Creative capacity development
18 August 2011
The development community seems
constantly and restlessly in search of a singular approach that will “ solve” poverty, unveiling
new buzzwords every few years only to toss them aside. Reflecting on personal experience as
Director of a Cambodian capacity-building NGO, VBNK, Jenny Pearson argues that the
fundamental flaw with prevailing development approaches is that they remain embedded in a
technocratic and specialized paradigm that is ill-equipped to deal with the complexity of
real-world development contexts.
Pearson’s account, which draws on insights from cultural studies, mental health practice, and the arts, demonstrates how creative risks and an innovative spirit can revive development work, especially in post-conflict settings.
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