Title: Reflecting on language in international development in Scotland – Discussion paper version 2
Author: Scotland’s International Development Alliance
Publication Date: November 2021
What’s this paper about? : This is the second draft of a discussion paper published in January 2021 that aims to put forward some ideas on why its important to reflect on our language in the context of anti-racism and decolonisation. We hope that we can collaboratively build this into a practical how-to toolkit with our members that helps ensure continuous reflection of our language choices.
We offer some context for these discussions, some draft principles to guide our language choices, and some suggestions for how to practically reflect on our language use.
The paper does not aim to give all the answers, nor ask all the right questions. We are not prescribing how our members should use language but encouraging them to adopt a critical stance on their own language use which ensures that their language does not cause people harm or perpetuate coloniality. We hope it is seen as useful for wider discussions to build on within the sector in Scotland and beyond.
Download the paper below.