W&M students are collaborating with the community-led Battle of Lurwayizo Development (BOLD) initiative to document the oral histories of veterans in South Africa, exploring the connections between apartheid legacies, human well-being, and environmental conservation. This community-driven research supports BOLD’s mission to leverage integrative conservation approaches to transform conflict into pathways for peace and prosperity in the Mbhashe region of South Africa.
Solving global health, development, and conservation challenges requires a multidisciplinary approach grounded in historical context and informed by community perspectives.
The community-led Battle of Lurwayizo Development (BOLD) initiative in Mbhashe, South Africa, was born from the legacy of apartheid, transforming a history of conflict into a vision for peace and progress. Drawing from the lessons of the Battle of Lurwayizo, BOLD promotes peace, health, justice, and environmental conservation in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province.
In partnership with BOLD, William & Mary students are supporting community-driven development through research that informs an integrative management strategy addressing public health, biodiversity conservation, local economic development, youth empowerment, and social justice.
In 2023 and 2024, W&M students explored ecotourism opportunities to commemorate the Battle as a sustainable livelihood strategy. They assessed ways to improve healthcare access through enhanced health worker programs and investigated the integration of traditional and Western medicine. Their work also examined the impacts of forced displacement from the Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserves and the vital role of displaced communities in regional biodiversity conservation.
In 2025, students collaborated with BOLD to document and share oral histories from veterans and community members, uncovering the interconnections between racial and social injustice, conservation, and human well-being.
In 2026, students will continue collecting oral histories and will contribute to the creation of a public archive. They will also work with BOLD to explore how this storytelling initiative can engage the Mbhashe community and wider audiences in conservation, tourism, and environmental policy efforts.
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