The book draws on twenty years of experience with the techniques and philosophy of PAR using case studies from Asia, Africa, Latin America and North America to show how widespread this approach to development has become since it emerged as a new way to empower the oppressed two decades ago.

Technical problems require technical solutions that are innovative, simple, cheap, robust and easy to maintain. This book lists 100 winning inventions in the first International Inventors Award competition, organized in Stockholm.

PART I: INTRODUCTION

1. Some Basic Ingredients, Orlando Fals-Borda 3

2. The Theoretical Standpoint of PAR, Muhammad Anisur Rahman 13

3. A Self-Review of PAR, Muhammad Anisur Rahman and Orlando Fals-Borda 24

PART II: VIVENCIAS

4. Together Against the Computer: PAR and the Struggle of Afro-Colombians for Public Service, Gustavo I. de Roux 37

5. Young Laborers in Bogota: Breaking Authoritarian Ramparts, Maria Cristina Salazar 54

6. Action and Participatory Research: A Case of Peasant Organization, Vera Gianotten and Ton de Wit 64

7. Glimpses of the "Other Africa," Muhammad Anisur Rahman 84

8. People's Power in Zimbabwe, Sithembiso Nyoni 109

9. Toward a Knowledge Democracy: Viewpoints on Participatory Research in North America, John Gaventa 121

PART III STEPS IN PRAXIOLOGY

10. Stimulation of Self-Reliant Initiatives by Sensitized Agents: Some Lessons from Practice, S. Tilakaratna 135

11. Remaking Knowledge, Orlando Fals-Borda 146

References and Further Reading 167

About the Co-authors 181