Youth as cultural mediators in ecological literacy: A moronene-based participatory campaign in a post-artisanal and small-scale gold mining community
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61511/icese.v4i1.2026.3684Keywords:
ecological literacy, indigenous knowledge, Moronene tradition, post-ASGM community, youth-led campaignAbstract
Background: Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has caused river pollution, deforestation, ecological disruption, and weakened the intergenerational transmission of Moronene ecological knowledge. This study examines how SEPAKAT, a local youth organization, designed, implemented, and experienced a Moronene-based ecological literacy campaign to improve ecological knowledge, strengthen youth-mediated intergenerational knowledge transfer, and identify enabling factors, constraints, and practical implications for post-ASGM recovery. Methods: The study used participatory action research and an embedded mixed-methods design. The proposed campaign model was validated through contextual/content validation with local stakeholders, process validation through triangulation of interviews, focus group discussions, observations, campaign documents, and participation records, and outcome validation using a one-group pretest–posttest design involving 50 participants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-sample t-tests, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically and integrated through triangulation. Findings: The campaign was implemented in four sequential phases, with Story Space and workshops receiving the largest time allocation (34%), underscoring the central role of intergenerational dialogue and collaborative learning. Overall ecological knowledge increased significantly from 2.67 ± 0.61 to 4.05 ± 0.49 (mean difference = 1.38; 51.7%; t = 9.57; p < 0.001). Youth mediation also improved significantly, particularly in translating Moronene ecological knowledge into educational media (mean difference = 1.58; 59.8%; t = 10.08; p < 0.001). The strongest enabling factors were the cultural legitimacy of Moronene values (4.42 ± 0.51; 88%) and SEPAKAT’s leadership (4.28 ± 0.56; 84%), while limited resources and logistical challenges constrained implementation. Conclusion: Youth-led, culturally grounded ecological literacy can strengthen environmental learning, ecological recovery, and intergenerational continuity in post-ASGM communities, while positioning youth as active cultural and environmental mediators. Novelty/Originality: This study demonstrates how youth-led intergenerational co-production can operationalize Indigenous ecological knowledge within a structured ecological literacy model in a post-extractive setting.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Basri Basri, Masayuki Sakakibara, Hendra Prasetia, La Sahara, Chitra Dewi, Nanang Rahmadani
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