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| PRAXIS UK: BRINGING IN THE SOUTHERN PERSPECTIVE |
Praxis UK is an important chapter in the story of Praxis India. A story that began in 1997 when, ActionAid ( India ) set up the organisation to promote participatory development in the country. To cut a long story short, Praxis has since evolved into an autonomous body that is a voice to reckon with in the sphere of participatory practices.
It operates as a research and training consultant to NGOs, INGOs, funding agencies and academia across the world. Over the years, thanks to these wide and varied interactions, Praxis has gathered an incisive understanding of development issues in the global South. An understanding that can be of immense value to the development sector in the North.
It was with the intent of articulating these experiences to the North and strengthening its cause of participatory development that, an affiliate, called Praxis UK was created. A Northern presence gives Praxis the geographical advantage to expand its work internationally in transition countries as well as in the UK.
While the offices in India focus on expanding longer-term engagement in the Asia region, the UK office will be focused on representing Praxis in the UK and expanding its reach into Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe through consultancy work.
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| The organisation. |
| Praxis UK is a charitable company, affiliated with Praxis India, with partners, supporters and staff of many nationalities. It is a part of a global movement that encourages ordinary and often marginalised people to exercise their right to participate in their own development. Praxis UK like its counterpart in India, believes that inclusive development gives every single individual the choice to be a shaper of his or her own life instead of a passive recipient. And like Praxis India, it will work to empower communities by propagating the use of participatory practices in all forms of human development. Be it training in the use of participatory tools, people centred research, intensive documentation or proactive initiatives, Praxis UK will use every opportunity to promote a participatory approach to development. |
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| The Beliefs |
Praxis UK, like Praxis India believes:
- That the fundamental rights of every individual, however marginalised, are sacrosanct and must be upheld at all times.
- That lack of voice is the most damaging form of disempowerment. It makes an individual vulnerable to social as well as economical poverty. Development processes can only be sustainable as well as relevant if those directly affected by poverty have an influential say in how to reduce it.
- That poverty is eradicable and vulnerability and suffering are not pre-ordained events.
- That unequal power relations fuel poverty and that discrimination on the basis of gender, race, class, caste and ability, increase people’s vulnerability to poverty. There is a link between the perpetuation of poverty and unjust policies and practices, which need to be challenged and removed through participatory democracy.
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| The work |
| Our vision, beliefs and values influence our work at the local, national and international level. It spans individuals and communities and extends up to governments and intergovernmental agencies across the globe. We engage closely at all levels to facilitate community leadership and work to implement the most appropriate and effective solution in any particular situation. The breadth of our network, combined with our knowledge, experience, resources and collaborative approach, enable lasting change to be realised. |
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At Praxis we see a world in which every woman and man has the right to participate in decision-making processess and to a life with dignity and choices.
Our mission is to strive for the democratisation of development processess and institutions to ensure that tha voices of poor women, men, girls and boys are heard and acted upon. |
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