Decolonising Knowledge for Development in the Covid-19 Era

This Working Paper seeks to explore current and emerging framings of decolonising knowledge for development. It does this with the intent of helping to better understand the importance of diverse voices, knowledges, and perspectives in an emerging agenda for development research. It aims to offer conceptual ideas and practical lessons on how to engage with more diverse voices and perspectives in understanding and addressing the impacts of Covid-19. The authors situate their thoughts and reflections around experiences recently shared by participants in international dialogues that include the Covid Collective; an international network of practitioners working in development contexts; engagement and dialogue with Community-based Research Canada, and their work with the Victoria Forum. Through these stories and reflections, they bring together key themes, tensions, and insights on the decolonisation of knowledge for development in the context of the Covid-19 era as well as offering some potential ways forward for individuals and organisations to transform current knowledge inequities and power asymmetries. These pathways, among other solutions identified, call for the inclusion of those whose challenges are being addressed, reflective spaces for inclusive processes, and connection, sharing and demonstrating the value of decolonised knowledge for liberation and trust.