PLA 57: Immersions: learning about poverty face-to-face
The theme for this special issue centres on experiences of learning about poverty face-to-face, often referred to as immersions. Immersions are opportunities for development professionals to spend a period of time living with and learning from a poor family.
https://www.iied.org/node/6177
December 2007
Guest editors: Izzy Birch, Raffaella Catani with Robert Chambers
This issue of Participatory Learning and Action is a timely reflection of an emerging trend in development practice, drawing together the richness of immersion experience. It explores both the limitations and potentials of immersions by
- bringing together diverse experiences, identifying their challenges and opportunities, and exploring their impacts;
- encouraging readers to talk about immersions, share their experience, and recognise that there are many sorts of immersion;
- inspiring people to have them, and help make immersions a regular practice for development professionals; and
- enabling readers to reflect, get/stay in touch, and follow up.
A critical mass of interest in this concept is gathering among major donors and civil society groups. Yet the impact of immersions is only now being tested. Different models are being developed: some are structured around a specific theme; others are more experiential and open-ended. But their common purpose is to bring immersion participants face-to-face with ordinary people, to test old assumptions, develop new perspectives, and strengthen their commitment to the challenge of poverty eradication.
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Follow the links below to download the whole issue or individual articles in pdf format.
Contents
Overview: Immersions: something is happening
Robert Chambers
Basrabai, Meeraiben, and the master of Mohadi
Ravi Kanbur
The Evolution of Immersions
A portrait of the Exposure and Dialogue Programme Association
Jörg Hilgers
Exposure and Dialogue Programmes at SEWA
Reema Nanavaty with contributions from Raziaben, Savitaben, and Seetaben
The World Bank Group: investing in poverty immersions
Frederick E. Nunes
The World Bank's Village Immersion Programme in South Asia
Praful Patel, Qazi Azmat Isa, and Caroline Vagneron
Immersions in ActionAid
Sonya Ruparel
Immersion Roles
Host familes
Izzy Birch with contributions from Gauriben, Ramilaben, Shantaben and
Kamlaben, Ama Gariba, Sam Mpanga, and Saurabh Kumar
Not your usual facilitator...
Dee Jupp
Interpreters
Izzy Birch with contributions from Katy Oswald, Hawa Awuro Sam,
and Sonya Ruparel
Reflections by participants on the interaction with their hosts
Izzy Birch with contributions from Katy Oswald, Arjan de Haan,
and Edward Bresnyan, and Ravi Kanbur
Personal Accounts
Extract from immersion report: Funsi, Ghana
Koy Thomson
Reflections on an immersion: Funsi, Ghana
Rosalind Eyben
Personal reflection on Funsi immersion: ActionAid Ghana
Taaka Awori
Reflections on my immersion in India
Gary Fields
The salt of the earth
Praful Patel
Everyone at Sida should do an immersion!
Olof Sandkull and Göran Schill
Legends of Choar Mumtaz: Saleiha Chachi smiles
John Samuel
Institutional Accounts
Part 1: Staff selection, orientation and training
Immersion as a form of apprenticeship at PRADAN
The HRD Unit at PRADAN with a contribution from Vishal Jamkar
How SRIJAN uses immersions as part of its recruitment process
Raj Kumar with Haridarkee
How SEWA uses Exposure and Dialogue Programmes (EDPs) for
internal capacity building
Poonam Shroff
The Global Journey: a quest for reality
Bosse Kramsjo
Part 2: Programme development and accountability
Using immersions for programme development at Plan Bangladesh
Haider W Yaqub and Saiful Islam
An extract from 'Views of the Poor'
Dee Jupp
Immersion: the soul of development
Qazi Azmat Isa
Reality Check: accountability, learning, and practice with the people who matter
Ashish Shah
Part 3: Influencing policy and institutional direction
Taking onboard immersions within Sida
Esse Nilsson, Olof Sandkull, and Molly Sundberg
Reality Checks: first reflections
Dee Jupp with Malin Arvidson, Enamul Huda, Syed Rukonuddin, Nasrin Jahan,
Md Amir Hossain, Dil Afroze, Fatima Jahan Seema, Md Mominur Rahman,
Sohel Ibn Ali, Rabiul Hasan Arif, Somita, David Lewis, and Hans Hedlund
The impact of Exposure and Dialogue Programmes (EDPs) on German parliamentary work and decisions
Ruth Möller
With the strength of the powerless: using immersions for processes of structural change
Karl Osner
Closing editorial: Immersions and face-to-face learning: reflections on practice
Izzy Birch and Raffaella Catani
In Touch
Books, websites, events, training and other resources on the theme of immersions.