Towards a post-Enlightenment, post-colonial, indigenous and sustainable community development: Lessons from the UK

Since 2015 the UK community development academic and practitioner field has increasingly focused on the sustainable development goals to revitalize community development. Whilst this is refreshing, findings from my doctoral research suggest that community development remains rooted within colonialist definitions and practices of development that can lead to unequal development and the disempowerment of local people. To offset such practices, this presentation exposes four problems within contemporary community development theory and practice which stem from colonial values and practices. To counter these, this presentation offers a blueprint for a post-Enlightenment and post-evolutionary community development in the UK committed to more indigenous practices of sustainable development.