Pedagogies of Participation and Epistemic Justice: Applying the Pathfinder Methodology in the Colombian Amazonian Piedmont

<ns5:p>Background Community-based participatory research in complex rural settings generates profound methodological and territorial knowledge that is often lost due to a lack of systematic documentation. The Pathfinder methodology addresses this gap by capturing implicit lessons and transforming them into explicit, transferable knowledge. This article documents the application of Pathfinder to the study “One Amazon: Caquetá Node,” which analyzed resilience to health threats in the Colombian Andean-Amazonian foothills through a decolonial and critical perspective on the One Health framework. Methods A retrospective qualitative design was employed over eleven months, using evidence triangulation. The process followed three analytical phases: Characterization of pedagogical strategies for participation; Analysis of mixed-methods research tools and their “FAIRification” (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable); and Retrospective stakeholder mapping and analysis of relational dynamics. Data integration combined a documentary review with primary qualitative data from focus groups involving community co-researchers and local organizations. Results The study identified three pedagogical strategies of participation—a Diploma in Rural Health, a Women’s Care Workshop, and Community Water Monitoring—where the focus shifted from technical execution to the continuous, transversal building of trust and epistemic justice. Research tools, including a 189-household survey, were co-validated by community actors to ensure territorial relevance. Policy advocacy was materialized through three instruments: a pedagogical handbook, a departmental development forum, and a policy brief. Stakeholder mapping revealed a symbiotic academic-social alliance that transcended traditional hierarchies and strengthened the local organizational fabric. Conclusions Pathfinder serves as more than a documentation tool; it is a strategic instrument for epistemic repair and organizational learning. By documenting “pedagogies of participation” and fostering territorial sovereignty over data, this approach challenges extractive research models. In community health, where territorial contexts are highly conditioning, Pathfinder provides a replicable framework for collective learning, promoting a more resilient, collaborative, and decolonized research ecosystem in the Global South.</ns5:p>