13th International Commune on Participatory Development September 29, 2009

Sponsored by the Institute for Participatory Practices

This 10-day residential workshop acts as a forum for participants from across the world to come together for reflection and learning. It provides both, a theoretical understanding of participatory approaches/tools as well as the opportunity to apply them in the field. While the diversity and the wealth of experiences participants bring with them makes each edition unique and unrepeatable, the workshop follows a common learning programme, grounded in years of experience.

Programme Outline

* An introductory, common module on Attitudes, Behaviours and Change (ABC) facilitated by Robert Chambers
* Interactive classroom sessions within each thematic module
* Practical sessions in the field, hosted by locally renowned organisations
* Evening talks on diverse development related topics
* Film screenings on issues of relevance
* Thematic group discussions, workshop experience sharing and collective reflection
* Introduction to the latest publications and reference materials

Now in its 13th edition, the programme has attracted more than 1200 participants from over 30 countries. Among them are policy makers, development professionals from INGOs, NGOs and CBOs, students and proactive individuals. Past modules have included Micro Level Planning, Training of Trainers, Project Management, Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation, Participatory Research and Participatory Poverty Assessment. The main objectives of this workshop are:

1. To provide an in-depth understanding of the principles, approaches and methods of participatory practices.
2. To provide a forum for exchange of ideas and experiences.
3. To apprise participants of the latest innovations developed by practitioners from across the world.
4. To create a worldwide network of trained PRA practitioners.
5. To provide hands-on learning opportunities to the participants for direct application of PRA methods through field work.
6. To make the participants capable of using participatory methods in their thematic area of work.

Official Website: http://www.theworkshop.in