Promoting the Co-Creation of Knowledge under Physical Distancing Conditions through the Participation of Youth in the Bunaken-Tangkoko-Minahasa Biosphere Reserve (North Sulawesi, Indonesia)

Alberto Hernández-Salinas,Beatriz Fernández,N Gustaf F Mamangkey,Yohannes Purwanto,Johnny S Tasirin,Jasone Unzueta,Lorena Peña,Ibone Ametzaga-Arregi,Fabiola B Saroinsong,María Viota,Miren Onaindia

doi:10.3390/iecg2020-08740

Abstract

Biosphere Reserves are laboratories of sustainability that provide local solutions to global challenges. They promote research, education and the creation of communities of practice that jointly generate knowledge that may be applicable in decision-making. The context of the global COVID-19 pandemic posed a great challenge to all teaching and learning processes and so to the co-creation of knowledge. In response, we developed an online teaching environment (webinar) to enhance the value of ecosystems and analyze the perception of youth, a key interest group in participatory governance of the territory, in relation to the provision of ecosystem services in the Biosphere Reserve in Indonesia. We took the experience of the Project “Ecosystem Services Assessment of the Basque Country” as a reference and developed a questionnaire on the perception of the provision of local ecosystem services. Our results contribute to establishing a baseline to understand the relationship of youth with the territory and to setting up an international scientific cooperation. This experience showed that the promotion of online solutions can help counteract the negative effects of the global pandemic on teaching and learning processes and also empower local actors in sharing local management in the territory.

Highlights

In this hyperconnected global era, new technologies are showing the interconnectivities at all levels and are offering novel tools for addressing new challenges
A questionnaire that was presented during the seminar about the perception of the ecosystem services contribution in relation to each socio-ecosystem (“environmental unit”) within the Bunaken-Tangkoko-Minahasa Biosphere Reserve
A total of 74 people completed the pre-questionnaire. It was composed by 29 questions for characterizing the sample population, their relationship with nature, their vision and their level of environmental activism as well as information on how they knew about the E-Lifelong Learning webinar

Summary

Introduction

In this hyperconnected global era, new technologies are showing the interconnectivities at all levels (the effects of local activities to global level as well as between the different socio-ecosystems) and are offering novel tools for addressing new challenges. One of the recommendations identified is “implementing mechanisms that empower and actively encourage the participation of all in relevant decision‐making processes, including in environmental matters, and ensure the respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights” [1]. Diseases like COVID-19 pandemic abruptly proved the human dependence on nature and ecosystems unbalance equilibrium [2, 3] and it has affected multiple dimensions of human well-being. COVID-19 pandemic has had negative consequences on all programmes and activities

Methods

Results

Conclusion