Tandana's Founding Director Anna Taft has written Climbing Together: Relational Morality and Meaningful Action in Intercultural Community Engagement describing the philosophy behind Tandana's approach and how it plays out in concrete experiences through the Foundation's work. Published by Brill in 2024, this book weaves a unique tapestry of ideas from philosophers such as Hannah Arendt, Emmanuel Levinas, Paul Ricoeur, and Akeel Bilgrami; analysis from anthropologists; the author’s deep personal experience leading an organization focused on transnational collaboration; and extensive testimony from Malian and Ecuadorian community members who have engaged with The Tandana Foundation. The pattern that emerges offers hope in the possibilities of meaningful human interaction despite its inevitable messiness. While attempts to remake human societies into a desired image tend to fail, live encounters among people can bring about unexpectedly positive change.
Anna and other members of The Tandana Foundation team are happy to give talks and teach workshops on the unique approach articulated in Climbing Together and honed through nearly two decades of experience. Contact us at info[at]tandanafoundation.org to arrange a presentation. We look forward to collaborating and sharing insights with your organization or community.
“Development as usual often leaves fewer traces than its enormous investments would seem to warrant and sometimes does harm rather than bringing benefits. Much of this failure can be attributed to the approach on which it is traditionally based—an airplane-window perspective that is alienating, that promotes attempts to control, and that renders people anonymous. . . . Engagement from a largely personal perspective does not yield predictable results, and yet it often bears a variety of fruits.”
