The Story of PRIA: An Experiment in Participatory Action Research
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Date
2005-07-25
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Abstract
During the first International Forum on Participatory Research held in April 1980 in Lubljana, Yugoslavia, I had met with Orlando Fals-Borda and Myles Horton. It was about a decade ago that I had read about Action Research as a student of management; it was about five years ago, as I struggled with my Doctoral dissertation data-collection in rural India that I had learnt about Participatory Research through Budd Hall and Paolo Freire. The regional networks of Participatory Research, with support from the International Council for Adult Education, had begun to have a dynamic of their own. Lubljana was our first real encounter at international levels.
Description
This passage narrates the founding and growth of PRIA (Society for Participatory Research in Asia) as an initiative to empower marginalized groups by producing "knowledge from below." PRIA's interventions, from forest rights to occupational health, emphasized citizen-led inquiry and action. Over 25 years, it evolved into a global player advocating participatory governance and socio-political transformation through community-driven research.
Keywords
PRIA, Participatory Research, Social transformation, Women's livelihood, Highlander Centre, Knowledge-building
Citation
Tandon, Rajesh. (2005). The Story of PRIA: An Experiment in Participatory Action Research.