Co-designing Technology Solutions Through Traditional Wisdom with Space4Innovation
Welcome back to our latest series on the teams behind the first cohort of the Green Accountability Technology Accelerator. Four teams joined us in May 2024 to develop tech-enabled tools that enhance citizen oversight and decision making in climate finance and climate action. Today, we’re speaking with Diana Mastracci from Space4Innovation about how modern technology backed by traditional wisdom allows for inclusive and sustainable land management.
Climate Collective: Who is Space4Innovation? Tell us about your team.
Diana Mastracci: Space4Innovation is a pioneering organization focused on leveraging technology to address global challenges. As innovators of the Indigenous Hackathon Design Methodology, we specialize in co-designing technology solutions with and for Indigenous and local communities. Our expertise in coding tech for climate justice ensures a tailored approach to meet the needs of communities worldwide. Our team comprises Indigenous advisors, software developers, remote sensing specialists, community organizers, and cultural liaisons, all committed to sustainable development. We are united by a shared passion for creating impactful solutions that blend Indigenous knowledge with modern innovation.
Climate Collective: What are you building? Tell us about Namunyak and how it came to be.
Diana Mastracci: We are developing Namunyak, an app specifically designed for the Samburu tribe, an Indigenous group from northern Kenya. Namunyak integrates Indigenous knowledge with modern technology to support sustainable land management and climate action. The app uniquely encodes geographical coordinates into culturally relevant symbols, enabling the Samburu to map and document their land in a way that resonates with their cultural practices. This Indigenous-led tool supports mapping territories, managing resources, and fostering collaboration. We are working closely with neighboring tribes to ensure broad applicability and scalability. We are excited to be currently testing the app with the Shuar Nation in the Ecuadorian Amazon, adapting it to their needs and demonstrating its versatility for communities worldwide.
Climate Collective: How does Namunyak honor and integrate oral traditions and Indigenous wisdom alongside modern technology? Why is this important to address climate change?
Diana Mastracci: Indigenous Peoples protect over 80% of the world’s biodiversity despite comprising less than 6% of the global population. Their knowledge is essential for future climate action. At Space4Innovation, we honor and integrate oral traditions and Indigenous wisdom through our Indigenous Hackathon Design Methodology, which we developed specifically to prioritize cultural appropriateness, inclusivity, and intergenerational knowledge transfer in technology design. We actively engage Indigenous Elders and youth throughout the design process, conducting iterative usability testing in collaboration with Indigenous and local stakeholders. This participatory approach ensures the app remains culturally relevant, intuitive, and user-friendly for all community members.
Climate Collective: How does Namunyak help communities to coordinate on climate and nature action, or address potential conflicts over land use and resources?
Diana Mastracci: Namunyak facilitates community coordination by providing a platform for transparent communication and decision-making. It allows communities to document and map their territories, monitor environmental changes, and share information with stakeholders. For the Samburu community, this includes the Samburu County Government, the Sarara Foundation, Save the Elephants, neighboring community conservancies, and other local organizations. Internationally, Namunyak engages with development agencies, UN institutions, academia, philanthropic organizations, and green development funds to align efforts and secure support. This transparency helps prevent conflicts over land use and resources by ensuring all parties have access to accurate and up-to-date information. By promoting collaborative land management practices, Namunyak supports sustainable development and conflict resolution.
Participants at the Samburu women Namunyak workshop in Wamba, Kenya, July 2024. Led by Lilian Nguracha, a Samburu Indigenous woman, this session empowered women to present their learnings about the app. For many, it was a powerful moment of public speaking and newfound confidence, demonstrating the transformative impact of technology when aligned with community values. Photo courtesy of Diana Mastracci
Participants at the Samburu women Namunyak workshop in Wamba, Kenya, July 2024. Led by Lilian Nguracha, a Samburu Indigenous woman, this session empowered women to present their learnings about the app. For many, it was a powerful moment of public speaking and newfound confidence, demonstrating the transformative impact of technology when aligned with community values. Photo courtesy of Diana Mastracci
Climate Collective: What motivates the team at Space4Innovation to build tools that enable green accountability? How are you achieving this?
Diana Mastracci: Our motivation stems from a commitment to environmental justice and in the transformative power of technology when it is aligned with the values and knowledge of Indigenous and local communities. We draw inspiration from the strength and resilience of these communities and seek to support their leadership in caring for the land. By developing tools that are open-source and community-led, we aim to ensure that they are transparent, accessible, and truly beneficial.
One of our most powerful moments came during a recent two-day workshop with Samburu women in Wamba, Kenya. Most of the participants had never touched a mobile phone before. As they engaged with the technology and heard their language represented through the app, one Samburu woman shared that she felt as though she had been given new eyes to see the world. Hearing their own language and voices in the app made them feel seen and heard in a profound way. This experience was deeply moving and underscored our mission. Witnessing the empowerment and joy of these women as they realized their own potential to influence and manage their environment through technology was a profound reminder of why we do what we do. It reminded us that our work is not just about co-creating tools but about supporting communities in finding their own voice and vision for their future. Their stories and newfound confidence inspire us to continue building culturally relevant tools that honor and support their leadership in environmental stewardship.
Climate Collective: What do you need to take this to the next level? How can others get involved?
Diana Mastracci: To scale Namunyak, we need ongoing support in funding, partnerships, and community engagement. Capacity-building programs will sustain access post-project, integrating the app into community structures. We have established collaborations with local organizations like the Namunyak Conservancy and the GEO Indigenous Alliance network. We invite organizations, governments, and individuals who share our vision to join us. Whether through financial support, technical expertise, or advocacy, there are many ways to contribute and amplify Namunyak’s impact, promoting climate resilience globally.
