Strengthening PEOPLE-DRIVEN CHANGE PROCESSES · 2020. 7. 13. · political participation of marginalised people. MISEREOR’s faith-based develop - ment work is guided by the option

PEOPLE-DRIVENStrengthening

CHANGE PROCESSESin Asia

PEOPLE-DRIVENStrengthening

CHANGE PROCESSESin Asia January 2017

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MISEREOR is guided by the Catholic Church's Prefe-rential Option for the Poor and the principles of Jus-tice, Peace and Integrity of Creation that have always

underpinned our work. We consider development as processes of social change,which are initiated and driven by marginalised people living in poverty. Thesepeople might be poor regarding material resources but they are neither helplessnor ignorant – on the contrary. What they need is a chance to move ahead, tocontrol their life. Therefore, the term in use among MISEREOR and its partner or-ganisations in Asia – people-led development processes – refers to people-driven and community-owned change processes.

Likewise, the ‘project work’ of MISEREOR partner organizations ideally seeks tocontribute to social change and transformation towards a more just and sustai-nable future and greater political participation of the poor and marginalised sec-tors of society. It is our common goal to support people at grassroots level in de-termining their present and future life and asserting the life they want to leadbased on their vision of living well and living together.

As a donor agency believing in partnership, for our part, we need to carefully ac-company these processes and provide constructive leeway for flexible, process-oriented and longer-term support to grassroots initiatives and NGOs supportingthe people in the field wherever needed. At the same time, MISEREOR seeks anopen dialogue with our partners that permits criticism from both sides and thesharing of experience. Observing how poor and disadvantaged populationgroups have succeeded in improving their material and socio-political situation,in standing up for their rights and even in influencing political decision-makersand policy in their environment has helped us time and again to overcome set-backs. The contacts to people in partner countries, often going back many years,have also been a great source of strength for us. MISEREOR too is part of a learn-ing process and moving ahead.

Dr Ulrich FüßerHead of Asia Department, MISEREOR

FOREWORD

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1 Indigenous people’s movement in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India

In today’s world, capital and growth have become thebasis for development. This growth has occurred atthe expense of our labour and our knowledge, lead-

ing to alienation from our territories. This development has moulded us into un-questioning, obedient slaves, looking always to leave our communities, work forsomeone else and forget the sovereignty of being Adivasi.

In this context of growing structural injustice, violence and industrialisation offood systems, it becomes ever-so important for us young people to sharpen ourskills for facilitating critical emancipatory dialogue within our communities.Through a continuous process of reflection�action�reflection we begin to criticallyanalyse and question, identify the forces that challenge us, and devise strate-gies for change. We have to be at the centre of deciding our future. This is whatwe mean by ’people-led‘, and we consider solidarity NGOs to be co-strugglers inthe process.

S Abhai ReddyKonda Reddi Adivasi Youth Leader, Adivasi Aikya Vedika1

FOREWORD

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The field of change –an introductionFounded by the German Bishops‘ Conference in 1958 as a campaign against hun-ger and disease in the world, MISEREOR has developed into an agency that sup-ports partner organisations in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific in theirwork for transformation towards a more just and sustainable future and greaterpolitical participation of marginalised people. MISEREOR’s faith-based develop-ment work is guided by the option to consider development as processes ofchange that are initiated and driven by the people themselves. Comprehensivehuman development is not possible without the participation of all, includingmarginalised people. The call for justice and the preferential option for the dis-

possessed are guiding principles of Christian so-cial ethics. MISEREOR’s role is to supportpeople’s endeavours to define objectives andstrategies and shape their change processes ina self-determined way.

This document is an outcome of the ongoinglearning process of MISEREOR and selected part-ner organisations in Asia working in rural areas,2

and their partner communities, on how to sup-port such change processes through work that isaligned with people, their realities and theiraspirations, rather than with donor complianceand the ’project business‘. It is based on experi-ences of many projects that are implementedwith good will, but not necessarily the best ofresults, as there are instances when projects

have imposed development models and solutions to externally assessed pro-blems and deficits of poor and marginalised communities and even destroyedlocal initiative and self-esteem. Such projects often tend to create dependency andnot sustainability, paying lip service with terms do-nors like to hear, such as ’participation‘, ’empower-ment', and ’gender‘, powerful concepts that be-come professional jargon instead of guiding prin-ciples of practice.

Among the different roles a German change agencycan play in its own country and the countries of the’Global South‘, this document has a special focuson the donor aspect of financing projects, and inthis area MISEREOR feels responsibility and account-ability on different levels. MISEREOR is accountableto its own donors – German donors and the Ger-man government – having to ensure that money isinvested ’in people‘ and meaningful sustainableprocesses with a genuine impact on people’s lives.

“Changes cannot be prescribed fromoutside. MISEREOR therefore believesin supporting initiatives driven andowned by the poor and the disadvan-taged. This is because in MISEREOR’sexperience, it is they themselves whopossess the strength to improve theirlives sustainably. We support them intheir efforts in accordance with theprinciple of help toward self-help.”MISEREOR: With Righteous Anger andTenderness at the Side of the Poor, p. 3.

2 Even if the reflection process has mainly involved 'rural' partner organisations, we assume that the aspectshighlighted in this document will be meaningful in different contexts and sectors.

“MISEREOR’s work (…) aims to helpenable the poor to harness their po-tential for their own development andthat of their fellow human beings, andchannel it into the political develop-ment processes of their societies. (…)Poor people can and must becomeagents of their own history. This in-cludes both participating in social andpolitical processes, and sharing in thegoods and opportunities by a society.”MISEREOR: ’Participation in the work of MISEREOR –a discussion paper‘, 2008, p.8

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MISEREOR also feels accountable to the margin-alised people who are at the centre of MISEREOR’swork. All development work financed through pro-jects is to fully support their local change process-es, responding to their needs and interests. Fundsare intended to support local initiatives that em-power rather than direct, that catalyse processesrather than finance pre-planned activities to whichlocal people have to adapt. Last but not least, MISE-REOR feels accountable to its partner organisationsin the Global South, the non-governmental organi-sations (NGOs) and church-based social action cen-tres,3 as it adheres to the principle of partnershipwith mutual respect and reliability.

For MISEREOR, with its head office in Germany, andthe consequent distance to local partner communi-ties in terms of space and culture, partner organisa-tions have a very important role to play. They act as intermediaries helping tobridge the distance between the donor agency with its ideas and administrativerequirements on the one hand, and local groups with their own challenges andaspirations on the other, mainly marginalised people who need all their energyand ideas for their life struggles, and are therefore not able or willing to investtime in the administration of projects and budgets along international standards.The MISEREOR partner organisations are enablers and communicators in all direc-tions, often squeezed between local aspirations and ever-growing administrativedemands from donors. How can organisations best respond to the different

3 In the following both are referred to as ’NGOs‘.

“(…), when people’s participation isconsidered as a token in developmentprojects and people get involved mere-ly for participation incentives or thepromise of benefits, their involvementlasts only as long as the project’s orstaff’s presence. Unfortunately, it seemsthat a ’project mentality‘ becomes pre-dominant as development organisa-tions get concerned with spending theirbudgets in the provided time, and focuson the delivery of their goods and ser-vices to get desired short-term results.Contributory factors and social proces-ses are overlooked – resulting in evenmore dependence and the creation ofa ’project mentality‘.”Elisabeth Cruzada, PLD consultant, 2016

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needs – facilitating local processes on the one hand, and planning, designingand monitoring projects as vehicles for funding, on the other, without compromis-ing the participatory and empowering potential of such processes?

The document takes a deeper look at the roles and responsibilities MISEREOR,the partner organisations and the marginalised communities could play in trans-formation processes. It looks at the ’how‘ of project-related change processesand particularly highlights the crucial role NGOs take in this relationship.

The ’how‘ is directly related to the kind of change needed to overcome the –often location-specific – current conditions of injustice and marginalisation. Thedocument emerged from a continuous dialogue and learning process, embed-ded in political analyses of the root causes of marginalisation, the premises ofhuman rights and Christian ethics on social justice, and a dialogue process fram-ing the paradigm shift needed to create a future that provides equal chancesfor a life in dignity, peace, participation and well-being for all. As these are sub-ject to diverse dialogue processes and publications, this document only toucheson some of the frames and concepts and refers the reader to other sources forfurther reading.4 This document specifically aims to create awareness about howdonors and partner organisations can better serve the interests and needs ofmarginalised people for real empowerment and sovereignty. It is, therefore,meant for

MISEREOR colleagues from different departments and with different roles: to support them with refining their own conceptual clarity about their work asagents of change, and their strategies for best supporting local change process-es from a distance; furthermore, to be of help for a fruitful dialogue with partnerorganisations and local groups

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4 Links to further reflections, position and discussion papers and books and processes are providedthroughout the text.

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MISEREOR partner organisations: to invite them to join a continuing joint reflection process on their project prac-tice and their own roles as change makers, and their approaches to local changeprocesses, which could lead to a strengthening of their roles as facilitators andof their local partners’ ownership and commitment

Other interested people from donor organisations and NGOswho share the same values and interests in change processes:to provide ideas and insights in MISEREOR-initiated reflection processes on pro-ject work supportive to transformation processes, and to invite them to commentand contribute experiences to make this document and the related dialogue pro-cesses richer and deeper.

With this conceptual framework, Strengthening People-driven Change Processesin Asia, we do not pretend to have invented a new concept, approach or metho-dology. We rather acknowledge the existing concepts and tools and we wouldlike to explore how these could be used and applied in order to effectively createthe change we all, and the marginalised communities in particular, would like tosee. With this in mind, we would like to invite the reader to approach this docu-ment with empathy and an open mind and become part of a generative processfrom which a new understanding of ’development work‘ can emerge, and toshare written comments and reflections, and links to documents (e.g. policy anddiscussion paper, interesting studies, articles) for further reading.5

5 Please send your contributions to [email protected]

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Sowing change –the contextThere is a long history of development initia-tives that support local change processes withthe aim of overcoming poverty and marginalisa-tion. However, their impact is not very convinc-ing, as communities in most parts of the worldseem to face growing threats and challengesthat destroy many seeds of hope emergingfrom their life struggles. While the economiesof most of the world’s countries are growing,and with them the consumption of a growingmiddle class, worldwide nearly 800 million people are under-nourished.6 Quite theopposite: the gap between the economically poor and rich is getting wider all thetime. A high carbon, growth oriented development model, with its impact on thecommodification of common goods and services and exploitation of natural re-sources, is still the current paradigm, although environmental problems andhuman-made climate change indicate strongly that constant growth is an unsustain-able strategy. Growing individualisation and consumerism indicate profoundsocietal changes and less social cohesion, and political participation, where it isnot restricted by undemocratic governments, is often spurned by discouragedcitizens who leave politics to a political class that is self-referential and is not ableor willing to engage in profound transformation.

In the rural context, for example, the multiple global crises translate into the de-vastating effects of climate change on people’s lives, agriculture and livelihoods;

6 See “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015”, www.fao.org

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the painstaking struggle for land and forest rights that is torpedoed by the greedfor land of big companies and elites who grab land wherever they can; the grow-ing control of the multinational food industry over seeds and production pat-terns that leads to dependency and weakens farming communities’ resilience;the growing consumerism and individualism that destroy visions of a good life inrural settings, to name only a few. These mega-trends are all contributing to thecrises in rural areas, and especially in the farming sector as the main source oflivelihood for the majority of the rural people.

At the same time, rural communities are developing sovereign and sustainableinitiatives, e.g. for sustainable agriculture and food systems, for the claim anddefence of their entitlements and rights as citizens, and for their control overland and other resources, providing alternatives to the destructive trends men-tioned above. Such alternatives can flourish if people are able to make the bestuse of their potential in solidarity and mutual support, as rights holders andcommitted change makers, using their full creativity and innovativeness andtheir traditional wisdom, sometimes in their specific roles as women, indigenouspeople, or young people. If groups of marginalised people start believing in theirself-efficacy, they might be able to turn many of theabove-mentioned crises into ’crisitunities‘ – oppor-tunities that emerge out of crises.

Such experiences at community level offer valuableclues about the factors and drivers of change – lo-cally initiated, people driven and communityowned. These may well correspond with transforma-tion processes in other sectors and spheres of life.People take the initiative to transform their existingsituations when they feel the strong need forchange. The energy of ’something important to me,my family or community is at stake‘ fuels thechange process. A crucial element for transforma-tion is the trust and belief on the part of individualsand groups that change is possible and that theyare capable of (pro)actively bringing about and shap-ing the change, either on their own or with strong al-lies if broader injustice issues are addressed. Thistrust and belief often does not exist when peopleare facing day-to-day marginalisation and oppres-sion, as is the case for women in patriarchal condi-tions or indigenous people considered to be back-ward in so-called ’modern‘ societies. Often a deep-ly engrained ’culture of silence‘7 has evolved, inwhich people are unable to reflect critically upontheir world – they become fatalistic and oppressed.

“It is no coincidence that in many con-texts, the poor are therefore not at allthe agents of self-sustaining and self-reinforcing participatory processes.Due to the fact that their participationin societal and political decision-making processes is made more diffi-cult or impossible, the interests ofpoor and marginalised sections of thepopulation can more easily be forgot-ten or ignored. The system that pro-duces and reproduces poverty is thusmoved beyond the reach of change.Ultimately the denial of rights of parti-cipation leads to an exacerbation ofpoverty. The stigmatisation that goeshand in hand with poverty keeps avicious circle in place: others do notascribe potential for change to thepoor, and the poor themselves usuallylack the confidence to see that poten-tial for themselves. Society in generaland the poor themselves see this asconfirming and reinforcing the statusquo of their hopeless situation.”‘Participation in the work of MISEREOR,a discussion paper’ 2008, p. 15

7 See Paulo Freire, ‘Pedagogy of the oppressed‘, 2005

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8 Mahatma Gandhi’s strategies of organising farmers in non-cooperation and non-violent protestssoon resonated with larger groups of people and won increasing public support, which ultimatelypaved the way for uniting India in the struggle for independence.

9 See MISEREOR Information Document ’Supporting the autonomy of poor target groups –Suggestions for work in projects‘, Laue, 2015

For such marginalised groups, experiences of self-organisation, self-efficacy andempowerment are therefore central factors in change processes, as they linkknowledge to action.

The identification of oneself with others, solidarityand social cohesion play key roles in change pro-cesses. Full commitment and ownership by a smallgroup of people and the interaction within and out-side the group carry further action, cooperation andalliances for change. They prepare the ground forexercising political participation and influence byprovoking a critical number of people. Sometimes itis enough for a nucleus of a few committed peopleto already initiate profound transformation if theirvision and action resonate with others.8

Transformation processes thrive when the changeis both visible and concrete in nature and is directedtowards longer-term strategic goals. Conversely, ex-ternally initiated and implemented development ini-tiatives, for example NGO- or donor-driven devel-opment programmes that focus on people’s basicneeds only, are less transformative, possibly lesssustainable and thus more likely to come to naughtwhen programmes and projects phase out.9

“People cannot be pushed to changeas if they were pieces on a chess board.Indeed, applying external pressure forchange is more likely to provoke resis-tance or further passivity. (…) ’Peopledon’t resist change. They resist beingchanged.‘ (…)There are a series of con-straints, internal and external, whichhold us back, and that when loweredwill enable the flux, releasing poten-tial movement, driven from within.The dam wall breaks, and so changehappens. What are these constraints?Sometimes they are external condi-tions, lack of resources, a difficult law,oppression. Sometimes it comes frominner blockages, like fear, self-doubtor hatred.”The Barefoot Guide 4. Exploring the Real Work ofSocial Change. Working with Questions 1: ’What issocial change and resistance to change?‘. 2015, p. 23.

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Seedlings of change –the MISEREOR journey Since its inception, MISEREOR has engaged in conti-nuous reflection processes on how to effectivelysupport the above-mentioned change processes,which should be driven and owned by the margin-alised communities. Participation of the margin-alised groups in economic, social and political devel-opment is a core concern for MISEREOR, based onfull participation in all project-related processes.10

However, with a large number of partner organisa-tions and projects, and increasing administrative

MASIPAG –an example that makes a difference“As a farmer-led network of about 600people’s organisations, several NGOsand scientists, MISEREOR’s partnerorganisation Magsasaka at Siyentipikopara sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MA-SIPAG) works towards the sustainableuse and management of biodiversitythrough farmers’ control of genetic andbiological resources, agricultural pro-duction and associated knowledge.’Farmer empowerment is one of thecore principles of MASIPAG (…) and istherefore the essence of its program-mes, processes and structures. Gui-ded by a farmer-led‘ or ’bottom-up‘approach, its work puts farmers’needs, priorities and aspirations atthe centre, and implies an underlyingrespect for farmers’ diverse knowledgeand capacities. What started as asmall breeding programme is now anationwide movement and an examplebeing followed in many other countries.It is based on the firm belief in farmers’potential to overcome cultural andsocial biases and to transform them-selves into dynamic agents of develop-ment, capable of mobilising and trans-forming their communities and engag-ing directly with political and socialinstitutions.” Elizabeth Cruzada: ’Sustaining participationand scaling up farmer empowerment‘. In: ’Strengthe-ning people-led development. A joint effort of localcommunities, NGOs and donors to redefine partici-pation‘, 2010, p. 44. 10 ’Participation in the work of MISEREOR – a discussion paper‘, 2008, p.7

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requirements, MISEREOR officers are experienc-ing increasing time pressure and less space forcommunication with partner organisations. Atthe same time, project visits and evaluation re-ports show that many projects are rather NGO-driven than community-controlled, therefore notreally leading to the transformative processeswith the people at the centre, which MISEREORwould like to support.

How can effective dialogue and mutual under-standing arise when one relies mainly on writtenreports, proposals, a few evaluation reports,even fewer visits to the partner organisations,and again less time with the marginalised com-munities themselves? How can MISEREOR staffdive deeper into real dialogue and reflectionprocesses on approaches and values with itspartner organisations, when time is limited and,moreover, written exchange is not the preferredoption for effective communication in most part-ner countries? How can we develop a complete-ly different kind of communication and interactionthat takes cultural differences into account?

In order to find solutions for this communicationgap, colleagues in MISEREOR's Asia Departmentstarted working with Emmanuel Yap, a communi-ty organiser and facilitator, who formerly coordi-nated the farmer-led network MASIPAG, a MISE-REOR reference partner organisation in the Philip-pines. In the context of a MISEREOR consultancy,he initiated intensive reflection processes withselected MISEREOR partner organisations workingin rural development.

The initial results emerged quickly and wereastonishing: it was very clear that while all ofMISEREOR’s partner organisations intended to

support participatory processes, they at the same time compromised people’sleadership and ownership as they got caught up in the bondage of project busi-ness – writing proposals and reports in line with donor requirements, budgetingand financial management, impact monitoring and evaluations.

It was helpful for partner organisations to realise how much they invited peopleto participate in their (NGO) projects instead of supporting people’s processes.For the staff it was eye-opening to realise that they had often failed to noticepeople’s own initiative and innovations and their rich experience and compe-tence, but instead believed in their own, sometimes wrong assumptions aboutpeople’s problems and solutions. With this attitude, they mainly acted as 'doers'and 'teachers' and were not well equipped to facilitate the full commitment andownership of the people they came to support.

During the phase of open dialogue among NGO staff and their local partnergroups and leaders conducted in the spirit of trust, a new type of cooperation

PLD redefined NGOand community relationship“The various experiences and perspec-tives emerging from the practice ofpeople-led development (PLD) neces-sitated and contributed to the critiqueof the framework of ‘Animation’ whichserved as the development philosophyof Caritas India for several decades.Intensive and sincere organisationalreflections on the relationship betweenNGO and community generated a trans-formative realisation for Caritas Indiaand her partners. There was consensusthat ‘Animation’ shouldn’t be under-stood and practised as a process of‘giving life’ to an uninformed, resource-less and passive community. Instead,Animation was to become a process offacilitating the empowerment of com-munities that are naturally resourceful,capable and dynamic. The convictionthat communities are resourceful andknowledgeable brought about a changein the interaction and relationshipbetween communities and NGOs. Com-munities realised that their relation-ship with NGOs was empowering themonly when NGOs worked with them onan ‘exchange and sharing’ basis andnot on a ‘give-and-take’ basis. When acommunity’s wisdom and resourceswere respected and solutions identi-fied within the community, the processof community empowerment becametruly people-driven and people-owned.”M.K. Saju,PLD advisor and Zonal Manager of Caritas India

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emerged, and activities immediately changed from NGO-driven to people-focusedones. In pilot processes, exchange platforms, and peer learning of like-mindedNGO staff, they developed new role models for NGO staff, and also for communityleaders. They also learned how to listen to and learn from marginalised people,who at the same time learn to value their own knowledge and skills again. Withthe first local initiatives, people’s confidence and agency increased dramatically,especially that of women and indigenous people.

The reflection process spread to more than 30 MISEREOR partner organisationsand networks in seven countries in Asia, and even to Kenya, Africa. The processeswere closely accompanied by MISEREOR officers, who observed growing self-con-fidence and ownership of local groups during pro-ject visits. They encouraged partner organisationsto write about these changes in their reports and todevelop a different kind of project proposal thatbetter reveals actual aspirations and intentions ofmarginalised people. Throughout the years, MISE-REOR and partner organisations talked about ’far-mer-led‘ or ’people-led‘ approaches and finallyagreed that they wanted to strengthen people-leddevelopment (PLD) processes, aware that this termalso does not fully reflect all of the relevant aspectsof the reflection processes.

The changes associated with the reflection processare not limited to local communities and MISEREORpartner organisations. MISEREOR officers are muchbetter equipped to identify NGO-driven proposalsand have developed their criteria for PLD-support-ing projects. They invest time in communicationand they organise, whenever possible, exchangeprocesses and mutual learning among partner orga-nisations. They also started PLD consultancy pro-cesses with other resource persons, e.g. in East In-donesia with the help of MASIPAG and ElisabethCruzada as the facilitator.

To respond to the process orientation of such local-ly driven work, MISEREOR staff endeavours to en-sure a higher degree of flexibility in projects, inagreement with clear objectives and indicators andstrict financial accountability. Strengthening ofpeople-led processes is a guiding principle in theAsia Orientation Framework, and contributes toMISEREOR’s general discourse on the support for amarginalised person as the central actor in changeand transformation.

Towards a definition of people-leddevelopment: a work in progress

“People-led development is a collec-tive process by which people (poorand marginalised sectors) commit andact to make changes in their lives andcommunities (and societies) to meettheir needs and to address the con-ditions and causes of their disadvan-tage and marginalisation.”Elisabeth Cruzada, PLD facilitator, 2015

“PLD has been about communitiesreflecting on their conditions of op-pression, identifying the forces thatoppress them and evolving strategiesfor change, and in turn be changed(transformed). In doing so, communi-ties draw on both their knowledge andknowledge of the reality around them.People like myself are co-learners andco-strugglers, and participate in thedialogue and action. Dialogue, discus-sion, reflection, action, has been key.”Sagari Ramdas, PLD facilitator, 2015

“People-led development is a creative,self-initiated, self-organised processwithin which people work individuallyand collectively with their own Indige-nous knowledge, local resources andlocal cultures to bring about change intheir families, communities and theworld promoting peaceful, diverse andsustainable futures.”Sarah Wright ’We dance with what we have –people-led development in action‘, 2013, p. 6

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Recent evaluation processes of PLD-supporting projects have proven their poten-tial for transformative and inclusive empowerment processes, and have alsoidentified a few challenges. Partner organisations had difficulty conceptualisingand eventually documenting the changes in attitude and approach, and, there-fore, sharing with other NGOs and even new staff was not fully effective. In manycases, NGOs were unable to institutionalise PLD reflections that would ensurethey would impact not only on parts of the work, but also on the organisation’sculture, processes and decision-making, induction of new staff and communica-tion with other donors � in order to allow PLD mainstreaming and not mere piece-meal adoption of certain PLD criteria.

With these findings, the PLD consultancy work in Asia was re-oriented towardsthe support for concept building, documentation and capacity building. Accept-ing that the approach of a community of practice among few resource personswas limited, the idea of a regional learning and exchange platform was born. TheRegional Learning and Exchange Platform for Facilitating Change Processes to-wards Food Sovereignty places PLD reflection processes into the context of foodsovereignty and rural grassroots movements. The platform is designed as a dyna-mic learning process that will offer new perspectives on knowing and learning,drawing from MISEREOR partner organisations’ experiences of strengthening andreflecting on PLD processes in rural Asia. It offers the space for collective learn-ing in order to enhance development practitioners’ and organisations’ capaci-ties, values and skills to further support grassroots initiatives and regional move-ment-building.

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Preparing the field for change –the actors involved For agencies engaged in project work with local communities, the basic prerequi-site and central principle of an empowering, transformative and systemic ap-proach is the notion of development as transformative processes driven andowned by people and their communities – as active agents in a complex system.To support transformation, it is important to facilitate in a way that enables trans-formative energies to emerge from people’s interaction and linkages, through re-flection, dialogue and joint learning, and build on their existing capacities, localknowledge and potential. Supporting partner communities in developing a col-lective vision of the best possible future can guide people’s struggle for more so-cial justice and self-determination.

People’s empowerment and power playIn this regard, it is crucial to acknowledge that rural communities characterisedas ’marginalised‘ are complex and heterogeneous systems that feature diverselocal resources and potentials, a richness of knowledge, experiences and ideas,local expertise, inventiveness, creativity, manifold forms of resilience, such associal cohesion and solidarity, biological and cultural diversity. They also featuremany different needs and interests of particular persons or groups, with underly-ing power and gender relations. Vested interests of powerful people in communi-ties are important forces that maintain or even reinforce current injustice andmarginalisation on the economic, socio-cultural and political level. As emergingchange processes threaten these structures, they could eventually lead to con-flicts and further injustice, too often even endangering the lives and livelihoodsof committed change makers.

Depending on the local context, (indigenous) culture and tradition can be a re-source or a source of conflict. Often cementing current structures of power andmarginalisation, with adverse effects on women and youth, the revival of localknowledge and governance could also strengthen resilience and self-esteem – if

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it builds on solidarity and supportive leadership,based on a deep and caring relation to nature, andprovides alternatives to the current oppressive sys-tem. Examples include indigenous or traditionalknowledge in agriculture, which could serve as afoundation for diversified, resilient livelihoods, orgovernance structures that (traditionally) handlethe commons in a democratic, inclusive and sustain-able way.

Whether or not injustice and marginalisation can betransformed depends on who leads and controlsthe change process and how strong the back-hold-ing forces are. Disempowered, marginalised andoppressed groups should be at the centre of trans-formation, as they have a most vital interest in change happening, but needallies and support from other sectors of society, such as reliable political leadersand elites, interested media people and researchers, responsible consumersand youth groups.11

Don’t walk alone – organising, networking and movement buildingFor people who are marginalised and oppressed, collective action through self-organisation and alliance building are the most important strategies for gainingpower and enforcing their demands for the respect, protection and fulfilment oftheir rights. This can work out well if the people concerned have full commitmentto and ownership of the organising process. For external change agents, the com-mon practice of ’organising people‘ within project frameworks may bear the con-sequences of creating parallel structures to alreadyexisting, organically-grown structures, and eventu-ally undermine these.

The importance of collective action goes beyondpower, as people’s collective experience is anothercritical element in change processes. Examplesshow that experiencing similarities, commonground, mutuality and response of others, whetherit be the identification with a group or with peoplefrom other contexts, is often ground-breaking andtriggers more commitment and engagement. Collec-tively initiated activities among groups and communi-ty-based organisations become an active expres-sion of solidarity and may catalyse more change.When community groups capitalise on their existingknowledge while exchanging experiences and co-operating with others in networks or people-to-people exchanges, creativity and energy can be ac-tivated. This can lead to experiencing new forms ofself-efficacy and self-empowerment.

“If women in a community are stuck,seemingly passive, and unable to breakout of dependence and subservienceto their husbands or fathers, it is notbecause they are internally passive asa natural state, but because their willand capacity to change is held backby external customs or by internalisedfear or lack of confidence. If they canbe supported to remove or lowerthese constraints they may be able tochange themselves and their powerrelationship to the world.” The Barefoot Guide 4. Exploring the Real Workof Social Change. Working with Questions 1:’What is social change and resistance to change?‘.2015, p. 23

“Since time immemorial people havelearnt from each other, informallysharing stories and wisdom, tradinginnovations and recipes, teaching eachother techniques and technologies,neighbour to neighbour, farmer tofarmer, parent to child. This kind ofhorizontal learning has always been apowerful motor of social change. One of the most important discoveriesis that if we want to work together, tocollaborate, we should begin this bylearning together, horizontally. Horizon-tal learning builds trust, helps peopleto learn each other’s way of seeing theworld and helps everyone to see whatcontribution they can bring. By sodoing this can lay strong foundationsfor working together.” The Barefoot Guide 4. Exploring the Real Work of Social Change. Working with Questions 3: ’Whatis Horizontal Learning and How Can it Contribute toSocial Change?‘, 2015, p. 56

11 German sociologist Harald Welzer in his book Selbst denken(2016) suggests that a social movement can only be successful ifit integrates people from the different social classes in a society,even if these do not have a genuine interest in the utmost con-cern of the initiators of the movement.

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An important building block in strengthening people-driven change processes is,therefore, the support for and (re)invigoration of community-based groups andorganisations. Depending on the specific local context and people’s motivation,needs and strategic interests, different options for self-organising will emergeand may need strengthening. There are contexts where formally organised struc-tures provide benefit or protection to individuals, and there are also instanceswhere loose movements prove to be the most adequate form of self-organisa-tion, as 'scapegoats' cannot be easily identified and backlash or charges cantherefore not be directed towards particular individuals.

Support from the ’outside‘ – change facilitators’ ride on the knife’s edgeA challenge for dedicated outsiders who are determined to help strengthen localchange processes is ’hidden discourse‘: people’s survival strategies, initiatives,and their community-specific dynamics mostly manifest themselves away fromoutsiders’ sight; they tackle their individual and collective challenges with thehelp of family and community-based support systems on a day-to-day basis –alongside but also despite development projects. They have experienced life-long disregard of their concerns, interests and aspirations. Often communitiesplay their role in the ’project business‘ by displaying an attitude of being needyand powerless to get at least a bit of support for basic needs that the expert ordonor might have to offer.

For NGO staff supporting local or regional transformation processes it is there-fore crucial to look behind this discourse and understand the real concerns andaspirations of marginalised communities, recognising 'change' as a process thatgoes beyond the specific limitations of a project or sector, as much as understand-ing that transformation processes at community level must go beyond people’sobvious basic needs at local or individual level, such as food security, shelter,and income. Significant and sustainable changes are not attained if only short-term needs are addressed while other factors of poverty perpetuate people’s dis-

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advantage and marginalisation. Change facilitators need to develop a broad un-derstanding of the complexity of change processes that encompass the institu-tional and structural, tackle the very causes and forces of the repressive systemand thus address communities’ long-term strategic interests. An outside personcan facilitate change when (s)he has been able to create a relationship of mutualtrust, understanding and appreciation, and is able to enhance people’s confi-dence in their ability to contribute to change/transformation, however limited itmay initially be.

In order to nurture the above-mentioned ’transformative energy‘, change facilita-tors will have to develop their own authentic style of supporting continuous re-flection-action-reflection processes. They will have to develop the intuition forthe right balance between strengthening local resources and providing new im-pulses, ideas and linkages.

NGO staff who approach marginalised people as ’experts‘ and the belief thatthey are needy and lack power, knowledge and will, are most likely to choose thestrategy of ’providing‘ – solutions, assets, knowledge, and money. This will inmost cases transmit a reinforcing message to those experiencing marginalisa-tion that change is not possible.

Supporting transformation processesas co-struggler For this, roles and responsibilities of accompanyingNGOs (and donors for that matter) go far beyondproject implementation, knowledge transfer anddonor compliance.

Furthermore, the current global crisis with its ecolo-gical, economic, political and social divides affectsnot only marginalised parts of societies in the Glo-bal South, but – at least in the medium and longterm – all people as individuals around the world.This gives rise to the need to join forces to challengethe structures that block empowerment, self-relianceand self-determination within and outside com-munities, including forces of poverty and discrimi-nation, lack of opportunities and self-efficacy.12

12 For further reading: U-Lab 'Transforming business, society and self'

“The PLD process within the NGO struc-ture where I had been working for seve-ral years threw up important questionsabout the agency and role of an NGOand the agency and roles of communi-ties organising to advance a vision forFood Sovereignty and Social Justice.Apart from the self-assertion it triggeredamongst communities of producersconnected to the production of food(small farmers/ pastoralists/ adivasis/dalit farmers), it pushed me (a veterina-ry scientist who had co-founded andwas heading an NGO) to reflect deeplyon who I was in this movement. I beganto identify myself as a co-struggler/co-learner/ or co-producer within this move-ment, seeing myself as strategisingactions, as an equal with other commu-nities. I felt strongly the need to im-merse myself in this location and notoutside of it.”Sagari Ramdas,member of the Food Sovereignty Alliance, India

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Change facilitators working with NGOs and donor organisations can servepeople-driven change processes as facilitators and catalysers and accompanycommunities during the phases of their transformation processes. To this end,the widespread paradigm of teaching, explaining and providing solu-tions needsto be challenged in favour of a new local, national and global solidarity, interac-tion as equals and alternative perspectives on know-ing, learning, and transform-ing self and others. People assisting and accompanying local change processesare no longer distant experts but become co-learners, co-strugglers and allies forchange, in solidarity with community-driven movements. Positioning oneself asa co-learner requires a great deal of unlearning of cultural conditioning becauseit challenges dominant and subordinate role sets of ’knowledge holders‘ and’knowledge recipients‘ and the un-equal power relationships they comprise, andthus acts towards more dynamic relationships.

To join this movement of solidarity, we may need to start from our own systemsand working ethics, addressing the asymmetrical and imbalanced relationshipsbetween institutions and communities, reflect about our own cultural condition-ing and corresponding perceptions of ’the poor‘, and scrutinise the implicitmessages we carry along, communicate, and perpetuate.

Mind-set, attitudes and skills of change facilitatorsThe role of NGO staff as change facilitators can be central – and it is not an easytask. Facilitators’ competence goes beyond analytical skills and technical exper-tise and is very much informed by people‘s attitudes, mind-set and personalviews. To develop the necessary solid understanding of people’s realities, rela-tionships, values and visions, change facilitators listen to people’s ideas, hopesand aspirations, fears and grievances, and ask the right questions to draw theseout. Facilitators gain or impart skills to comprehend social and political contexts.

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They are empathic listeners – with open minds,hearts and will – and good communicators, able toinvite people to open up and help create spaces forreflection, generative dialogue and exchange. Curio-sity and the readiness for surprises can help changefacilitators identify local innovations and solutionsthat sometimes already exist in a community, butare perhaps not commonly recognised if the innova-tors are marginalised in their own communities.

Practical participatory methods for (group) facilita-tion and village planning as developed by creative fa-cilitators can be helpful tools for accompanying andpositively shaping community-based processes,e.g. Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) andgender toolboxes or the Barefoot Guides,13 to nameonly a few. They support facilitators’ efforts to ob-tain active and equitable contributions from allgroup members, especially from those members who normally do not speak upin front of others. By creating inclusive spaces for all people – especially thosewho are usually not given or permitted a voice because of their gender, their eth-nicity, their caste, their social status or their age, opportunities are generated forpeople to come together to articulate and discuss their individual and collectivevisions, values and world views, and expand the range of choices and strategicactions they can make through joint analysis, sharing of experiences and expe-riential learning. Consequently, norms and power relations within the groups orcommunities can be challenged.

“I am a Bangladeshi agriculturistspecialised in rice breeding. For a longtime, I was involved with NGOs in tech-nical extension services. Eleven yearsago, I had the opportunity to be partof a MISEREOR-assisted project wherePLD reflection was facilitated. Fromsomeone who used to see himself asan agriculture expert teaching farmers,I have become a community facilitator,learning, as much as sharing my know-ledge with the farmers, and accompany-ing them in strengthening and scalingup their own initiatives and abilityto solve their diverse agriculturalchallenges.”Sirajul Haque,former agricultural technician withCaritas Bangladesh, Independent PLD Facilitator

13 The Barefoot Guides share stories, good practices, analyses, approaches and resources of interesting socialchange practice from around the globe. Each of the Barefoot Guides is written under a specific key themeby a collective of practitioner writers and social change leaders. The guides are freely downloadable andavailable in several languages.

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Certain tools can help foster the sharing of reflections connected to the partici-pants’ inner knowledge that does not emerge easily in discussions focusing onintellectual reflection, but may be represented in feelings, inner pictures andsymbols. They can provide a means of self-expression and understanding forpeople who are not trained in critical analyses and conclusions, bridging culturalcommunication gaps between people and facilitators.

However, facilitators should be aware that tools are not used for the sake of com-pleting charts or drawing pictures, but rather for the generative dialogue and in-novative solutions they can catalyse.

Celebrating local resources – opportunities and trapsStarting from people’s diverse resources, whether they are assets, knowledge orpractice, provides a solid foundation for change, as it provides self-confidenceand the experience of self-efficacy, which are the prerequisite for overcoming thefeeling that one is powerless, helpless, unable, uneducated, backward, or disre-garded. It is, therefore, a simple but powerful tool for empowerment and boost-ing confidence to start a process of re-appreciation of local knowledge, skillsand practices, especially according value to women’s innovativeness or indige-nous knowledge as effective answers to current challenges. If the attention istrained on the opportunities and strengths of the past and the present, eachmarginalised group can start re-thinking and interpreting their own life storiesand gain confidence in re-imagining the future.

As a next step, an exchange with and exposure to others, whether individuals orgroups, in the next village or another country, can boost the change process asdialogue with others who are in a similar and at the same time different situa-tion sometimes deepens self-confidence and nurtures new ideas to be trialledand adapted.

For some NGOs, the positive experience with empowerment through localknowledge becomes an end in itself, and they content themselves with identify-ing and celebrating knowledge and innovations, e.g. the collection and protec-

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tion of local seeds. This, however, has an inherent trap in that the externalchange facilitators somehow control the process and do not pay attention to thecommunities’ important challenges. Coming back to the reflection-action-reflectionprocess, local knowledge can be valued as an entry point for the change processwhich unfolds on its way.

Rather than dwelling on the ’celebration‘ of local resources, however, change fa-cilitators can infuse the narrative that everything has to emerge from the communi-ty people’s own resources. While it is important for the marginalised people askey actors in local transformation to fully control the process, they should be veryaware of their rights as citizens and of the injustice that has marginalised themin the economic processes. They have the right to receive support, and whencommunities are conscious of their situation, their own resources and opportuni-ties and the challenges, they will be in the position to demand and fight forrights and entitlements, and will make the best use of ideas and support fromexternal sources. In this context, change facilitators have to be clear and consciousof what they can bring into the process. It makes a difference whether NGOs pro-vide inputs, subsidies and solutions or whether local communities, after seriousreflection, decide whether and how outside support such as exposure and ex-change with other communities, technologies and training, financial support,e.g. through government programmes, could be appropriate and helpful.

NGOs – vehicles for or drivers of changeA central aspect of strengthening people-driven change processes is the holisticback-up role of NGOs. NGOs not only provide an institutional home for change fa-cilitators; as institutional partners, they also help their local partner groups andcommunities link with other co-strugglers and even government organisations.They enable the flow of funds from national and international sources to communi-ties by building up accountability and effective management systems. NGOsconstitute a nexus to donors and can thus help mobilise funds for transforma-tion processes.

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As credible learning institutions, NGOs remain open to undergoing internal re-flection and realignment (transformation) and challenge their own practices: Dowe still support our partner communities’ processes, or are we slowly becomingtrapped by the ’project business‘, implementing our own projects and invitingpeople to participate? Do we foster participation by providing facilities – training,credit, subsidies, seed funds…? Who is in the driver’s seat and who decides onthe road to take – the NGO or the partner communities? In the end, internal mecha-nisms including hierarchies, communication patterns, decision-making process-es, and planning, monitoring and evaluation (PME) mechanisms might needrealignment. This may include delegating more authority to field levels and foster-ing collective learning within local partner organisations. After all, the firm com-mitment to transformation not only for marginalisedcommunities but also for the NGO could initiate aninstitutional change process with far-reachingchanges, calling for democratic leaders who aban-don ’power over' and nurture 'power to‘.14

Donor agencies – partnership and money basketThe same reflection applies to non-governmentaldonor agencies and may even be more critical, asmost of them have a two-fold mission – they sup-port partner organisations’ work in their respectivecountries in the Global South through funding, andthey have a role in advocacy and information intheir home countries, often carried out in joint cam-paigns with their partner organisations. These twodifferent roles require very different set-ups andmechanisms.

Political and information-related work allows for anequal relation among partners. Funding, even withthe idea of partnership, implies a power imbalanceand encompasses an asymmetrical fabric of rela-tionships, inherent hierarchies and dependencies,of local communities vis-à-vis local and nationalnon-governmental organisations – and even moreof local and national organisations vis-à-vis donoragencies. If these power imbalances remain unad-dressed, development projects have the potentialto reinforce rather than challenge power structures,repressive orders, and social/economic exclusion.

In many countries, donor agencies are accorded cre-dibility and political weight for their proximity tomarginalised communities, for the assumption ofbeing grounded in actual ’grassroots‘ work, one of

“Monitoring and evaluation can begenerative exercises providing a forumfor communities to push their agendaand for all players to reflect upon andacknowledge change processes.Planning can allow for the envisioningof new, flexible pathways for changeand encourage both hope and visionas well as providing an opportunityfor communities and NGOs to worktogether to self-generate ideas forchange. How to design a PME that ful-fils these possibilities, and that will beradically flexible in line with a people-led development approach, is an on-going challenge, and MISEREOR’scontinuing in-house reflection on thispoint is important. (…) Not only doprocesses need to be radically flexible,but this flexibility needs to be adequate-ly understood by implementing NGOswho are trained in, and used to, olderforms of monitoring and evaluation.(…) MISEREOR can and does make de-mands about NGO structure and prac-tice, particularly in terms of planningand reporting, and is in the positionto withhold funding. Acknowledging,and trying to rebalance, this powerdynamic is important to reflectionprocesses.”Sarah Wright: ’We dance with what we have –People-led development in action‘, 2013

14 For further reading, please refer to AIZ leadership toolbox – leadership for global responsibility, GIZ, 2013

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MISEREOR’s guiding principles. This implies theresponsibility to make best use of the power fundsprovide to accompany and co-struggle with the mar-ginalised communities.

Chance and challenge –the dilemma of project fundingLike their NGO partners, donor agency staff have anintermediary role to play in order to bring togetherrather different expectations and requirements. Onthe one hand, they are to provide support forpeople-driven change processes through NGOs,and this requires process orientation and flexiblefunding guidelines, allowing an accompaniment ofcommunities that is open-ended, truly based onpeople’s needs and also at their specific pace. Onthe other hand, they have to qualify their partner organisations to meet the highadministrative requirements posed by their back donors. They have to find waysto enable partner organisations to come up with project proposals with clearlydefined objectives and indicators, and reporting that allows evaluating projectsalong the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) criteria of OECD countriesregarding relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability, and allwithout compromising the dynamics of people-owned change processes. Develop-ing mandatory PME as a tool for local reflection processes may be the solutionfor combining the different requirements.

In conclusion, it is quite clear that if all actors involved in transformation process-es, be they communities and their leaders, NGOs and their change facilitators,donor agencies and their agents of change, as co-strugglers, believe in their effi-cacy and creatively develop new ways of interaction, a new kind of ’developmentproject‘ can emerge that leads the way out of the 'project business trap' and con-tributes to the change we want to see.

BARCIKThe Bangladesh Resource Centre forIndigenous Knowledge (BARCIK) pro-motes the significance of local andindigenous knowledge in community-based empowerment and change pro-cesses. In 2015, BARCIK and the grass-roots communities it works with deve-loped a change monitoring system, inwhich different sources of change,steps and milestones within ongoingcommunity-based change processesare documented by both communitiesand BARCIK. In BARCIK’s experience,participatory planning, as well asmonitoring and evaluation turn intoactual processes of empowerment ifownership of change stays with localcommunities at all times.Based on the outcomes of a reflection processsupported by Carola Block, freelance consultant,and MISEREOR

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Catalysing change orreinforcing structures?The document highlights certain ’pressure points‘ for strengthening people-drivenchange processes and critically reflects upon challenges and ’traps‘ in the preva-lent project business. Breaking it down to simplified and provocative ’do’s anddon’ts‘, the following tables provide a short summary and invite the reader to re-think ’development practice‘ and co-create avenues for transformative joint action.

For communities

Trust in your own capacity and Believe that you are poor the potential of your family and and powerless.community to initiate change. Build on available resources. Let your shortcomings stand in your way.

Be creative, master your craft Don’t move, don’t learn, don’t fail.and try out new things. Look for committed allies and Do it all by yourself,unite on pressing issues. or don’t do anything at all.

Strategise collective action Wait for help.for change. Decide in democratic processes Take whatever you get,whether external resources demand more.are needed and adapt themto your local needs and plans. Choose your allies carefully Participate in NGO’s projectsand be firm and frank with and carry out NGO’s activities.your NGO partner and the change facilitators. Develop your own narrative Be fatalistic – believe that changeand re-imagine your future. is not possible. …

How to feed transformation How to maintain a status quo

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For NGOs

Support locally driven processes. Have people participate in your predefined projects.

Listen and look for the Follow your inner voice of judgment,unexpected with an open heart as you know what has to be done.and open mind. Provide space for dialogue and Come with ready-made plansfacilitate people’s own analysis, and solutions.plans, and solutions usingcreative facilitation tools.

Acknowledge your own role Avoid new insights and abstain and responsibility and become from transferring learning to selfa co-struggler, co-learner, and work. co-creator of change.

Be part of the change process. Observe from a distance.

Listen, listen, listen – Talk, teach, train.and facilitate reflection-action-reflection. Challenge power structures Work with leaders and the better based on systems, politics, off only, as this provides faster wealth, gender, age etc. results. Help access funds and services Provide subsidies and expert advice for people’s priorities as a result for ready-made solutions – and in so of local reflections and doing, ’buy‘ people’s participation. decision-making.

Believe in people, Assume that poor people their potential and skills. need your help. Challenge donor regulations. Please donors to get funds and maintain your structure.

Support communities building Organise local groups aroundup the best structures for your project activities.defending their strategic interest. …

How to feed transformation How to reinforce the current

NGO system

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For donors

Nurture a relation of trust and Follow your inner voice of judgment,patience with your partner as you know the many shortcomings organisations and try to under- and vested interests of your NGOstand their perspectives. partners.

Develop your listening skills Communicate and criticise as you areand intercultural competence. accustomed to doing – the others will have to get along with it.

Be aware of the power of Control the projects and processes, controlling the funds and make insert your ideas, and decide on the best use of this power for priorities and policies, as you control empowerment, learning from the money.and with your partners. Provide space and time for Look for projects with fast resultsdialogue processes for everyone: and avoid tedious dialogue with among partner communities and the partner organisations.their partner organisations, andamong partner organisationsand your own agency. Screen projects with PLD lenses Don’t invest too much time and make sure that your partners in the details of project proposals, are committed to supporting as your time is really limited. people-driven change processes. Provide space for exchange Train your partners in how to and learning processes among respond best to your requirements your partner organisations in alignment with the demands of for more effective support your back-donors.of transformation processes.

Engage your partner organisations Write letters and send policy guide-in the reflection on people-led lines and expect that this will initiate transformation processes and the change you want to see.motivate change through sharingof this document, deep dialogueand innovative project funding.

Create opportunities for deep You are the donors,reflection in your own agency. the others will have to change. Prioritise and use every Unfortunately, you do not have timeopportunity for passing time for field visits – office visits or with local communities and meetings at your hotel must do.your partner organisationsto develop a better sense oflocal processes and relations –and a better relation to’the people in the centre‘. …

How to feed transformation How to maintain the current system

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The emerging future –the change we want to seeIn the past decades, ’development‘ has been the underlying concept for process-es and activities towards a juster world where poverty would be alleviated andall people would be able to fulfil their basic needs. Development agency, devel-opment project, development aid, development indicators – in the context of in-justice and marginalisation, which paradigm does the term ’development‘ pro-mote? The participants in the intercultural research project Development towardsa Global Common Good concluded that the ’world faces a number of seriouspolitical, economic and ecological challengesthat demand concerted efforts to conduct profoundanalyses and implement the necessary changes. Itis, however, unclear whether the concept of devel-opment is still adequate to guide these transforma-tional efforts. For development, in the way it hasbeen propagated for decades, may well be tooclosely linked to an economic model of expansivemarket fundamentalism which by itself is at thecore of those global problems that are calling for in-depth transformations‘.16

In search of an alternative term for the transforma-tion needed to address the above-mentioned chal-lenges, in contrast to the ’development agenda‘ ofgovernments, international institutions and the cor-porate sector, civil society groups discuss concepts such as post development,’degrowth‘, ’buen vivir‘, the ’Gross National Happiness Index‘, to name but a few.MISEREOR proposes the notion of a global common good as a central basis forall those approaches, having as their object the (human) being and acknowledg-ing the human dignity of the person. ’Yet, one should not see the person as amere interest-driven market participant (…), but rather as a social and inter-related individual that stands in connection with other living beings, includingthe non-human environment‘.And in line with the ideas developed in this text, we should critically ask who thepeople are who reflect on these concepts and approaches as a vision of and in-tention for the transformation that would lead to a better future for all. An increasingnumber of concerned people from countries around the world, many of themyoung activists, mainly from the middle class who have experience with negativeimpacts of economic growth and consumerism and who are in a position tomake choices, are trying out new ways of living well. They are already creating anew narrative. And how much trust do those creating this narrative have in visions for a betterfuture of those who do not have their equal share of the common good today?How can aspirations and visions for a better life of those who are marginalisedby the current system be included into this transformation and guide it? Will theybe marginalised again, or would they equally contribute to constructing theemerging future?

“There was a general consent (…) thata ’common good‘ with global scope isa helpful concept to address bothlocal and international challenges ofglobalisation. (…) such global commongood cannot be a uniform model butneeds to be defined in continuousparticipatory and plural processesby those concerned.”Georg Stoll,’Views from Civil Society Practitioners‘, from:Global Common Good, IGP + MISEREOR, 2015

16 Reflections on the Global Common Good, Institute for Social and Development Studies (IGP) and MISEREOR/results of the intercultural research project, 2015. The dialogue project comprised a more academic pillar withsix studies being executed (published in the book cited here) and a more practice- oriented pillar with sixregional civil society dialogue fora held in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The main results of these dialogue foraare also part of the book cited here as a complement to the studies. The excerpts quoted on level B of this textwere taken from the civil society dialogues

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Esther ScharfConsultantfor People-Led DevelopmentAGEH / MISEREOR

‘It is not enough for people to come together in dialogue

in order to gain knowledge of their social reality.

They must act together upon their environment

in order critically to reflect upon their reality and

so transform it through further action and critical reflection.’Paulo Freire

Editorial team

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Anja MertineitDesk Officerfor Rural Development Asia Department, MISEREOR

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Editor:Bischöfliches Hilfswerk MISEREOR e. V., ©2017Mozartstraße 9, 52064 Aachen,[email protected]