This section contains various material, written by ourselves and others, which sheds further light on some of the themes we address on this site. Some of it is made accessible here to make it easier to follow references in Challenging Ignorance.
Mozambique, this chapter written by Mike Powell describes his involvement in humanitarian work in Mozambique in the 1980s. It was written for a book planned by Robin Palmer to offer a critical reflection on Oxfam GB's experiences of working in the country over many years and great change. This chapter tries to relate what Oxfam (and Mike) were trying to do to the political and physical challenges of that time.
'Blazing a trail while lazing around: Knowledge processes and woodfuel paradoxes?' by Reginald Cline-Cole is the final version (2006) of the article published in Development in Practice 16(6), 2006, 545-558, which suffered from some confusion in the editorial process. It is a rare reflection on the underlying assumptions (and politics) which can shape what is studied and how as well as a clearly argued example of the value of the study of the material reality in which development is supposed to take place.