Starting with local knowledge

We invited GNDR members to share the trees, roots and flowers that symbolise resilience in their territories, along with the meanings behind them. We received dozens of contributions reflecting different relationships with nature and different ways of understanding resilience. These became the starting point for the document’s visual language, grounding the global strategy in the lived experiences of the communities the network represents.

Co-designing symbols of resilience

Rather than treating each contribution as a separate illustration, we brought the symbols together into a coherent visual system. Inspired by the mycelium — the interconnected network through which fungi exchange resources with plants — we explored how individual elements could form part of a larger composition. This approach echoed the strategy’s emphasis on interconnection, collaboration and local agency, expressing how a network becomes stronger through the relationships between its members.

Bringing Indigenous perspectives into the document

We also invited Indigenous designers from the Design Reparations network to develop key visualisations in response to the question of what symbolises resilience in their territories. Their contributions brought specific cultural perspectives and relationships with the natural world into the document. Together with the symbols shared by GNDR members, these visualisations created a rich collection of stories and references rooted in local knowledge, making the strategy a reflection of the diverse communities behind it.