VIZAZI – Intergenerational learning and young people´s inclusion in collaborative environmental governance

Young people have taken an active role in environmental governance, yet they tend to have limited access to decision making. The main aim of the project is to bring understanding of how intergenerational learning facilitates connectedness between generations and supports young people´s inclusion in collaborative environmental governance. Our main research question is: Can intergenerational learning foster young people´s inclusion in collaborative environmental governance, and how?

VIZAZI project engages in real-time intergenerational learning activities with interaction partners and young co-researchers. The project engages in intergenerational learning through actional co-research and knowledge co-creation activities. Co-research means that involved young people engage in knowledge production on issues significant for them. Knowledge co-creation in VIZAZI means that the project researchers,  interaction partners and academic partners carry out intergenerational learning activities and learn from those actions together. Based on those knowledge co-creation and co-research processes, the involved actors co-create a model on intergenerational learning to foster young people´s inclusion in collaborative environmental governance.

The case studies are located in two UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (M&B) Reserves: the North Karelia biosphere reserve in Finland and the Amani biosphere reserve in Tanzania. The interaction partners in North Karelia are the North Karelia biosphere reserve (administered by North Karelia Regional Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment), Environment Online (ENO) and WWF Finland. The interaction partners in Amani are Amani Nature Reserve (administered by Tanzanian Forest Services), Amani Friends of Nature and WWF Tanzania.