Citizen participation: how to motivate people without motivating them
I often get asked: how do I get the population or the target group involved in my project? As a municipality striving for citizen participation, this is often quite a challenge. I also frequently hear that attempts by the municipality to involve citizens in their projects end up fruitless. As an action researcher, you’re actually […]
Co-create TOP action plans! 8 Tips for facilitating focus groups in Participatory Action Research (PAR)
To achieve a successful action plan with your PAR participants – to address a problem together – multiple focus groups are often necessary. How can we, as Participatory Action Researchers, ensure that participants develop a successful action plan, one they feel ownership of and are eager and enthusiastic to work on? In this blog, we […]
Community-up: the third way for solutions in the social domain
You hear it more and more often: Community-up as a variation on Top-down and Bottom-up approaches. It’s also mentioned in my handbook “Participatory Action Research: Building Together Towards a Better World”. But what does it entail? Evert Jan explains. Enjoy reading, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions! Issues in the […]
Een voedselbos, een dorp, en de zoektocht naar co-creatie in Portugal
Door: Madelon Eelderink Twee weken geleden stond ik in een kurkdroog landschap in het zuiden van Alentejo, tussen kleine struikjes die — op het eerste gezicht — niet veel voorstellen. Maar schijn bedriegt: anderhalf jaar geleden was dit nog dorre grond. De biodiversiteit is intussen verdubbeld, en binnen enkele jaren is dit een voedselbos van […]
How a Participatory Action Researcher would address deforestation issues
By Madelon Eelderink, founder of SevenSenses This blog was created during the Ecosystem Restoration Design training that Madelon attended in 2024 and is part of the PAO blog series for ecosystems, in which she shares her views on how PAO can contribute to ecosystem restoration and more. In January 2022, I travelled in Peru from […]
What Cows Can Teach Us About Sustainable Change
By Madelon Eelderink, founder of SevenSenses This blog was created during the Ecosystem Restoration Design training that Madelon attended in 2024 and is part of the PAO blog series for ecosystems, in which she shares her views on how PAO can contribute to ecosystem restoration and more. It’s fascinating to me to see what impact […]
Ecosystem restorers: here’s how to get locals ‘on board’
By SevenSenses founder Madelon Eelderink Nederlands, graag! Last year I excitedly started the Ecosystem Restoration Design Course on Earth Day. Well, now that it has finished I’m even more excited! First and foremost because it made me realize how incredibly easy it can be to ignite restoration of natural ecosystems and let nature do the […]
Building sense of ownership as source of motivation among stakeholders
By Madelon Eelderink People often ask me, “How do I get people motivated to participate in my project?” “How do I create support?” I wish I could give them a magical answer, one like, “oh just do this and then you’ll have them. Delightful, it seems to me. Unfortunately, the reality is different. First of […]
How Participatory Action Research makes a difference
Nederlands, graag! “Madelon, what exactly is the difference between Participatory Action Research and other projects we do at the municipality?” Sometimes you get those questions that you can get hell-bent on! I was at a get-together when an employee of Gemeente Utrecht asked me that question. I took a deep breath and began my story, […]
Why people argue… And how it can be different
In het Nederlands, graag! So many people, so many perspectives…. When dealing with complex social problems, we are often unaware of the enormous number of different ways of looking at the problem. Often we have a vague idea, such as “Pete probably just wants to make more money,” but that is often all. And then […]