What is the main objective of COPAR?

The main objective of COPAR, which stands for Community Organizing Participatory Action Research, is to empower communities by actively involving them in the research process and decision-making. This approach emphasizes collaboration between researchers and community members, ensuring that the voices, perspectives, and needs of the community are at the forefront of the research. By fostering a participatory environment, COPAR not only seeks to generate knowledge that is relevant to the community but also strives to build the capacity of community members to take charge of their own development.

This empowerment aspect is crucial as it helps to build trust, enhance local skills, and create sustainable solutions that are more likely to be accepted and implemented by the community. In contrast, options that suggest conducting research without community involvement or delivering top-down solutions overlook the fundamental participatory nature of COPAR, which prioritizes grassroots engagement. Additionally, focusing solely on assessing governmental policies disregards the empowerment and collaborative objectives that are central to the COPAR framework.