Is participation the new black?

Great paper by David Parduhn on the consequences of mainstreaming participation in development.

 In my M&E experience, I never found a single project willing to admit that beneficiaries were not adequately consulted/involved in the design of the intervention. However, participation generally means presenting the proposal to groups of beneficiaries before sending it to the donor. Issues of power gaps, group dynamics, gender inequality are rarely taken into account.

Sometimes I try to imagine myself as a beneficiary: would I speak out at a meeting? Would I be brave enough to support a minority opinion or risk losing face by proposing an alternative view of my reality? What kind of barriers would I face?

Here is the full link to the article:
http://www.hiidunia.com/2011/10/‘everyone-is-doing-something-and-calling-it-pra’-a-critical-reflection-on-participatory-methods-in-development/