This text is the intervention of Ms Ellen Dixon for the UNESCO MOST Forum 2026 Closing Panel "Integrating the Humanities into Policy", held on 29 September 2026 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France by invitation of the UNESCO MOST-Bridges Coalition.
In this piece Gareth Thomas reflects on an extraordinary cross-continental journey that brought Welsh river fishers and Alutiiq communities together in Kodiak. Rooted in the international Coastal TALES project, this story explores how shared stories over salmon stocks, environmental regulation, and cultural survival can connect two vastly different worlds — "It is not every day that you set off from Wales in the middle of the night, bound for Kodiak Island in Alaska with two traditional Welsh coraclemen. But that was exactly what I was doing in August 2026. After four flights and around 36 hours of travelling, we landed at a small local airport to meet our American research colleagues and their Alutiiq partners. Somewhere among our luggage, carefully carried across several thousand miles, was a miniature traditional coracle made by one of the last people in Wales still making them. We unwrapped it in airport car park and breathed a sigh of relief, the fragile miniature boat had made it."
"What happens when we bring together agriculture, tradition, art and culture with food in a way that makes them accessible to as many people as possible? What happens when we pass rural life, cultural heritage, nature conservation and our relationship with consumption on to the next generation in a way that allows us to preserve and strengthen old knowledge while also responding to new challenges? And how can we approach nature conservation in a way that makes people genuinely want to take part?" This blog by Luca Reichmann of our coalition membership organisation, Gaswerkareal, explores how we can bring traditional wisdom and environmental stewardship to life through community-rooted engagement.
Author: Gareth Thomas. Coracle fishing on West Wales's River Tywi is an ancient tradition facing severe threats from pollution and declining fish stocks. As explored in this blog post, the ethnographic short film Yma o Hyd: The Ancient Art of Fishing in Wales reveals how preserving this unique food culture requires protecting the active livelihoods and ecological knowledge that sustain it.
This piece explores the core philosophy and way of being behind Tamkeen for Our Humanity Foundation – Mirror Of a Humanising Society, which are reflected in its name. The foundation's work is dedicated to fostering social ecosystems where humanity's capacity for connection, beauty, and mutual growth can thrive.
