workshop made significant strides in identifying and packaging fundable and scalable local solutions. These solutions are now better positioned to attract financial resources, which will be critical in sustaining the programme’s impact beyond its current funding cycle. This focus on scalability and sustainability is vital for long-term climate resilience. However, further work is needed to align these solutions with community needs and service provider priorities.
- Joint Advocacy Planning for Policy Influence: The workshop initiated the development of a joint advocacy plan, recognising the importance of coordinated action to influence policy. This is particularly relevant to the Plant Breeders Act, where a unified voice is essential for protecting smallholder farmers and traditional seed systems in the face of climate change. The plan will define roles, responsibilities, timelines, and key deliverables for effective policy engagement.
