People's participation : challenges ahead

The 1997 World Congress of Participatory Convergence in Knowledge, Space and Time, held inCartagena, Columbia, was seen as a milestone in participatory methodologies. It created a forum where professionals from a broad spectrum of disciplines, ranging from engineering and the sciences to the arts, politics, economics and social sciences, were able to exchange ideas and stimulate discussion of future trends in Participatory Action Research. The meeting was attended by 1,850 people from 61 countries. People's Participation draws on the 165 papers discussed at the 1997 World Congress. The book looks at the social, political, economic and cultural movements at the heart of Participative Research - where knowledge, space and time are seen as the principal tools for change for the advancement of peoples. People's Participation is a vehicle for the exchange and diffusion of ideas voiced at the Congress. It has been published to promote the ongoing discussion amongst economists, politicians, scholars, NGO workers, policymakers, engineers, scientists, social scientists and all those with a deep interest or involvement with Participatory Approaches and methodologies.