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International Development 

Design Summit Ayuujk 2025

Cumbre Internacional

de diseño para el Desarrollo Ayuujk 2025

About

the summit

From July 29 to August 13, 2025, Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, Oaxaca, will become the epicenter of creativity and technology with the purpose of designing projects that provide solutions to different problems in the community.

​In this unique 2 week-long summit, 35 local, national and international participants will come together to work as a team, learn about user-centered design and co-create 7 innovation projects that use local technology to solve specific community challenges.

​Do you join in creating solutions that make a difference?

About IDDS

What are the International Development Design Summit (IDDS)?

IDDS are practical co-design experiences that bring together people from different parts of the world and diverse contexts to co-create, together with a community, innovative solutions that can improve the quality of life of those facing situations of inequality.

Based on the co-creation approach and using the design cycle as the main tool, the IDDS invite its participants to collaborate with members of the host community in the identification of key problems, as well as in the design, construction and testing of prototypes. that respond to those needs.

These summits offer a unique learning experience, moving away from traditional approaches in design and innovation, prioritizing teamwork, local impact and immersion in the social and cultural context of the community.

To learn more about the history of the IDDS spirit visit https://www.idin.org/

About IDDS

About IDDS

1
Solutions
tecnológicas
directas

About IDDS

2
Formación
de líderes
locales

About IDDS

3
Intercambio
global de
conocimiento

About IDDS

Transformation from the local level

Oaxaca is a region deeply rich in culture, Indigenous knowledge, and social capital. However, it faces persistent challenges in key areas such as access to clean water and the sustainability of agricultural practices.

The Ayuujk community of Santa María Tlahuitoltepec possesses vast traditional knowledge and a strong collaborative spirit, which, combined with the proven experience of Oaxin—which has implemented design processes in seven Oaxacan communities since 2019—provides a solid foundation for the development of this summit.

What to expect as a participant of IDDS Ayuujk?

The 36 IDDS participants are change agents from diverse regions of the world who share a common goal: to co-create sustainable solutions to real-world challenges. Through a collaborative and intercultural process, these individuals contribute their unique knowledge, experiences, and perspectives, enriching each stage of the design process with local approaches and technical expertise. Their active participation not only transforms specific contexts but also creates networks of solidarity, innovation, and learning that transcend borders.

What to expect as a participant of IDDS Ayuujk?

During their stay in Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, participants will live an immersive experience guided by the principles of communality, which define the daily work of the Ayuujk.

This implies inhabiting the territory with deep respect for its culture, traditions, relationship with the natural environment and its unique forms of organization and collective participation.

Following the IDDS philosophy, participants and innovators, both international and local, will learn and develop skills in participatory design. These skills will allow you to collaborate as a team with members of the ayuujk community in the development of projects focused on key areas such as:

  • Water and environmental conservation

  • Health and community health

  • Gender equality

  • Sustainable agriculture

The projects will not only benefit Tlahuitoltepec, but can be replicated and adapted in other communities in the Ayuujk region that face similar challenges, maximizing their impact.

Additionally, at the end of the summit, selected participants will join the International Development Innovation Network (IDIN), a global network made up of more than 1,000 innovators working on impact projects around the world.

Design challenges

Corn production process

How might we plant corn faster?

Crafts

How might we extract ixtle from green maguey leaves?

How might we warp wool without electricity?

Entreprenurship

How might we avoid nopal losses due to unsold inventory? (supporting new venture led by women)

Local constructive systems

¿How produce adobe efficiently?

Traditional Medicine

How can dried medicinal plants be obtained as an alternative for women's healing?

The prototypes developed will not only benefit Tlahuitoltepec. Thanks to their participatory design and cultural relevance, these technologies have the potential to be replicated and adapted in other communities in the Ayuujk region facing similar challenges . Thus, each solution becomes a seed of transformation for multiple territories.

At the end of the summit, the selected participants will join the International Development Innovation Network (IDIN ), a global network of more than a thousand social innovators. This international community allows for the sharing of learnings, the scaling of projects, and the generation of new collaborations in different parts of the world, thus expanding the impact of the IDDS far beyond its geographical borders.

Host

Host

The IDDS Ayuujk 2025 will take place in Santa María Tlahuitoltepec, known locally as Xaamkëjxp, a municipality located at 2,240 meters above sea level in the majestic Sierra Mixe Mountain Chain of Oaxaca. This territory is part of the Mixe (Ayuujk) ethnic group, where Ayuuk is the predominant language and 80% of the population is bilingual, speaking both Ayuuk and Spanish.

Just 2.5 hours from Oaxaca City, this community is surrounded by ecosystems of pine-oak forests and cloud forests, which not only define the landscape, but also the way of life of its inhabitants.

Agriculture is the main economic activity, practiced in a traditional way and on a small scale. The fields of Tlahuitoltepec produce corn, beans, potatoes, squash, peas, chiles and other essential crops. It also highlights livestock farming and local commerce as sources of livelihood.

However, like many indigenous communities in southern Mexico, migration represents one of the most important challenges for the region, impacting both the social fabric and economic activities.

Summit Center: CECAM, where music and innovation meet

Host

Facilitation team

The IDDS Ayuujk 2025 facilitators are key players in co-creating technological solutions with communities. Their role is not to teach from a distance, but to support processes from within: listening, guiding, questioning, and building alongside the teams.

With experience in participatory design, sustainable development, education, technology, and community work , they support participants throughout the entire design cycle: from immersion to prototyping. Their presence ensures that each project is based on dialogue, respect, and shared knowledge.

More than experts, they are catalysts for collective learning and collaborative work. After the summit, they continue to network through IDIN, an international community committed to grassroots social innovation.

Acknowledgment

We thank the following individuals for their efforts and support in making this summit a reality in Oaxaca, Mexico.

 

Nydia Delhi Mata, Misael Pablo Sandoval Dominguez, Julio Palau, Noemi Guadalupe Lopez Cristobal, and Fernando Vazquez

Individual donors

María José Saenz - Isela Mondragón - Julia Lopes Sauia - Carolina Alzate - Kathy Nativi - Emilio Velis Uriel Gargía Gopar - Paola Moreno - Julio Palau - Marcos Paiz - Jorge Bermúdez - Paul Chang - David Saleh - Agnes Pyrchla - Hazwan Razak - Tabhiso Mashaba - Shanti Klein 

Julieta María Alejandra Ramos Robles - Russell Manuel

Organizers

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Co-organizing partners and sponsors

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