Dialogue in Pursuit of Development - Are you looking for one of ...

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ciers and all of them have to relate to the target group – the people in the
community. The community is not homogenous, but consists of men and
women, youth, children, employed and unemployed, people with financial
resources and those that are extremely poor. In such schemes – as in all
development programmes – different kinds of problems arise so that without
a constructive dialogue between the different actors, conflicts may erupt
and become severe and difficult to solve. On the other hand, when professionals
and community leaders are eager to communicate and work in a
participatory manner there is a higher awareness of obstacles that must be
overcome in order for the project to continue. This increases the chances of
solving problems, compared to a situation where they are denied, overseen
or not acknowledged. An inclusive consultation process might take a long
time, but prove to be more effective after all and the process in itself then
becomes part of human development. A housing scheme does not only
have to result in houses, but in increased human capacity, where all actors
learn and acquire valuable experiences. It is often said that “development is
not a product, but a process”.
The example above is similar to international development co-operation,
where people with different personal backgrounds and professions work
together, like in a township, there are many who want to assist, with opinions
on the development process.
Dialogue in development can be seen as a way of exploring different
actors’ perspectives and through this process increasing understanding of
context and discover ways to proceed. New solutions and thoughts can be
found, provided there is a willingness to seek answers, rather than to present
fixed solutions. In a fruitful dialogue there is both an acceptance and an
appreciation of different approaches and experiences. There are many ways
to interpret a situation and by reflecting on what has been said learning
becomes an integral part of the dialogue. Serious differences may arise in
a dialogue, but the challenge is not for everyone to agree on everything,
but to understand divergent positions. The process of learning is then not
only one-sided but becomes a mutual experience which means that dialogue
is not confined to a certain kind of meeting, between a certain kind
of people but can take place anywhere – in a township, a rural village, a
district council, a ministry, an international conference or even within an
aid organisation.
Summing up, dialogue is essential for efficiency in development cooperation,
since it broadens perspectives, increases learning and provides
room for developing relations. It might happen that results will differ from
what we expect and that we have to do some rethinking. Seen within the
context of partnership, dialogue is essential in building a stronger ownership
which means that participants have to be prepared for the consequences
of dialogue. It is not only a concern between two partners – the donor and
the recipient – but is essential in all the many different relations in develop-