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?

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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.