Who should be involved in an environmental peacebuilding project? This session reviewed the importance of participatory approaches and considered how mapping - of actors, resources, and more - can support each stage of the project cycle. A special focus was given to different understandings of power, and how mapping can help communities ‘translate’ soft and relational forms of power by influencing actors with material forms of political and economic power.

In addition to the live session, project coordinator Ileana Ávalos prepared a special presentation sharing lessons from PARES, an initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean implementing locally-led action through the EU-UNEP Climate Change and Security Partnership. Ileana highlights how they have used participatory mapping to enhance their work.