Pettit, Jethro

As development NGOs and official aid agencies embrace the idea of becoming a learning organisation, they are increasingly concerned with some form of knowledge generation and organisational learning. To date, the literature on these issues has tended to come out of the private sector and reflect a Western world view. Development and the Learning Organisation presents contributions from development scholars and practitioners from a range of institutional backgrounds around the world.

In this article, as part of the 50th issue of PLA Notes, the authors look at the distinct but interconnected areas of participation and transformation. They explore how these processes can be brought together to shift the deeply embedded forces of power and social exclusion. The authors also explore how the language and practices of rights and advocacy can contribute to the effort, and how practitioners can best engage with rights-based approaches to development.

This article, part of the 50th issue of PLA Notes, looks at the conceptual shift from development to well-being and the role that participatory approaches can have in shaping the agenda. The article reflects on two main questions: the definition of well-being and its measurement. How can participatory methods contribute to the meaning and measurement of well-being? What challenges does the new focus on well-being bring to the PLA tradition?

The recent 'rise of rights' has sparked much critical reflection, one of the key concerns being 'What is different this time'?. Can this emerging focus on rights within development help bring about favourable changes for poor and marginalised people?