Dialogues of Knowledge

stories from social movements in Central America

Tags: Central America & Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Civil Society Building

In August, the Civil Society Building programme organized a 'Research in Progress' seminar in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. This event brought together representatives of three major movements in the region: the Guatemalan Indigenous People’s movement, the Women’s movement from Nicaragua, and the Costa Rican Movement against CAFTA. The workshop provides a space for sharing and feedback on research progress, before the teams embarked on the last phase of finalizing their research reports, which can be expected before the end of the year.

Since last year, key actors from these movements have been engaged in guided ‘dialogues of knowledge’ to reflect on social movement development. This highly participative process, drawing on ongoing experiences, is being facilitated by ISS researchers and HIVOS’ regional office in San Jose.

Dialogues of knowledge is a research methodology that turns people who would traditionally be the objects of research into subjects. The workshop allowed a glimpse of an ongoing participatory process of reflection and dialogue about their experiences. The questions under consideration refer to the evolution and impact of social movements and the role of outside actors in their development. The process is guided by gentle facilitation from ISS researchers but it is rooted in the participants’ culture, their context, their discourse, their perception of reality.

A case in point is the Nicaraguan Women’s movement. This movement is persisting in their fight for women’s rights in a tough environment, characterized by persecution, intimidation and political violence. This morning, the women present shared their story, reflecting on their dialogues over the course of the last year. The findings that emerged were profound. Controversial, sensitive and painful issues were uncovered. The questions raised by the others participants, conveyed in a spirit of solidarity, provoked serious debate.

So what is happening here? This event and the process that preceded it, offer spaces for the participants to reflect and share their experiences. This enables them to deepen the understanding of the dynamics that they themselves are a part of, to become more conscious of their own development. The impulses that this generates are already influencing their ways forward. It seems clear that is a revitalizing and inspiring experience for everyone involved. The knowledge process, probably much more than its anticipated products has thus becomes a valid development intervention in itself, directly contributing to difficult struggles of marginalized groups that HIVOS and ISS seek to support.

Want to know more about research in Central America or the other activities of the Civil Society building Knowledge programme? Visit our website or contact us at info@hivos.net