Post on 29-Jan-2016
Towards a Knowledge Democracy Movement?
Budd L Hall, Global Alliance for Community Engaged Research CRADALL, University of Glasgow, October 18, 2010
Background
My location
Office of Community-Based Research, University of Victoria
Global Alliance for Community-Engaged Research
Comparative-International Study of Community-University Research Partnerships (SSHRC + IDRC)
Some preliminary implications of our research
Knowledge is hot, hot, hot
Knowledge economy
Knowledge society
Knowledge commons
Knowledge exchange
Knowledge mobilisation
Knowledge translation
Knowledge WHATEVER!
Why a knowledge democracy
‘movement’?Transformation?
Values?
Impact in vulnerable communities?
Place-based?
Privileges alternative knowledge creation?
?????
Elements of a knowledge movement
Structures of community engagement, knowledge mobilisation and impact
Linkages between activist-scholars and local/global social movements
Rich range of participatory action research practices
Knowledge access movement
Adult Education traditions/discourse
Community Engaged Scholarship
Offices of Community University Partnership and Research
Recognition of excellence in action research
Recognition of diverse sites of knowledge creation
Global Alliance for Community Engaged Research and others
Linkages to movements
Climate Change
Gap between the rich and the poor
Housing and Housing Affordability
Food Security
Inclusion of all
Growing Islamophobia
Multitude of Engaged Research Approaches
o Arts-based-theatre, poetry
Photo-Voice
Indigenous Research
Collaborative Inquiry
Participatory
Feminist
Community based
Knowledge Access Movement
Public knowledge project
Digital democracy
Beyond patriarchal Euro-centric knowledge
Indigenous Commons
Multitude of allies, resources, skills
How do we move forward?
Increased support for civil society research capacity
Deepened recognition in higher education
Increased North-South and South-South collaboration
Organic links with social movements
Long term partnerships
Call for North-South Collaboration
1. All higher education institutions express a strategic commitment to genuine community engagement, societal relevance of research and education and social responsibility as a core principle.
2. Community engagement activities be based on two-way communication and guided by values of inclusion, mutual respect, integrity, freedom and democratic decision-making.
3. Recognise and support the role of community partners in the creation and co-creation of knowledge.
Enhanced North-South Collaboration
4. Scholars, researchers, students, practitioners, communities and their networks be enabled to participate in public engagement activities through appropriate training, and support.
5. Scholars, researchers, students, practitioners, communities and their networks be recognised and valued for their involvement with public engagement.
6. In the interest of achieving global targets and world equity challenges as expressed by the Millennium Development Goals and other such statements, investment be strengthened to build community-university engagement capacities especially in the global South with attention to vulnerable populations and less wealthy countries.
7. Rather than world-ranking systems for higher education that are often ineffective in advancing engagement practices, we support appraisal systems such as the Alternative University Appraisal system (in collaboration with the United Nations University) as development tools.
We believe
that the transformative potential of our community sector organisations and our higher education institutions is enhanced when we combine our collective knowledge, global connections, skills and resources to address the myriad of social, economic, cultural, health and environmental challenges in our places and regions.