Insights from Reflective Professional Practices Towards Sustainable Community Transformation: A Collaborative Narrative Inquiry

Govinda Chaudhary

Kathmandu University School of Education. STEAM Education, Nepal

Mansingh Aidee

Gopka Youth Club (CSO), Nepal

Dipak Ghising

Tribhuvan University, Central Department Rural Development, Nepal

Iroj Shrestha Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children (NGO), Nepal

Shanti Kumari

Thapa Tribhuvan University, Central Department of Education, Nepal

Abstract: This article is the outcome of the ‘prolonged and deep engagement’ of the participants in this study and is the fair return of one of the research tasks. All the participants were actively involved in generating data collectively as there was a question that expressed lived experiences in the development and humanitarian sectors. Everybody critically expressed their/our journey highlighting the importance and process of practicing ‘reflective practices’ in their/our professional career. However, in many ways, we have been contributing to community transformation. After multiple consultative discussions together, we decided to bring our experiences through collaborative narrative inquiry. We discussed together, critiqued each other’s narratives, and together developed some of the themes as meaning-making. Majorly, we developed the themes for effective implementation of the practices for other professionals in their profession. Reflective practice is not just reflection as a mirror reflects, it is beyond the single reflection, rather it guides us in multiple ways, which can be claimed as a ‘3D Mirror’. One can analyze situations through the perspectives of various I/NGO professionals as parties involved. Researchers considered both emotional and social factors at play and introspect on how our preconceived notions and biases may have influenced our behavior. Therefore, critiquing our self-practices, and other parties involved by introducing perspectives, fostering acceptance of diverse ideologies and a common consensus on respecting contextualization and generating responses for sustainable community transformation.

Keywords: reflective practice, lived experiences, narrative inquiry, social transformation, development professionals