Into the Unknown: Explorations in Development Practice

This book challenges readers to examine the pervasive significance of power in forming and framing knowledge. Into the Unknown reflects on the journey of learning and encourages readers to learn from observation, curiosity, critical feedback, play and fun. This book includes tips on how to lead into workshops and on how to convene workshops that can co-generate knowledge and have an influence.

Development is about change, and lives immersed in researching international development should be prepared for exploration, for discovering the unexpected, and for questioning the direction that development is taking. Robert Chambers reflects on experiences in his own life, which led him to examine personal biases and predispositions. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) are two movements that have benefited from sharing practice, innovations and experience through participatory workshops. Finally, the author asks whether the new dual realities – virtual and physical – are getting out of balance – and encourages readers to explore through experiential learning in the physical and social world.