New paper out: Mombera Rising: Using the Nature Futures Framework to Amplify Novel Imaginaries in Malawi
The Mombera Rising project showcases how the Mombera Kingdom community in northern Malawi is reimagining sustainable futures through the Nature Futures Framework, a tool designed to surface diverse ways of valuing nature. Working with traditional leaders, women, and youth, the team co‑created visions that ranged from ecological restoration to technologically innovative futures rooted in the Ngoni cultural identity.
These visions were then transformed into paintings and speculative fiction stories that captured the emotional and cultural depth of the community’s aspirations, helping communicate them to audiences across Malawi and beyond. Alongside this creative work, researchers developed system maps and expert-led scenarios to explore how these local imaginaries could inform broader, bottom‑up sustainability planning. Together, these outputs highlight the power of community-led imagination to challenge colonial narratives, articulate plural relationships with nature, and inspire new possibilities for Africa’s futures.
To read the paper:
Mombera Rising: Using the Nature Futures Framework to Amplify Novel Imaginaries in Malawi.
