Mundo Critico
Mundo Crítico n.º 2: Inovação: imaginar novos percursos para o desenvolvimento
Abstract:
What is “new” in “innovation and development”? This question served as the starting point for the challenge we posed in this second edition of Mundo Crítico, aiming to intersect diverse practices, experiences, and perspectives on the “innovation” agenda within international development cooperation.
Perhaps the greatest potential of the international “innovation and development” agenda lies in questioning the dichotomous logics that permeate relationships between “developed countries” and “developing countries.” These dynamics often conceive the former as spaces of “invention, recreation, or renewal” of theories, technologies, or organizational models, and the latter as mere recipients, importing products, values, and ideas. In light of the transformations in the world we live in and the uncertainties surrounding its direction and impacts, it becomes imperative to question what is truly “new” in “innovation and development”—recovering memory, observing the present, and daring to glimpse the future.
This edition begins with an “Imperfect Conversation” about the various dimensions of innovation, which go far beyond mere technological aspects. Social innovation must be accompanied by organizational innovation, fostering a process-oriented approach for truly inclusive and change-oriented development. In the dossier of “Knowledge and Circumstances”, reflective articles explore experiences and practices of innovation for development, including initiatives in creative economies in countries like Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe; cash transfers in humanitarian aid contexts; and a project to improve the quality of education in Latin America through school lighting, to name just a few examples. The “Ways of Seeing” section features a photographic dossier showcasing the faces of women from São Tomé and Príncipe, resulting from a project affirming the rights of Santomean women. The “Narratives” section presents practical cases and protagonists who leverage innovation and creativity to tackle diverse challenges.
Finally, we introduce a new section — Ecos Gráficos — dedicated to comics, as well as Escaparate, which serves as a gateway to further readings.
Cite this Journal:
ACEP & CEsA (2018). “Inovação: imaginar novos percursos para o desenvolvimento”. ISEG/CEsA – Centro de Estudos sobre África e Desenvolvimento. Revista Mundo Crítico nº 2 (Jun 2018). ISSN 2184-1926.
Mundo Crítico n.º 1: A propósito de fragilidades e complexidades do desenvolvimento
Abstract:
In an era of multiple challenges, spanning from the local to the global scale, Mundo Crítico – Journal of Development and Cooperation seeks to address the need for debate among public and private social actors, regardless of their size or geographic and thematic scope, with a critical, persistent, and dialogical commitment. It aims to foster unlikely dialogues between text and image, between art and science, between academics, artists, and practitioners, and among Portuguese-speaking individuals from diverse geographical and cultural spaces. The debate aspires to be comprehensive, with a particular focus on the ongoing social, economic, and political transformations shaping the world we inhabit.
The guiding principle of this platform is rooted in a vision of development as a multidisciplinary social action and the complementarity of various actors, both individual and collective. It considers cooperation among peoples as one of the pillars upon which a shared vision of human rights, well-being, and progress for humanity—both today and for future generations—can be built. A journal of critical thinking to reflect and act.
Cite this Journal:
ACEP & CEsA (2018). “A propósito de fragilidades e complexidades do desenvolvimento”. ISEG/CEsA – Centro de Estudos sobre África e Desenvolvimento. Revista Mundo Crítico nº 1 (Jan 2018). ISSN 2184-1926.
