2026 THEME: RETHINKING PARTNERSHIPS IN PRACTICE
For this calendar year, the Collaborative Unlearning Labs (CULs) will be anchored on the theme of partnerships, and how they work in practice.
At the center of this exploration is one of the most influential relationships in sustainable development: the partnership between international NGOs (INGOs) , NGOs and community-based organisations (CBOs).
Why This Theme?
INGOs, NGOs and CBOs sit at critical points within the development system.
INGOs operate as intermediaries, shaping flows of funding, influencing donor priorities, and managing relationships through sub-granting mechanisms. They often hold significant influence both upward (with funders) and downward (with local partners).
CBOs, on the other hand, are rooted in communities. They play a central role in driving local engagement, shaping implementation, and influencing outcomes at the grassroots level, while also interacting with local government systems.
Both actors influence development systems, albeit at different levels. Yet the nature of their partnership often determines whether development efforts are sustained, locally owned, and meaningful.
Upcoming Collaborative Unlearning Lab Sessions
Framed by Prof. James, drawing on themes from his book But I Meant Well: Unlearning Colonial Ways of Doing Good, this opening session sets the tone for the Collaborative Unlearning Labs by exploring the tension between good intentions and real-world practice.
RegisterThis pillar explores how decision-making functions within development practice—beyond formal structures and documented processes. Across the sessions, participants reflect on both visible and invisible dimensions of decision-making, including how power is expressed, negotiated, and experienced in practice
RegisterExplores how accountability is understood and practiced within development systems, moving beyond formal reporting requirements to examine how responsibility is experienced in real relationships and decision-making processes. Across the sessions, participants reflect on the tensions between upward and downward accountability, the distinction between reporting and genuine responsibility, and how risk shapes accountability practices
Registerexplores how trust and risk shape partnerships in development practice beyond formal agreements and compliance requirements. It examines the tension between trust and compliance, how risk is perceived and managed, and the difference between relational and transactional ways of working.
Registerexplores how knowledge, evidence, and legitimacy are defined and contested in development practice. It examines whose knowledge is recognised, how evidence is produced and valued, and how voice and representation shape decision-making.
RegisterWhat has shifted in how you see your work? What tensions remain? What might you do differently?
Register