Our 2025 In-Person Meeting in Ghana: From Local Voices to Global Impact

Last week, our IPON network met in Ghana to reconnect, reflect, and continue building our collective work. This meeting allowed us to revise our theoretical framework, harmonise our methodologies and ethical protocols, and plan the impact we want to achieve.

We are intentionally creating a culturally safe and respectful space where researchers can share knowledge honestly and co-develop new ideas and initiatives, built on trust and on our commitment to support Indigenous organisations and partners, their rights, and their knowledge. We learn from each other through stories, experiences, cultural practices, and the care each person brings into the room.

We feel deeply honoured to “walk with” this group of colleagues, friends, and growing family, and to be in the Volta watershed.

We leave Ghana with gratitude and renewed energy to bring local voices into global debates.

Our Third In-Person IPON Meeting, “From Local Voices to Global Impact,” gathered researchers, Indigenous leaders, and partners from 12 universities and 6 organisations, representing 15 countries, advancing Indigenous-led evidence and pathways for climate, food, and health.

We also want to acknowledge and give visibility to all the participants who make this work possible, as well as our funders: NFRF and Belmont Forum whose support sustains our collective efforts. We extend our appreciation to the colleagues who joined us in last year’s meeting and were not able to be with us this time; their contributions continue to shape the IPON network.

Learn more about our work and ongoing collaborations on our LinkedIN page

🎓 Institutions represented

University of Leeds (UK) • Rhodes University (South Africa) • SAMMA (Bolivia) • Keystone Foundation (India) • Fiocruz (Brazil) • University of Sydney (Australia) • ZALF (Germany) • Queen Mary/Kiribati • University of Ghana • UPCH (Peru) • University of Namibia • Ministry of Health (Uganda) • University of Alberta (Canada) • UNBC (Canada) • Virginia Tech/Sri Lanka • FAO (Italy) • UNALM (Peru)

Shared on behalf of Dr. Carol Zavaleta-Cortijo and Dr. James Ford, Co-Chairs of IPON.