Who are the great activists, thinkers and writers who can inspire us in
our community development work? Environmentalists, poets, philosophers,
civil rights activists, trade unionists - all can help us question the
assumptions that underlie our international development practice. This
book invites students and professionals of community development and
citizen activists to reflect on the roots of their practice and discover
the wisdom of writers they may not have heard of before. The book
highlights 40 personal and rigorous reflections, distilling several
wisdoms and 40 'gems' of ideas for community development, from
thought-leaders including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ela Bhatt, Jacques
Derrida, Frantz Fanon, Paulo Freire, bell hooks, John Keats, Rosa
Luxemburg, Wangari Maathai, Manfred Max-Neef, Arundhati Roy, E.F.
Schumacher, Vandana Shiva, Rabindranath Tagore and Greta Thunberg. The
book's introduction will support readers in creating a personal practice
framework, and a Coda/Map of Practice offers a vibrant visual
representation of practice wisdoms in watercolour. 40 Critical Thinkers
in Community Development is an important resource for daily or weekly
readings and reflections, study groups, working or project teams, and as
a resource for teachers of community development.
