Resources

Action research provides an alternative approach to bringing about changes in knowledge, policy and practice.  But to be effective and inclusive, taking into account complex dynamics of power and participation, action research requires capable facilitators with particular skills – such as the ability to give attention to personal and collective processes of reflection and action.  This article explores the challenges of learning to do this kind of action research that are faced by practitioners and activists working for social change in diverse contexts around the world.  It reviews these challenges, offering insights and lessons from an innovative master’s degree programme called the MA in Participation, Power and Social Change, which uses action research and reflective practice as the basis of its approach to learning.

The authors explore the use of Web 2.0 tools for development and introduce readers to the concept of Web2forDev. Web 2.0 tools are radically changing the ways we create, share, collaborate and publish digital information through the Internet. Participatory Web 2.0 for development (Web2forDev for short) is a way of employing web services to intentionally improve information-sharing and on-line collaboration for development. It presents us with new opportunities for change - as well as challenges - that we need to better understand and grasp. The authors consider learning and reflections from practice and consider ways forward.

The author describes the use of video blogging by the Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (GINKS). Similar to a blog, a video blog û or vlog for short û contains short segments of video content. Usually in the form of interviews, these vlogs help members to share information about work and experiences. The author also considers the potentials of vlogging for advocacy puposes, as well as the challenges inherent in using Web 2.0 tools in countries such as Ghana, where Internet access in still mostly limited to urban areas.

The authors recount how the process of organising the Web2forDev conference has contributed to building a community of practice. The authors reflect on the successes and challenges of adopting Web 2.0 and other ICT tools to create online collaborative spaces for the conference organisers. In addition, the authors draw on results from two conference surveys to assess what impact the conference has had on both the participants and their ways of working and in helping to form and maintain a new Web2forDev community of practice.