Pete's podcast on community development

This second episode in the theory and practice of dialogical community development - a 40 minute conversation between Peter & Rachael - considers:

1. The difficulties for dialogue;

2. The challenge of 'careful conflicting', in which we consider conflict in groups, conflict as part of our community organising work, and nurturing capacity in communities to work with conflict drawing on their own resources.

This is all in the book A Theory & Practice of Dialogical Community Development (Westoby & Dowling), 2013. Reach out if you'd like support around conflict and community development skills/frames.

Other key authors referred to include: J. Galtung, J. P. Lederach, and R. Sennett.

The books are available:

⁠Dialogical Community Development ⁠ (1st edition)

⁠A Theory and Practice of Dialogical Community Development⁠ (2nd edition)

⁠Transformative Community Development ⁠(just released)

This 34 minute conversation between Rachael Donovan and Peter Westoby explores the opening frames of the 2009/2014 books on dialogical community development (Tafina Press; Routledge).

In the conversation we consider some of the core ideas such as community as dialogue, community as hospitality and community as an ethical space - all in the light of depth and solidarity. The conversation considers why Peter and Gerard Dowling (the co-author) wrote the books in the first place, what motivated them, and how they reflected on their ACTUAL practice.

The books are available:

Dialogical Community Development (1st edition)

A Theory and Practice of Dialogical Community Development (2nd edition)

Transformative Community Development (just released)

This is a gentle meandering 24 minute conversation between Dr David Palmer and Dr Peter Westoby about the role of 'the invitation' within community development. It explores why waiting for invitations are important for our practice not imposing ourselves... albeit sometimes we can 'linger within intent', hoping to be invited.

This is a 30 minute public lecture Peter gave at Murdoch University, Perth on Thursday 16th April, 2026. It explores:

- who Derrida was,

- why his deconstructive episteme can be helpful for community development;

- some big ideas, such as the haunting of justice;

- along with 5 key impasses - that of 'community', 'development', 'community development' itself, the 'cultural turn' and the 'empire of trauma/colonisation of therapeutics'.

This podcast, a 21 minute conversation between Peter Westoby (the host) and Rachael Donovan focuses on The Community Builders Journal, a new resource to support citizens to build community and do 'development' in their streets, neighbourhoods, workplaces or schools.

It's a 1 year (or less) guide for people - stories, ideas, questions for reflections and invitations for experiments + recipes to cook up and celebrate.

Check it out on:

https://practicalactionpublishing.com/book/3116/the-community-builders-journal

Or head to Amazon or other publishers for a Kindle version (the cheapest option), or write to [email protected] for us to send you a copy (with postage).

If you're local (South-East QLD) check out local book launches:

1. Baringa (Caloundra)

6th February 

5.30-7pm

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ChWZ2nR7F/

2. Deception Bay

11th February 

5.30-7pm

https://www.facebook.com/share/1GaTTe6f8q/

This episode considers some ideas from a new book Peter is working on, which includes a contemplative practice to complement critical community development. Peter and Rachael mention some of their other work (see the Community Builders Journal below), but focus on the framework that Peter calls: 3Ps + 1 L framework - Pause, Presence, Pivot and Linger (acknowledging Richard Rudd's work). We discuss what these 4 practices enable in such a contemplative practice.

As mentioned in the Intro, here's links to The Community Builders Journal: https://practicalactionpublishing.com/book/3116/the-community-builders-journal

This 34 minutes episode is a remembrance of the late John McKnight - who died at 92yo, 2.11.24, at home.

Cormac Russell introduces the listener to John, and honours his significant work in community development, civil rights and public health.

This is a story of what Cormac calls 'a sensational life'. There's so much wisdom in this episode and as curator of this podcast, I hope people dip into this wisdom tradition and pause to remember John's life.

Also, here is Cormac's more personal eulogy to John: https://vimeo.com/1040452609/759698ca86?share=copy

Here is a link to John’s writings: https://resources.depaul.edu/abcd-institute/publications/publications-and-learnings/Pages/default.aspx#_mcknightbib

Tune into this delightful 40 minute conversation with Jamie, on Arrernte Country (in Alice Springs) about community development and environmental justice. We riff off a few topics, but the core of this conversation is a story of Jamie accompanying and learning from a community in Ireland as it struggles against fracking. It's a rich conversation, and in my reflections really foregrounds the importance of community development practitioners acquiring political literacies.

For those interested, Jamie refers to:

1. The Commons Social Change Library article: https://commonslibrary.org/how-to-beat-the-fracking-frenzy/#5_key_rooting_strategies

2. A community development journal article on his work: https://academic.oup.com/cdj/article-abstract/57/1/17/6481916?login=false

PS apologies at the 22 minutes mark for the overhead plane noise (flying into Alice Springs)

This is a 7 minute keynote at the 2023 Community Development Queensland Conference on the future of community development, by Peter Westoby. It was part of a panel of four people. This was recorded by a friend in the audience, so not perfect audio. Many people have enjoyed this short talk, particularly the 3rd point, so enjoy it as a podcast.

In this 3rd yarn we explore the 'work' needed, or the practice, of preparing to be welcomed onto country.

Check these out on ethics and Listening

Buchanan, J., Collard, L. & Palmer, D. (2018). Ngapartji ngapartji ninti and koorliny karnya quoppa katitjin (Respectful and ethical research in central Australia and the south west). Learning Communities: International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts [Special Issue: Ethical relationships, ethical research in Aboriginal contexts: Perspectives from central Australia], 23, 32-50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18793/LCJ2018.23.04

Buchanan, J., Collard, L., Palmer, D. (2019) Koorliny birniny, ni, quoppa katatjin: respect and ethics in working with Indigenous Australian communities. In Westoby, P. and Banks, S. (eds). Ethics in Community Development. Routledge: London. https://www.cdqld.org/uploads/7/0/8/6/70862165/buchanan_collard___palmer_2019_ethics_equity_and_cd.pdf