Knowledge Democracy
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://knowledgedemocracydspace.com/handle/123456789/1076
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Item Reconnecting society and science: Trajectories of the knowledge democracy movement(Sage, 2026-02-12) Tandon, RajeshAs interrelated global wicked problems increasingly engulf all sections of life on this planet, searching for knowledge solutions to address them has become urgent. While scientists in modern science establishments (labs) are busy finding answers to COVID (and other pandemics) and climate disruptions, communities and societies continue to struggle and use their own wisdom and capacity to find meaningful measures for local adaptations. This disconnect between societal actors and science has become critical. So, professional science communicators have critical responsibilities for rebuilding mutually respectful connections between society (and its diverse actors) and science. How can science communicators play such important roles in bridging society and science? Let me illustrate the ways it is being attempted in diverse contexts.Item Bridging knowledge cultures: Rebalancing power in the Co-Construction of knowledge(Brill, 2024) Lepore, Walter; Hall, Budd L; Tandon, RajeshEstablishing truly respectful, mutually beneficial, and equitable knowledge creation partnerships with diverse communities poses significant challenges for academia. Bridging Knowledge Cultures provides valuable insights into the dynamics involved and the obstacles encountered when attempting to establish meaningful research partnerships between different knowledge domains. This book goes beyond exploration by offering practical recommendations to overcome these challenges and forge effective collaboration between mainstream research institutions and community groups and organizations. This book includes ten compelling case studies conducted by research and training hubs established through the global Knowledge for Change Consortium. These case studies encompass community-university research partnerships across various geographical locations, tackling a wide range of societal issues and acknowledging the wealth of knowledge created by local communities. The overarching goal of this book is to inspire the next generation of researchers and professionals to embrace the richness of diverse perspectives and knowledge cultures. By advocating for the construction of "bridges" through practical approaches, the book encourages a shift from competition to collaboration in research. Ultimately, it aims to foster an environment where different forms of knowledge can intersect and thrive, leading to a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of the world around us.Item Participatory research: Where have we been, where are we going? – A dialogue(UCL IOE Press, 2017-07) Hall, Budd L; Tandon, RajeshRajesh Tandon and Budd Hall, the UNESCO Co-Chairs in Community-Based Research, have worked together on the theory and practice of participatory research since they first met in Caracas, Venezuela in 1978. This article is a conversation between the two of them that took place in New Delhi, India in 2015. It covers the creation of the concept of participatory research, a coming to awareness of the importance and power of local knowledge, the creation of the International Participatory Research Network and their thoughts on some of the challenges facing community and academic partners today. Of note is the fact that the early roots of participatory research were found in the global South, specifically in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Of further interest is the fact that for the first 20 to 25 years, participatory research was a discourse located almost entirely outside formal academic circles but rather in social movement structures and civil society circles.Item Understanding design of organisation(Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), 2001-08-25) Tandon, RajeshThis text by Dr. Rajesh Tandon presents a comprehensive analysis of the structure and process of understanding organizations and NGOs and navigates strategies to their management. The text describes models as conceptual tools for analyzing organizational behaviour, emphasizing the organization as an open social system and provides a systems theory for it. It explains missions and purposes of an organisation and lists its required inputs and desired outputs. The text further identifies and describes five key components of organizational design, technology, tasks, human resources, formal organizational structure, and informal organization. It analyses the concept of congruence, arguing that organizational effectiveness depends on the degree to which these components fit together and presents the congruence hypothesis arguing that greater the fit between components, the more effective the organization will be in achieving its mission. The text identifies types of NGOs and addresses several critical issues for NGO management such as compatibility with organizing elements, size and informal structure, hierarchy, and organisational changes. It further discusses the differences arising from different ideologies and operational strategies and the need for NGOs to manage relationships with multiple constituencies. The text concludes that organizations are complex social systems requiring analysis at multiple levels and aspects and that a successful organisation requires effective division of work and integration of efforts.Item Regionalizing the UNESCO knowledge for change consortium: K4C at the ESC!(UNESCO Chair, 2023-10-05) Mercy, NkathaItem Decolonization of knowledge, epistemicide, participatory research, and higher education(UCL Press, 2017) Hall, Budd L; Tandon, RajeshThis article raises questions about what the word ‘knowledge’ refers to. Drawn from some 40 years of collaborative work on knowledge democracy, the authors suggest that higher education institutions today are working with a very small part of the extensive and diverse knowledge systems in the world. Following from de Sousa Santos, they illustrate how Western knowledge has been engaged in epistemicide, or the killing of other knowledge systems. Community-based participatory research is about knowledge as an action strategy for change and about the rendering visible of the excluded knowledges of our remarkable planet. Knowledge stories, theoretical dimensions of knowledge democracy and the evolution of community-based participatory research partnerships are highlighted.Item The story of participatory research: History and future(Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), 2021-12-16) Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA)Item An introduction to the history, theory and practice of participatory action research(Department of Politics and International Relations, 2025) Díaz-Arévalo, Juan MarioItem International collaboration for changing the culture of research: UN SDGs and knowledge for change consortium(2020) Hall, Budd L; Tandon, RajeshDr. Budd L. Hall and Dr. Rajesh Tandon explore the role of international networks in advancing participatory knowledge creation for social change in higher education. They trace the evolution of participatory research from its origins in the 1970s to its institutional development today. . They describe a series of global studies produced under the Chair that document community-university research partnerships across multiple countries and connect this work to the policy debates around the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including the European Union's Responsible Research and Innovation framework. The article outlines three practical ways community-based participatory research (CBPR) can support SDG-linked knowledge, framing research locally, building community knowledge partnerships, and developing new researcher competencies. It also details the Knowledge for Change (K4C) Consortium's Mentor Training Program, which has built research capacity across the global South and the "excluded North" through hubs in eleven countries. Hall and Tandon call for a transformation of research culture toward justice, equity, and community relevance.Item Engaged excellence and the challenge of democratizing knowledge: Reflections on the history and practice of participatory research(UNESCO Chair, 2016) Hall, Budd LWhat can we learn from the histories and practices of participatory research in our efforts to democratize knowledge? In this lecture, Dr. Budd Hall traces the political, methodological and personal journeys that shaped participatory research across continents. Through his work in Tanzania under Julius K. Nyerere and in dialogue with thinkers such as Paulo Freire and Orlando Fals Borda, he reflects on how participatory research emerged through collective efforts guided by a vision of social transformation. Extending Freire’s argument that methodology is never neutral but shaped by ideology and power, Hall examines how knowledge production is structured by the social positions researchers occupy. Speaking as a white, male academic from a wealthy country, he reflects on how universities reward publications and professional recognition, while community collaborators rarely receive similar benefits. Recalling key developments such as the 1977 Cartagena conference convened by Orlando Fals Borda, the lecture situates participatory research as a politically grounded practice shaped by struggles for justice. Hall affirms that it deserves a place within universities while remaining accountable to communities, and calls for sustained critical engagement with power, inequality and the ethical responsibilities of knowledge creation.