Knowledge Management for Development

Decolonization of knowledge:

an action plan for KM4Dev Asia, Australia, and the Middle East

Upcoming Knowledge Café 20 May 2021 

This month Knowledge Café will take place on 20 May 2021 starting at 130 PM India Standard Time (IST). 

In this session, we will continue the conversation from previous knowledge cafés and interactions on the KM4Dev discussion list. We will work on action planning on what KM4Dev can do to decolonize knowledge - with a special focus on Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

Facilitated by Srividya Harish and Pier Andrea Pirani, the cafe will feature, amongst others, Gladys Kemboi, Navid Nezefati, Bruce Boyes, and Sarah Cummings.

Register here!

“Decolonizing Knowledge” is a political project, initially started in Academia to challenge what is perceived to be the hegemonic control over knowledge production and sharing by the western hemisphere. It positions indigenous knowledge systems as equal in importance to the US-Euro-centric models and approaches. Today, Decolonizing knowledge has become an umbrella term to encompass all the challenges posed to the current system of knowledge production, flow, and use. For the field of Knowledge Management decolonization is to make the field more diverse, plural, and inclusive.

To know more about the topic watch the following videos:

• Knowledge café 15: Decolonization of knowledge: an Action Plan for KM4DEV
• Knowledge café 11: Uncomfortable truths in development
• Knowledge café 7: Decolonization of knowledge

You can also consult some of the blogs which were written for Knowledge café 11, including: 

• Towards a Feminist Knowledge Management by Srividya Harish, 22 April 2021
• Energizing pathways for decolonizing knowledge in the Global South by Charles Dhewa, 19 April 2021
• New initiatives begin decolonising research, libraries, and knowledge systems. But what about decolonising KM? by Bruce Boyes, 13 December 2019
• How do we fix the world’s very unequal knowledge – and knowledge management – map?  by Bruce Boyes, 9 August December 2018
• Real KM magazine’s Overall ongoing series of articles on the topic of decolonising knowledge (new articles regularly added)
• We can do better by Stacey Young, 1 February 2021
• Committed development workers: you are not alone by Ann Hendrix-Jenkins, 2 December 2020
• Sham of dignity and equality in development by Kishor Pradhan, 21 November 2020
• Coloniality and wilful hermeneutic ignorance by Sarah Cummings, 20 November 2020

Register here for the May Knowledge Café!

Speaking of personal experience it is quite difficult for many of us, especially women from the so called “Global South” to think of ourselves as “experts”. There is a conditioning that we need to overcome in order to contribute. Km4dev is an excellent platform that has only gotten stronger over the years. I have personally benefitted a lot from the community. This is the safe space for all of us. There are many mentors here who are willing to help and support. So, I strongly encourage all of us to write and participate on the topics that interest us. There are no right or wrong things when it comes to experience, let us share what we know and learn from each other even through disagreements and grow.
Srividya Harish, India, 21 April 2021

I wanted to thank those of you involved for organizing and sharing the KM4DEV hosted session I attended yesterday, “Knowledge Cafe 15: Decolonization of Knowledge : An action plan for KM4DEV.”  The session was well managed, and the presentations and discussions were engaging, rich with candid reflections, forward-looking suggestions, and the sharing of resources (also in the very active Chat). I have been a member of this community for some time, before it evolved from Pelicans to Peregrines, and believe establishing bridges and encourage knowledge creation and sharing across communities and fields of practice is a critical ingredient for transformational learning and change. So, kudos to KM4DEV, please continue to keep us Peregrines informed of relevant opportunities for engagement, and I highly recommend other Peregrines who have not already to check out these KM4DEV Knowledge Cafes.
Scott Chaplowe, Spain, 19 April 2021

Knowledge Management for Development (KM4DEV) is a global community of practice of primarily international development practitioners interested in knowledge management and knowledge sharing theory, practice and related matters. On 2-3 July 2020, they celebrated their 20 Years Anniversary with 10 online sessions over a 24 hr period. The sessions involved a large number of KM4Dev members around the globe. John Hovell, Donita Volkwijn and I talked at one of these sessions on Conversational Leadership. You can watch the session on YouTube. If you are interested in all of the sessions you will find them on the KM4DEV YouTube channel. Well done KM4DEV. I love your work.
David Gurteen, UK, 29 July 2020

I realize that it sometimes is not easy to withstand real-life pressure in a field like CoP/facilitation/KM and that a strong and professional community can help us to make up our mind, support us in choosing the path that feels right. Everyone - you know, all your helpful thoughts, comments, sharing of your own personal experiences, references to papers - all this empowers me and supports me in my decision and also energizes and strengthens me in a moment of doubt. I am very happy that I threw my case into this community. Thank you.
Christina Merl, Owner Talkshop

One reason I love the KM4DEV community is it tends to include learning in with KM, to include HOW we learn, WHY we learn, and WHAT we learn.  (Which gets KM more in the lineage of the social sciences, as opposed to solely IT sciences).
Tony Pryor, Senior Programming Advisor, USAID

The optimal culture for “KM” is exactly as you have in KM4Dev, which is an open inclusive and supportive one. This supports the flow of knowledge and builds trust, but is hard to “measure” (so difficult to write requirements for in a standard format, although I would argue this is more important than anything that can be accurately measured). This is what we were trying to get a greater sense of into the standard, but were not able to get across as strongly as some of us would have liked. However, there are stronger elements of this in the old Australian KM Standard, which we will revive as a supporting guide.
Arthur Shelley, Founder, Intelligent Answers

I started lurking in this group since the ELDIS workshop at IDS September 2016. Thanks to everyone because I am learning a lot just following the conversation. I work at Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness, involved in communication / knowledge brokering. I am also working (over the weekends) on my PhD in which I am exploring the role of communication in facilitating change through research. The digital turn is an important part of my research. I wrote a piece on the ELDIS workshop Winds of Change. Thanks again and best wishes!
Patricia Canto, Orkestra - Basque Institute of Competitiveness, USA

I will also be in Vienna, October 15th 2016, and hoping to meet you and understand more fully your work. I am a long-time learner on and admirer of KM4Dev. Great minds!
Diana Woolis, Carey Institute for Global Good, USA

I feel so moved by all the positive reactions I received every day since I posted my request. Just as if I have numerous secret hidden friends ready to give a hand ! It's a feeling not easy to express ; the kind of strength you sense when you're not alone and that makes you dare and never afraid of taking new challenges... merci beaucoup.
Yennenga Kompaoré, Performances, Burkina Faso

I’m proud of being part of this collaborative community.  Thank you all.
Marcelo Yamada, Promon Engenharia, Brasil