2024 School testimonial: Daniel Mastaki
Here's a LinkedIn post from Daniel, originally written in French but translated to English by ChatGPT here. Reproduced with Daniel's permission.
Two Weeks of Learning at the CATER Summer School on "TRANSDISCIPLINARY CLIMATE RISK ADAPTATION AND ACTION" Held in Arusha from October 21 to November 2, 2024
I am honored to have completed these two weeks of learning and experience-sharing sessions on Friday, November 2. The program brought together researchers from diverse fields, fostering daily exchanges of our experiences and research on climate change. These insightful discussions were complemented by daily training sessions led by renowned scientists from both the Global North and South.
The training modules covered a wide range of topics, including:
An introduction to serious games (tasks and role assignment),
The physical science of climate,
"Honest brokering" of climate information,
Transgressive approaches (power, climate, and justice),
Political ecology,
Transdisciplinarity in action,
Decolonizing knowledge in transdisciplinary collaborations,
Theories of participatory games.
Beyond these sessions, we had the opportunity to visit a Maasai village and the Arkaria Impact Center, where we learned about the value of traditional climate knowledge and the challenges the Maasai community faces due to climate change. A stark example is a dam, historically relied upon by many villages, which has now dried up for the first time, impacting the lives of 16,000–18,000 people who depend on it directly.
We also visited the Arusha National Park, a haven of natural beauty and wildlife. Additionally, we attended a presentation at the Aga Khan University’s Arusha Centre for Climate and Environment Research (ACER), learning about their work in experiential learning, community education, and transdisciplinary research aimed at practical, context-specific solutions for local challenges.
I am proud to now be part of the CATER Schools Alumni Network, where we will collaborate on research projects, share opportunities, and organize both online and in-person events.
As a researcher at the Center for Research on Biodiversity Management and Climate Change (CRGBC) at ISDR-Bukavu, I also see great potential for future partnerships stemming from this program.
A heartfelt thank you to the organizers and to Professor Leonard Mubalama, Director of the CRGBC, for making this opportunity possible.
Originally posted on LinkedIn (click here to see post)
