Talking Transformation serves as Global Facilitator for the inspiring international Trialogues which bring together policy-makers, scientists, businesses and local and indigenous knowledge-holders to jointly assess and act upon the latest global findings on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

During the pandemic, in light of the “new normal”, Talking Transformation has adapted the methodology to facilitate a Virtual Trialogue to enable multi-stakeholder engagement and dialogue through innovative online and mobile communication approaches. This pilot activity involved local and indigenous knowledge holders, NGOs/CSOs and researchers in the seven target countries (Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal and Togo). Various online tools were utilized with a two-week intensive networking and knowledge exchange through parallel country WhatsApp groups prior to bringing the participants together in Zoom conference facilities, with the aim to provide the participants with a space to share their knowledge and experiences about opportunities and challenges related to promoting pollinators and combating land degradation, particularly in the face of coronavirus related socio-economic disruptions. A number of inspiring and uplifting pollinator-friendly sustainable land management stories have been exchanged through texts, voice recording, virtual communication and photos.

At the regional level in Africa, the Caribbean, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, the Trialogues aim at strengthening the interface between science/traditional knowledge, policy and practice, and enhance national capacity to integrate findings and recommendations from the IPBES Thematic Assessments into policy, planning and on-the-ground programmes and projects. Experience has shown that scientific reports and one-way transfer of information alone does not strengthen capacity nor lead to inclusive and effective decision-making. The Trialogue methodology, therefore, seeks to provide a space to foster mutual learning, inter-cultural understanding and inter-institutional coordination. For more information please down load the information note here. With improved awareness and enhanced network around the IPBES assessment themes, the participants of the Regional Trialogues have been leading the evidence-based uptake effort by promoting policy reforms, undertaking new research studies and organizing sensitization events, across the world.

At the national level, the Trialogue approach is used to create a three-way dialogue between scientists, policymakers and practitioners (e.g. local and indigenous communities, farmers, businesses, civil society and NGOs, etc.) in support of the ongoing National Ecosystem Assessments (NEAs) process in Cameroon, Colombia, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Trialogues help strengthen the participation of key stakeholders into the assessment process, build their awareness and capacity, and increase uptake of the assessment report recommendations. It is important to involve policymakers in the crafting of policy questions for NEA: policy questions that are relevant to their mandate in short- and medium-term. It is also critical to understand and integrate local knowledge in order to: i) fully include all biodiversity values in the assessment; ii) understand the impacts and trade-offs of different policy recommendations (in terms of their impact and appropriateness for the different local contexts); iii) ensure that the proposed actions are fair, feasible, appropriate and achievable; and iv) engage local champions for any change in behavior and/or support for new approaches that are needed in order.