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Objectives
The purpose of the proposed Workshop is to contribute to the
expansion and qualitative promotion of Participatory Action
Research (PAR) in MMRP programmes in the ten countries which
have this programme funded by the Netherlands Ministry of
Development Cooperation.
The MMRP programmes are engaged in research that are principled
to be demand driven, ie, designed to meet the concerns that
exist in the society, and encourage the active participation
of the different stakeholders in the in the various stages
of implementation of research. Since the vast majority of
people in these societies have low economic and social status,
the development concerns of these people should have a primacy
in such demand-driven research. These concerns can be best
represented in research only when people with socio-economic
status themselves play the role of researchers rather than
being researched upon. Participatory Research (PR) as it is
generally called is hence the most natural research methodology
to meet the MMRP principle. Such research, in which the ordinary
people participate as researchers themselves, naturally unites
with their daily life's actions and stimulates further action
by themselves individually as well as collectively to enhance
their own development. The terms PAR (Participatory Action
Research) and PR, therefore, are used synonymously to refer
to such research, in which people participate as full subjects
rather than objects of research.
Many development research, however, use the terms 'participation'
and ' 'participatory research' in less than the above sense,
involving the people in research in various ways by way of
consultation or giving them 'assignments', tasks and tools
to work with, but where the 'ownership' rests with external
researchers. Such research does not meet or articulate the
independent concern of people except incidentally or by chance
knowledge or understanding of their concerns by external researchers,
which in any case remains unvalidated by the people themselves.
Nor does such research unite organically with people's actions
to advance their lives-people generally wait upon development
'deliveries' by others to advance their lives. The 'participation'
content of such research, therefore, needs to be distinguished
from
participation in PAR in which people participate as full subject
of research and hence own such research as a part of their
very own process of inquiry and action.
Obviously, PAR requires special skills/orientation of external
agents (variously called " catalyst", "animators",
"facilitators", etc.) to stimulate and facilitate
people's self-research processes without imposing their own
thinking and preconceptions upon the people. There is thus
a question of methodology for creating/orientating /sensitizing
such agents as well.
The broad objectives of the proposed workshop on PAR are:
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To promote understanding of PAR as a methodology of development
research in which people themselves participate as full
subjects, and own such research. this understanding will
distinguish between PAR and other approaches to research
(such as PRA or Participatory Research Appraisal) that
involve people's participation in the research process
in various other ways without granting them ownership
of the research process.
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To exchange experiences of PAR in MMRP programmes and
in other programmes.
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To exchange methods and experiences for orienting /sensitizing
external agents to stimulate and facilitate PAR.
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To explore future collaboration between MMRPs and between
MMRPs and international experts in PAR to enhance the
quality of PAR in research of MMRPs.
Possible Participants
The workshop will be participated by representations from
MMRPs, a set of international experts on PAR, and representatives
of the Netherlands Ministry of Development Cooperation.
Agenda
The agenda of the workshop is suggested as follows:
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Presentation of and discussion upon MMRP experiences
in Participatory Action Research (PAR)
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Field visit to a PAR project in Bangladesh under the Bangladesh MMRP programme
(RIB).
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Conceptual and analytical discussion on PAR, distinction
between PAR and other participatory research methods,
methodology of orienting/sensitizing external agents for
facilitating PAR, and other conceptual/analytical questions
that may emerge from the deliberations. This may include
discussion on keynote conceptual/analytical presentation
in this phase of the agenda.
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Exploration of collaboration between MMRPs as well as
between MMRPs and international PAR experts to enhance
the PAR content in terms of expansion and qualitative
promotion in MMRP programmes.
Discussion in the workshop will consist of both plenary and
small group deliberations. The deliberations will be taped
and a report will be produced and disseminated.
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