Column by Shobha Raghuram - Valuing Development Knowledges

The imagination of social change for social action

Tags: Worldwide , Knowledge Platform

Knowledges about development present to the publics unique multidimensional theories and narratives about the struggles of people world over to attain social justice, to set right the inequalities, and, resolve the contradictions that beset our lives. These knowledges underscore the inseparability of precepts and practices. Foundational issues are being raised by Paul Hoebink and Alan Fowler about development work, development aid and the politics of being faithful to one’s mission. I continue here the dialogue with some existential impressions. Is it knowledge that is the compass or is it action that is the guiding compass? It is both, and both inextricably need to be woven as one compass... Do we want to sound politically correct or do we want to build on the real with the imagination of that future? How can we make this workable, for who and why? These are the questions we want to ask ourselves as development workers. Shedding the myths, developing the uncompromising ability and the will to see and speak the truth, nurturing the political instinct to know what will be the challenges both at the grassroots and in the macro-context, sharpening the sense of strategising to get to where we need to be, as soon as we can, and, as accountably as we can...for me all this and more is at the heart of development. Read the column.