Knowledge and People's Power - Multiworld India

structure of our societies. In this connection we believe it is essential to breakthe relationship of submission (and the related modes of production ofknowledge) found in most types of work and life in our societies andelsewhere, and to induce stable forms of organisation for action.The second lesson- "learning to recognise oneself "-emphasises the actualcomponents of the PAR approach and the means for producing and diffusingthe acquired knowledge. Here emphasis is placed on the centrality of thecollective work undertaken, the recovery of our awareness of regional historyand the use of and respect for popular cultural elements. Both lessons arepreceded by a description, in the form of a dialogue, of the five communitieswhich we studied and which sets the tone of the text which follows. Finally,after a theoretical and conceptual section (level 3) and suggested furtherreading, we have included summaries of each participatory experience.Some positive consequences of the studies were observed in the life andculture of the rural populations and in the creation of new work and incomeopportunities in the organised communities, as stated above. This can be seenin the field as well as in the detailed partial reports. There were also otherimmediate practical results, especially in Colombia: the- reinforcement oflocal networks of independent political, civic and cultural movements. Anassociation was established between dispersed participatory initiatives withina new context of study and action focused on the establishment of people'spower or countervailing power. This context has now acquired a nationaldimension. The regions are represented in this national network from the baseupwards and from the periphery to the centre, a situation which may allowthe communities to regain the power which is their original and constitutionalright, so that more participatory forms of democracy can be developed.The reticulate national system of people's power, with its countervailingpolitical mechanisms (action groups and committees, trade unions,co-operatives, community boards, etc.) is now also spreading throughout theworld. It has been discovered that PAR works well even in countriesgoverned by, dictatorships if prudent and imaginative procedures are applied.Moreover, many interesting participatory experiences have been carried outnot only in countries of the Third World but also in Austria, Belgium,18