Indigenous worldviews and inclusive education: insights into participatory video and the practice of Buen Vivir of the Misak community

Abstract

There is limited research about inclusive education and indigenous people in Colombia. Therefore, there is a need to empirically explore this phenomenon in the country. Out of all the indigenous tribes and communities in Colombia, this study focused on exploring the practice of Buen Vivir (cosmovision (worldview) and the concept of what Good Living means) with the Misak community in Guambia, Colombia. It is one of the largest, solid indigenous groups in the country and the researchers have a strong affiliation with this community. For this research, we use qualitative research (interviews and a focus group), specifically, Participatory Video Research (PVR), to give the participants a voice and empower them to take more control over and benefit from the research for their own communities. This study demonstrated that the dimensions of solidarity, reciprocity, complementarity, and harmony with nature were important to achieve the Misak 'Buen Vivir' practice. The researchers identified a series of benefits that the PVR project had brought to the community. These benefits were technical skills for the community, self-confidence regarding the use of technologies, improvement in the relationship between the participants of each of the groups, and the possibility of using the video tool for educational and awareness-raising topics with the Misak community. The findings revealed that it was a positive experience for the community to have actively participated in the entire process.