Learning Approaches for the Empowerment of the Excluded

PRIA is collaborating with Community-Engaged Research Institute (CERi) at the Simon Fraser University, in British Columbia, Canada to offer two workshops about PRIA’s learning approaches and theory of change and how it is applied on local, national, regional and global scales.

PRIA has been a world leader in developing practices that unify knowledge production with social change. It does so by placing knowledge at the centre of its project and by seeing the amplification of marginalized voices as an indispensable condition for deep, participatory democracy.  

This invite-only learning opportunity is offered uniquely to students participating in CERi’s  Graduate Fellowship and members of CERi’s Advisory Board.

The two complementary workshops are offered in the Fall 2021 (27 October 2021) and in Spring of 2022 (16 February 2022).

Workshop 1: Participatory research in the context of India

The first workshop will introduce the learners to PRIA’s learning approach and theory of change. PRIA has a kaleidoscopic history; its initiatives are varied, across levels (local, national, regional and global). The learners will be familiarized with the history of PRIA’s initiatives over the past four decades, beginning from PRIA’s establishment in 1982, told through its Founder-President’s professional life story.

An introduction to Participatory Research (PR) as practiced by PRIA will be followed by examples related to land and people, workers’ safety, pavement dwellers, etc. to illustrate the PR-led learning and change approach. The learning session will also answer any questions participants may have about India.

Workshop 2: Empowerment of the excluded  

The second workshop will carry forward the understanding of PRIA’s participatory approach, using specific examples from the organization’s work in the areas of maternal health, youth empowerment to address violence against women and girls, occupational health and safety of women domestic workers and women sanitation workers, and leadership of women elected representatives at the local level.

The learning method will include Q&A and PowerPoint presentation. The workshops will begin with introductions of all the participants and the facilitators, followed by a PowerPoint presentation.