Pathways of intercultural community accompaniment for the good living of the Mayangna people: practices, challenges and projections

Abstract

This article analyzes the intercultural community support for the Good Living of the Mayangna people, based on practices developed by the University of the Autonomous Regions of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua (URACCAN). The study is grounded in an intercultural, participatory, and decolonizing approach, based on the methodology of Cultivating and Nurturing Wisdom and Knowledge (CCRISAC), which recognizes Indigenous communities as protagonists in knowledge generation and in building development processes with identity. Methodologically, the Path of Creation and Recreation of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Practices was applied through experiential observation, conversations, knowledge dialogues, and territorial explorations. The results demonstrate that intercultural community support is expressed through practices aimed at cultural and linguistic revitalization, intercultural health, strengthening community governance, continuing education, sustainable land management, intercultural research, and communication. These practices constitute a shared journey between the university and the community, consistent with the Mayangna worldview and the principles of Good Living. However, the study identifies structural and methodological challenges, such as community fragmentation, the loss of collective reference points, institutional limitations, and dependence on external funding, which demand a reconfiguration of the support model toward more comprehensive, territorial, and sustainable approaches. The article concludes that URACCAN's intercultural support strengthens collective knowledge, identity, and The Good Living of Mayangna; however, the identified structural challenges require a reconfiguration of the support model toward a comprehensive approach that ensures its territorial, institutional, and epistemic sustainability.