Paper short abstract:

If Buen Vivir is to become a real alternative to development it is essential to re-politicise processes of participation. Thus, the use of radical democracy and critical consciousness result useful to that purpose.

Paper long abstract:

"When complex problems such as the ones faced by development interventions are analysed from a technocratic perspective separately from its historical/spatial context the causes of the problem pass unchallenged (Freire, 2005). The ways which social/cultural/economic influences produce and reproduce specific mental models interfere on the way in which politicians, development professionals and local residents problematize social issues (World Bank, 2015). Thus, hindering the potential for subverting social inequalities and reducing the chances for social transformation aimed by radical social movements. In order to revert this problem re-politicise forms of participation is fundamental. To that end a good understanding of how power (specifically invisible forms of power) operates is fundamental to challenge hegemonic discourse of coloniality (Gaventa, 2006, Quijano, 2000).

By focusing on the case of "Buen Vivir" (BV) as a post-development paradigm in the Andes of Peru this paper will look at the potential spaces for bringing back politics by using the concept of dissensus (Rancière, 2011). I will aim to do so by drawing on concepts such as agonistic pluralism and critical consciousness reviewing critically the concept of participation as the operationalisation of the embedded dissensus action of BV (Mouffe, 2002, Laclau, 2002, Freire, 1971). Thus, this paper argues that in order to operationalise BV in a meaningful way it should aim to rise critical thinking by politicising/problematizing the natural, cultural and historical reality in which local actors of development are immersed.