IHRR Event: Active Listening and Co-Creating Knowledge in Hazards, Risk and Resilience

The Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience (IHRR) at Durham University hosted a symposium to explore the role of active listening and co-creating knowledge across communities, practitioners, and policymakers to address hazards, risk, and resilience.

The growing threat of complex environmental crises has highlighted the need for transdisciplinary, collaborative research that engages and involves society in a meaningful way. To find sustainable and just solutions, diverse perspectives, from individuals and communities who have different needs, risks and goals, need to be integrated into decision-making processes. By fostering active listening, stakeholders can co-create solutions that are more inclusive, effective, and responsive to the needs of communities affected by hazards and risks.

The symposium featured three 15’ talks, short 3’ pop-up talks and panel discussions to encourage dynamic exchange.

The schedule of the event was as follows:

13:30 to 14:30 Part 1. Introduction (by Dr Rebekah Harries) and 15' talks (x3):

• Prof Neil Denton (Professor in Practice, IHRR, Durham University): A new order of things? If a relationships first approach is fundamental to co-creation and collaborative research in diverse communities, what changes to our current practice could we consider?
• Dr Katie Oven (Associate Professor, Northumbria University): Listening for landslides: Bringing local, Indigenous and scientific knowledges into conversation for landslide risk reduction in rural Nepal
• Prof Bruce Malamud (IHRR Director, Durham University): A co-created landslide mobile app: lessons learned

 14:50 to 15:20 Part 2. 15' talks (x2):

• Prof Sarah Curtis [virtual] (Emeritus Professor, Durham University): How can knowledge from the humanities and social sciences help us respond to disasters? Comments on the potential of the "Three I's" model
• Rich Gibbons and Christine Frazer (Gateshead Community Bridgebuilders): Weaving the safety nets and trampolines of connection - a Rough Guide to building bridges in Gateshead

15:20 to 16:00 Part 3.

• Participant questions to presenters (participants welcome to give brief pop up - i.e. 3 min intro on their research - with their questions) led by Dr Ellen Robson

A co-created landslide mobile app: lessons learned PowerPoint by Bruce Malamud

References

Curtis, S., Leach, M., Ardern, K., Beckerman, Hunter, P.R., Ruszczyk, H., Pelling, M. (2024) Health and wellbeing in the face of crises associated with climate or conflict: how can knowledge from the humanities and social sciences help us respond to disasters? Journal of the British Academy,12, vol1/2,  https://journal.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/articles/12/1and2/a13