Ulwazi Network is building a network with fishers and close stakeholders as co-researchers, enabling community members to collect and share micro-narratives—short stories and observations from their daily experiences on and close by the water.

These stories and experiences provide a continuous, real-time account of what fishers, their households, and communities are witnessing and experiencing. They capture the complexity and richness of their lives in ways that traditional surveys often miss.

By gathering these stories, we create and surface participatory local knowledge, empowering the community to make sense of their own environment and challenges.

Once collected, these stories, or micro-narratives, are analyzed and synthesized to reveal broader trends and insights. They are then shared back with the community. This collective intelligence forms a powerful foundation for adaptation, representation and negotiation with other parties and stakeholders. It ensures that the voices and lived realities of fishers are at the center of decision-making processes.

Through this approach, Ulwazi Network supports evidence-informed advocacy and fosters greater trust, cooperation, and agency within the community to strengthen resilience in the wake of an evolving marine environment on and off the water.

Are you a fisher, living in a coastal community, member of a fishing household, or impacted by the ocean in another way? Do you want to become a co-researcher? We are looking for you!