The outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 was a challenge for any practitioner intent on engaging in authentic dialogue for people-centered, place-based transformative praxis with the most marginalized in society–be they in Europe or the Majority World. The pandemic called on us to explore new and creative methodological approaches, to find new ways to manage the everyday challenges of project management and facilitation, and to stimulate critical thinking about the ethics and principles of undertaking PAR when travel is curtailed. It also raised important questions about the value of our work, in a context that was possibly altering the precepts of PAR itself, if not the need and reasons for it.

In 2021 AgroecologyNow researchers George McAllister, Nina Moeller, Priscilla Claeys and Stefanie Lemke were joined by Sandra Bhatasara (University of Zimbabwe), Joanna Howard (IDS, UK) and Katharine McKinnon (University of Canberra) to guest edit and invite contributions from researchers and activists grappling with these questions.