Convened by Dr Angela Daly, Liverpool John Moores University, School of Education, UK, and Dr Andrea Bullivant, Liverpool World Centre, UK

Sustainability challenges are impacting locally across global communities. The intersection of socio-economic, cultural, ecological and political challenges, including rising food poverty, (in)accessible transport, and resilience to extreme weather, amongst other (g)local issues, are subject to contextual conversations and debates on action for sustainable futures. Understanding concerns of local communities in relation to sustainability challenges is essential to agenda setting and decision making. At the same time, global agendas can feel remote and disconnected from local communities and their contexts, concerns and potentially conflicting perspectives. 

Research in this space needs to take account of principles of collaboration, deliberation and democratic participation. This recognises experiences and methodologies which draw on popular education, participatory community development and critical education traditions. Participatory research practice can identify and foster inclusion of multiple voices and perspectives as part of the process of empowered agenda setting and decision making for local solutions to sustainability challenges. 

This panel aims to bring together researchers, practitioners and policy makers/shapers from the Global South and North whose research addresses: 

- How research agendas are formed: exploring relevance and interpretation of global agendas aimed at sustainable futures at local level 

- How research facilitates the processes of dialogue and decision making at different scales and levels, including voices of multiple stakeholders 

 - Reflexivity on the conditions for collaborations between groups, such as communities, educators, civil society organisations, universities and municipalities 

We would like to invite researchers working collaboratively across a broad range of contexts, communities and organisations to share their research and experiences. Convenors will explore draft papers for possible publication of a book/special issue of a journal on the theme of the role of research in agenda setting at (g)local level for sustainable futures.