Objectives
Exploring alternative life projects
Document and analyze "life projects" whose social, cultural, economic, and environmental practices offer an alternative to the dominant development model.
Reflecting on Post-Development challenges
Examining the distinction between what might be called "alternatives to development" and "alternative developments"—to borrow Arturo Escobar's (1995) formulation: a distinction central to debates on post-development.
Addressing pluriversal issues
Beyond Western universalism and the divide between nature and culture, we recognize the diversity of ways of life—each embodying distinct values, worldviews, and ways of living—that are not viewed as marginal, but as worlds in their own right.
Using a transdisciplinary approach to strengthen dialogue between community groups and with researchers
Developing a set of methods to give the floor to local communities, with varying levels of involvement on behalf of the researchers, to jointly define research objectives, their methodologies and rights issues associated with co-constructed knowledge. The aim is also to foster dialogue and networking between collectifs, ranging from information exchanges to peer-to-peer training.