TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND CLIMATE JUSTICE

the indigenous presence in global governance and narratives about the climate crisis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9771/pcr.v18i3.67444

Keywords:

Climate justice, Indigenous peoples, Traditional knowledge, Climate governance, Communication

Abstract

This paper analyzes the inclusion of Indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge in international climate governance forums, highlighting the importance of cultural plurality in shaping fairer and more effective responses to the climate crisis. Drawing on Chief Raoni’s speech and the Global Alliance of the Peoples of Nature Declaration at COP21, the discussion explores how communication can foster the inclusion of historically marginalized worldviews. The article advocates for the recognition of diverse knowledge systems as a prerequisite for sustainable policies, emphasizing the need to transform exclusionary decision-making structures.

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Author Biography

Cilene Victor

Full Professor of the Postgraduate Program in Social Communication at the Methodist University of São Paulo (UMESP), where she is the leader of the research group "Humanitarian Journalism and Media Interventions" (HumanizaCom), permanent professor of the Postgraduate Program in Religious Sciences, and professor responsible for the Montanhão Extension Project - UMESP - Exchange of Knowledge and Expertise for Building Resilience, Socioenvironmental Justice and Adaptation to Climate Emergencies. She is a professor of the subjects Risk Communication and Climate Change - Transdisciplinary Approach at FGV LAW. She holds a post-doctorate from the Postgraduate Program in Territorial Planning and Management, with a concentration in Environmental and Urban Risk Management, at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), a PhD in Public Health from the University of São Paulo, with a thesis in the area of ​​Environmental and Technological Risk Communication, a master's degree in Scientific and Technological Communication, a specialization in Communication Applied to Health and a bachelor's degree in Journalism. She has been teaching higher education since 1995, working in Communication courses, especially Journalism. She works as a journalist and researcher in the field of risk communication, media intervention resources, humanitarian and peace journalism and their interfaces with themes such as conflicts, wars, sustainability, disasters and climate change. She has researched and developed projects focused on the role of communication in the context of climate change, sustainability and disaster risk reduction - DRR. Within the scope of HumanizaCom, he founded the Global South Perspectives Network, in partnership with the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS), based in Belgium, and the Inclusive Society Institute (ISI), based in South Africa. He is currently an extension fellow in the project Strengthening public policies for disaster risk prevention, Fiocruz/Ministry of Cities. He coordinated the areas of Risk Communication and Dissemination (02/2023-12/2024) and Participatory Process (03/2024 to 12/2024) of the development project UNDP - International Technical Cooperation Project BRA/12/017 - National Plan for Civil Protection and Defense. She was a consultant for UNESCO, in the "product consultancy" category, assisting the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation in a project that aimed to study and develop alert systems at the national level for the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts for Natural Disasters - Cemaden. As a science and environmental journalist since 1991, she has worked as a commentator, columnist for media outlets in the area and editor of specialized magazines. In journalism, teaching and research, she has also sought to work with narratives that associate the impacts of climate change with humanitarian crises, with a focus on forced migrations. Since 1991, she has covered UN conferences, both in Brazil and abroad, and in recent years has dedicated herself to covering humanitarian crises and the issues of peace and justice in several countries.

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Published

2025-10-11

How to Cite

Victor, C., & Edoa, L. (2025). TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND CLIMATE JUSTICE: the indigenous presence in global governance and narratives about the climate crisis. Políticas Culturais Em Revista, 18(edição especial), 41–62. https://doi.org/10.9771/pcr.v18i3.67444

Issue

Vol. 18 No. edição especial (2025): Dossiê - Cultura e Mudanças Climáticas: Políticas para Regenerar o Mundo

Section

Culture and Climate Change: Policies to Regenerate the World

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