Participatory Learning and Action is the world's leading series on participatory learning and action approaches and methods.
It provides a forum for all those engaged in participatory work - community workers, activists and researchers - to share their experiences, conceptual reflections and methodological innovations with others. Learn more...
The series is informal and seeks to publish frank accounts, address issues of practical and immediate value, encourage innovation and act as a voice from the field. We particularly welcome contributions from practitioners in the South. PLA has over 50 international editorial advisory board members. Each member is an experienced participatory development practitioner. See below for details.
Recent updates!
Participatory Learning and Action 58 - Towards empowered participation: stories and reflections
June 2008
Guest-edited by Tom Wakeford and Jasber Singh
This special issue critically reflects on those rarely-discussed elements of processes that are disempowering to those with least power. “Citizen participation” has typically elicited enthusiastic support from policy elites. However, past editions of PLA and numerous other studies have suggested that such initiatives have rarely impacted the mainstream political decision-making processes. Often referred to as “citizen engagement” or “public consultation”, these processes may in reality be little more than smokescreens behind which the systems of democratic accountability fought for by progressive social movements over many decades are allowed to decay.
The overall aim of this issue is to allow practitioners to reflect on some of these aspects of participation. By fostering a deeper understanding of participation we hope to promote improved policies and practices. We believe the articles call for an increased global solidarity among those committed to transforming the power of oppressed peoples via participation.
The issue is split into four sub-themes:
- Citizens' juries and similar participatory processes: strengths and weaknesses
- Participatory budgeting: lessons from Latin American and the UK
- Gender issues and challenges of representation
- Community activism from the grassroots
Participatory Learning and Action 57– Immersions: learning about poverty face-to-face
December 2007
Guest-edited by Izzy Birch, Raffaella Catani with Robert Chambers
Immersions are opportunities for development professionals to spend a period of time living with and learning from a poor family. Here, we use the term ‘immersion’ to include other experiences such as Reality Checks and Exposure and Dialogue Programmes. These experiences bring participants face-to-face with ordinary people, giving them the chance to test old assumptions, develop new perspectives, and strengthen their commitment to the challenge of poverty eradication. A critical mass of interest is now gathering around the idea, among major donors and civil society groups. The impact of immersions is only now being tested, and this issue of PLA explores both the limitations and the potential of an emerging trend in development practice.
Read more…
Participatory Learning and Action subscriptions are now online!
The PLA series has teamed up with IngentaConnect, a leading international online publisher. Now you can access the latest issues of PLA online as soon as they are published. If you are a subscriber, you can access these latest issues for free online. If you are not a subscriber, you can use the pay-per-view option to download whole issues or individual articles. Read more…
Participatory Learning and Action 54 Mapping for Change Multilingual CD Rom
The Participatory Mapping for Change CD-ROM is an exciting multi-lingual project in the Participatory Learning and Action series. Co-published by IIED and CTA, the CD-ROM contains PDF versions of the theme articles from Participatory Learning and Action 54: Mapping for change: practice, technologies and communication, in the following languages: Arabic, Bangla, Chinese (traditional and simplified), English, French, Hindi, Persian-Dari, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil.
For further information about the Participatory Learning and Action series, and to discuss possible contributions and marketing opportunities, please contact:
The Editors,
Participatory Learning and Action
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
3 Endsleigh Street
London WC1 0DD
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7388 2117
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7388 2826
Email: pla.notes@iied.org
To subscribe to Participatory Learning and Action, please contact: Research Information Ltd, Grenville Court, Britwell Road, Burnham, Bucks, SL1 8DF, UK, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1628 600499; Fax: +44 (0)1628 600488; Email: info@researchinformation.co.uk Website: www.researchinformation.co.uk
To order back issues or to read earlier issues free online visit: PLA back issues
Co-Editors: Angela Milligan, Nicole Kenton, Holly Ashley.
Strategic Editorial Advisory Board: Ivan Bond, Nazneen Kanji, Michel Pimbert, Jethro Pettit, Peter Taylor, Sonja Vermuelen.
International Editorial Advisory Board: Oga Steve Abah, Jo Abbot, Jordi Surkin Beneria, L. David Brown, Andy Catley, Robert Chambers, Louise Chawla, Andrea Cornwall, Bhola Dahal, Quasim Deiri, John Devavaram, Charlotte Flower, Forum for Community Empowerment (FORCE) Nepal, Ian Goldman, Bara Gueye, Irene Guijt, Marcia Hills, Enamul Huda, Vicky Johnson, Lolichen Pullemplavil Joseph, Caren Levy, Sara Levy, Zhang Linyang, Ilya M. Moeliono, Humera Malik, Marjorie Jane Mbilinyi, Ali Mokhtar, Seyed Babak Moosavi, Neela Mukherjee, Trilok Neupane, Esse Nilsson, Zakariya Odeh, Peter Park, Bardolf Paul, Bimal Kumar Phnuyal, Giacomo Rambaldi, Peter Reason, Joel Rocamora, Jayatissa Samaranayake, Madhu Sarin, Daniel Selener, Anil C. Shah, Meera Kaul Shah, Marja Liisa Swantz, Tom Wakeford, Eliud Wakawabubi, Alice Welbourn.