Intergenerational and intercommunity dialogue for sustainable futures
Dr Samantha Kies-Ryan’s research is practice-led action research into facilitating dialogues between generations and different groups in communities and between communities on their traditions, values and beliefs and the sustainable futures that they would want to see.
Samantha’s doctoral research completed in 2022 Water is life: Using visual creative methods to facilitate community engagement in community-based water management in the Solomon Islands explored and develops innovative and creative approaches to community cultural engagement in community-based water management and climate change adaptation in the Solomon Islands. The outcomes were documented in her thesis and a website showcasing the community story map and action research process that was created.
A youth workshop being facilitated in Barana with Jerry Mane, Ranger at the Barana Community Nature and Heritage Park. Photo by Adilah Dolaiano.
In 2022 and 2023 Dr Samantha Kies-Ryan joined PLAN International Solomon Islands, Live and Learn Environmental Education, Solomon Islands National University and the International Water Center as a Research Lead on the Water for Women Innovation and Impact (I&I) research project, Community-to-catchment planning for inclusive, climate-resilient WASH systems in Solomon Islands. The photovoice facilitation method was further developed within different generations of a community and then between communities on how they can work collectively to protect their water catchments for the future. The research outputs were a case study and facilitators guide.
The women’s group creating their own photo story from the photos that the youth have taken during the Community-to-Catchment project.
In 2024 Dr Samantha Kies-Ryan was a Research Innovation and Collaboration Exchange Fellow at the East West Centre in Honolulu, USA. While there she facilitated a Research Symposium, presented a Research Series presentation and published in East West Center’s journal Asia Pacific Issues.
Dr Samantha Kies-Ryan is currently an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia and a Visiting Research Fellow at the School of Pacific Arts, Communication and Education at the University of the South Pacific, Fiji.
Research Publications
2025, Kies-Ryan, S. Creative and Innovative Approaches to Engaging With Communities in Water Security in the Solomon Islands, Asia Pacific Issues, East West Center, Honolulu USA.
2023, Kies-Ryan, S., Wickham, T., Benjamin, C., Hagabore, J., Teava, B., Tangithia, E., Tahu, M. and Otoaisi, L., Using photovoice to facilitate community dialogue around catchment management: Implementation Guide, Plan International Solomon Islands, Earth Water People, Solomon Islands National University, International Water Centre and Live and Learn Environmental Education, Brisbane, Australia.
2023, Kies-Ryan, S., Wickham, T., Benjamin, C., Hagabore, J., Teava, B., Tangithia, E., Tahu, M. and Otoaisi, L., Using photovoice to facilitate community dialogue around catchment management: a case study, Plan International Solomon Islands, Earth Water People, Solomon Islands National University, International Water Centre and Live and Learn Environmental Education, Brisbane, Australia.
2022, Kies-Ryan, S. Water is life: Using creative visual methods to facilitate community cultural engagement in water management in the Solomon islands, Doctoral thesis, QUT, Brisbane, Australia
Research Presentations
June 2024, Innovative and Creative Approaches to Addressing Water Security in the Pacific, Research Speaker Series, East West Centre Honolulu, USA.
2023, Wickham, T. and Kies-Ryan, S. Photovoice and inter-community dialogue for catchment management in Solomon Islands, Water and WASH Futures Conference, Brisbane, Australia.
2023, Kies-Ryan, S., Incorporating traditional cultural knowledge into water management in the Solomon Islands, Water and WASH Futures conference, Brisbane, Australia.
2021, Gegeo, D. Tahu, M. Mane, J. and Patison, P., Interweaving kastom knowledge in building climate resilience- case studies from research and practice, Solomon Islands National University (SINU) Talks series research seminar, Honiara, Solomon Islands.
2021, Kies-Ryan, S. Using community cultural mapping to weave together different knowledge, values and perspectives community-based water management and climate change adaptation in the Solomon Islands, Research for Development Impact Network (RDI) conference, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
2021, Gegeo, D., Kies-Ryan, S., and Tahu, M.,Understanding and interweaving kastom and cultural knowledge in community-based natural resource management and climate change in the Solomon Islands, Sustainability Research and Innovation (SRI) Conference, Brisbane, Australia.
For any enquiries about my research and work, please email me.