A seven year northern training journey

This article is a personal reflection by the author of his work bringing innovative participatory approaches used in the South, to countries in the North. After 10 years working for Southern organisations he became increasingly aware and uneasy of what appeared to be a "one-way PRA crusade" which assumed that the North was already participatory enough, with no room for improvement. Seven years ago he started a Northern training journey, designing and facilitating PA workshops and events in countries such as Canada, Albania, Austria, the UK, Italy, Japan, Lebanon and New Zealand. This article reflects on that journey tracing its development, difficulties and learnings through the 1990s to the present day, and concludes by looking at where it might go in the future.