DIALOGUES
Bridging Power and Knowledge: Addressing Global Imbalances in Knowledge Systems for Sustainable
Futures
SUSTAINE
AUTHORS
Nourhan M. ALsamman
Usama Tariq
Sadvokassova Akbota
Aspan Tursynbay
Sadaf Taimur
Wisdom Essien
Surabhi Srivastava
Motshabi M. Thabeng
Bakhtawar Ahmad
Songo Nore
Tatyana Sholudko
YIAVHA
Dr. Barbara Wejnert
Professor Raimund Bleischwitz is a distinguished expert in global sustainable resources and natural resource governance, with extensive experience in the fields of the blue and circular economy. As Scientific Director of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) and Professor of Global Sustainable Resources at the University of Bremen, he leads interdisciplinary research on sustainable resource use, resource efficiency, and natural resource governance. His work has made significant contributions to international environmental policy, particularly in the areas of the resource nexus, critical raw materials, and the interconnections between resource management, climate change, and security. An internationally recognized scholar, he has advised governments, international organizations, and policymakers on sustainability transitions and resource governance. As an Honorary Professor at the UCL Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, he continues to contribute to global debates on sustainable development and evidence-based resource policy.
Prof. Raimund Bleischwitz
Dr. Barbara Wejnert is a professor in the Department of Environment and Sustainability and a faculty member of the Jaeckle Center for Law, Democracy, and Governance at the University at Buffalo. She has received numerous awards for her research on democracy, political sociology, environmental sustainability, and gender. Her interdisciplinary and transnational research examines the global diffusion of democracy, the rise of autocracy, and their impacts on energy democracy, environmental sustainability, and gender equity. She has authored or edited 14 books, including Diffusion of Democracy (2014), published by Cambridge University Press, and developed the Nations, Development and Democracy database (2005). Additionally, she has published more than 80 peer-reviewed articles on democratization, environmental politics, gender equality, and development. In 2016, her work on gender and democracy received the inaugural Arlene Kaplan Daniels Paper Award. Her research on the diffusion of democracy was also recognized when it was presented as a poster at the U.S. Congressional Reception, highlighting its relevance to national policymaking.
SPEAKERS
Prof. Shweta Singh
Shweta Singh is an Associate Professor in Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Environmental & Ecological Engineering and Davidson School of Chemical Engineering (By Courtesy) at Purdue University, USA. Dr Singh’s research focuses on advancing systems methodologies and computational tools for Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Input-Output based LCA and creating cloud-based computational tools for sustainability assessment. Applications of these tools include design for enabling circular economy, evaluating impact of adopting renewable energy and decarbonization, climate change and sustainability of emerging technologies such as pharmaceuticals, bio-based or cyber-physical systems. Her research is supported by funding from federal, private and non-profit organizations including U.S. National Science Foundation; U.S. Army Research Lab and international organization such as International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Germany. Dr Singh received B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT, India (2006), Masters in Applied Statistics (2011) and PhD in Chemical Engineering (2012), both from The Ohio State University, USA. From 2012-2013, she was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow in residence with Western Ecology Division of US Environmental Protection Agency and from 2013-2014 she was a postdoctoral fellow at University of Toronto, Canada. She was one of the 83 early career engineers invited by National Academy of Engineering to attend the US Frontiers of Engineering symposium in 2021. She also received the AIChE Environmental Division Early Career Award in 2021.
EXPLORE THE ARTICLES
Conceptual & Theoretical Foundations
Environmental Sustainability Expert, Leading Change in Education & Community Resilience
Fostering Equitable Sustainability: Integrating Indigenous Wisdom and Scientific Knowledge for Global Solutions by Vaishnavi Bhagat
Bridging Knowledge Systems for Inclusive Sustainability: A Cross-Cultural Perspective by Joel N. Christoph
From Spiritism to Empiricism: Bridging the Western–Traditional Knowledge Divide with the Igbo Trado-Religious Practices of Arochukwu by Mazi Nwankwo Okafor Michael, Wisdom Essien, Blessing Adukwu, Priscillia Ishmeal, Rachel Mujong, & Rebecca Michael
A Shezhire as a Code of Sustainability: Traditional Kazakh Wisdom for a Global Future by Sadvokassova Akbota & Tursynbay Aspan
Climate Change, Governance & Intersectionality
Papers in this category investigate the multifaceted impacts of climate change, focusing on governance strategies and the intersectional vulnerabilities of different communities, particularly in the Global South.
The Impact of Climate Change on Digital Governance Policies in Tuvalu by Songo Nore
Climate Change and the Global South: An Intersectional Study of the Impact of Climate Change on LGBTQIAP+ by Surabhi Srivastava
Environmental Degradation and Economic Performance in Botswana: A Test of the Environmental Kuznets Curve, Pollution Haven and Pollution Halo Hypotheses by Lovemore Taonezvi & Motshabi Mickey Thabeng
Case Studies of Local Knowledge & Sustainability Practices
This section presents practical case studies showcasing how local and traditional knowledge systems are being applied to foster sustainability, resolve conflicts, and build resilience in specific communities.
From Conflict to Cooperation: A Community-Led Approach to Farmer-Herder Peacebuilding in Riyom, Plateau State, Nigeria by Pwakim Jacob, Judith Remson, Bisat Justin, Elizabeth Igele, & Nanret David
Assessing the Economic Impact of Traditional Agroforestry Practices on Agricultural Sustainability and Climate Resilience in Rural Mexico by Mohamad Zreik
Bridging Knowledge Worlds: Integrating Local Climate Adaptation Practices with Scientific Research in Southeastern Nigeria by Joel N. Christoph
Do Voluntary Sustainable Standards Induce Systems Change? Evidence from Sustainable Cotton Farming in Pakistan by Mian Usama Tariq
Beyond Familiar Metrics: How Kazakhstan's Volunteer Movement Is Reshaping Our Understanding of Social Innovation by Tatyana Sholudko
Technology, Innovation & Future Pathways
Papers in this category investigate the multifaceted impacts of climate change, focusing on governance strategies and the intersectional vulnerabilities of different communities, particularly in the Global South.
Production of Weather Information vis-à-vis Agricultural Planning Calendar by Frank Mutesa & Uwera Amina
Biogas Energy Generation Project for Sustainable Rural Development in Egypt, Qena Governorate (ENSAN AID Foundation) by Nourhan Al-Samman
Sangam: Bridging Knowledge and Amplifying South Asian Youth Voices for Climate Resilience by Sadaf Taimur & Bakhtawar Ahmad
"SustainE Dialogue offers an essential space where academic research meets lived Indigenous experience. The exchange of perspectives here challenges traditional paradigms and inspires actionable solutions for global justice."
- Tatyana Sholudko, Winner of the Price
PERSPECTIVES
BRIDGING POWER & KNOWLEDGE
Our platform brings together international researchers, grassroots leaders, and policy thinkers to challenge dominant paradigms. By elevating marginalized knowledge systems alongside scientific rigor, we examine how power shapes environmental policy and co-create equitable pathways toward planetary healing and social transformation.
SPECIAL THANKS
The editors express deep appreciation to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for its support of equitable global research partnerships, and to the 2024 Humboldt Residency participants—Adenike Akinsemolu, Annick Eimer, Sarah Iqbal, Christer de Silva, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nandini Tanya Lallmon, Amie Liebowitz, Munkh-Erdene Lkhamsure, Tlamelo Makati, Babita Paudel, and Shadrach Teryla Ukuma—whose collaborative spirit and creativity made this issue possible. Special thanks go to the members of the Scientific Advisory Board for their scholarly guidance, and to the global networks that continue to challenge and inspire the reimagining of knowledge, justice, and sustainability.
