Imagine

The author describes PLA approaches as a set of recipes for the field of Participation. The purpose of this article is to describe another such recipe called "Imagine" which is a version of Appreciative Inquiry. This begins with a group asking appreciative questions then using those questions to talk to a wider group. Their answers are developed into provocative propositions (challenging statements about how the future should be) and these are presented to the wider group of people who need to be involved in making them come true. The article first describes the whole process, then illustrates the various stages and finally reviews it's strengths and weaknesses.