Report on the Dispatch to Botswana and Guatemala:
Organizing Local Workshop & WAU Panel
Akira Takada
Professor
Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies
Kyoto University
From October 20 to November 10, 2025, I visited mainly Ghanzi and New Xade in Botswana, and Antigua in Guatemala to organize a local workshop and field excursion in Ghanzi, and New Xade respectively, and organize a panel at the World Anthropological Union (WAU) in Antigua regarding the ecological future of child rearing in the contact zone between hunter-gatherers and agro-pastoralists in Africa.
Following local preparations, we held a local workshop titled “Study of Future Making Among the Batswana in Contact Zones” on October 29 in Ghanzi, a regional town near the settlements of Botswana’s (post-)hunter-gatherers. The workshop focused on social restructuring within Botswana’s contact zones, particularly addressing challenges related to the socialization of (post-)hunter-gatherer children and the revitalization of traditional knowledge. Discussions were held with project stakeholders, local residents, and other stakeholders.
In the first part of the workshop, Dr. Andy Chebanne, Professor Emeritus of the University of Botswana (Photo 1) and Dr. Takada provided an introduction on the above theme. Subsequently, five scholars from the University of Botswana and two from Kyoto University gave individual presentations. The University of Botswana and Kyoto University have long collaborated on research and educational activities. Reflecting this long-standing partnership, these presentations explored how researchers can contribute to the better development of Botswana’s remote regions and their inhabitants; the characteristics and changes in language practices within contact zones; the ideals and realities of establishing orthographies for minority languages; the characteristics of the educational system in Botswana and the potential of non-formal education to address it, a framework for describing and analyzing poetic language practices and diverse folktales among overlooked minority ethnic groups, and attempts to revitalize traditional knowledge by retelling folktales through new media.
In the second part of the workshop, local residents who are also (post-)hunter-gatherers, members of local NGOs and local government, and researchers from the University of Botswana and Kyoto University divided into four groups. We engaged in group discussions prompted by questions such as: “How do children in your community learn in informal learning environments?”, “How do children in your community learn in formal learning environments?”, “How can you link informal and formal learning?”, and “What would you like others to know about your community?” After lively discussions within each group, representatives summarized their discussions for the other groups, leading to further exchange of views (Photo 2).
On the following day, October 30th, a field excursion was conducted where workshop participants visited New Xade, a field site that the Kyoto University team (including workshop participants Ms. Tomoe Noguchi, Mr. Koudai Ishikawa, and Dr. Takada) has been researching for many years. Specifically, they observed and exchanged views on activities and challenges related to children’s education and socialization at locations including the Yiaghuisi Community Learning Centre, which promotes non-formal education, the K’joe Primary School, which promotes formal education, and residential plots of local residents who have supported Ms. Noguchi and Dr. Takada (Photo 3).
The insights gained from this workshop and field excursion will be further deepened and developed through this project and related activities.
Subsequently, I undertook a long-distance journey via South Africa and the United States to Antigua, Guatemala. In Antigua, we participated in the annual meeting of the World Anthropological Union (WAU). The WAU is an organization established as a comprehensive and collaborative forum to invigorate transnational anthropology. For this event, Dr. Xiaojie Tian, Associate Professor at the University of Tsukuba, and Dr. Takada organized a panel titled “Reuniting Body, Mind, and Environment: An Anthropological Take on Children’s Total Health.” In addition to Dr. Tian and Dr. Takada, this panel featured presentations by a total of seven speakers, including Dr. Ayana Tanaka (currently JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at Kyushu University), who served as a researcher on this project, and Dr. Haneul Jang (Research Fellow at Toulouse School of Economics), who was a long-term visiting researcher at Kyoto University under this project. The topics include “Nurturing children’s sound physical and moral development in (post-)hunter-gatherer society: Preliminary research findings among the G|ui and G||ana in central Botswana” (Dr. Takada), “Managing Risks: Ethnographic Insights into Self-Care in Maasai Children’s Daily Lives” (Dr. Tian)，“Singing caregiving behavior among the central African hunter-gatherers” (Dr. Tanaka)，“Childcaregiving and Children’s Well-being Among the BaYaka Hunter-Gatherers and Yambe Fisher-Farmers in the Republic of the Congo” (Dr. Jang). These studies spanned diverse fields and topics, leading to lively discussions with both in-person and online participants about comprehensive approaches to children’s health (Photo 4).
This time WAU conference, held in the historic Central American city of Antigua, also yielded valuable insights through deepened exchanges with Spanish-speaking researchers and exposure to their research environment and history. Furthermore, The National Museum of Art of Guatemala (MUNAG), located in the heart of Antigua, houses extensive historical and cultural materials spanning from prehistoric times to the colonial period, alongside exhibitions of contemporary art by local artists. This provided a wealth of intellectual stimulation (Photo 5).
In summary, this visit was a fulfilling stay, marked by active engagement in action research and the presentation of research findings. I would like to express my gratitude to all the relevant institutions and individuals who made this possible.