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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 rooted in an understanding of history and community perspectives.
The community-led Battle of Lurwayizo Development Initiative (BOLD) in Mbhashe, South Africa, emerged from the legacy of Apartheid injustice, transforming conflict into a vision for peace and progress. Grounded in the lessons from the Battle of Lurwayizo, this initiative focuses on promoting peace, health, justice, and environmental conservation in South Africa’s Eastern Province.
In partnership with BOLD, W&M students are conducting research to support community-driven development and the implementation of an integrative management strategy that addresses public health, biodiversity conservation, local development, youth empowerment, and social justice.
In 2023 and 2024, W&M students explored ecotourism opportunities to commemorate the Battle as a livelihood strategy, examined ways to improve community access to healthcare through enhanced health worker programs, and investigated the integration of traditional and Western medicine. They also studied the impact of forced displacement of local farming and ranching communities from Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve and the role of these communities in regional biodiversity conservation.
In 2025, W&M students worked with BOLD to document and share oral histories from veterans and local community members, identifying connections between social and racial injustice, biodiversity conservation, and human well-being. In 2026, W&M students will continue to collect and make oral histories of the veterans available in a public archive. They will also work with BOLD to explore how to utilize the storytelling initiative to engage the community of Mbhashe and supporters in conservation, tourism, and environmental policy initiatives.