Session 0:Framed by Prof. James Thomas

drawing on themes from his book But I Meant Well: Unlearning Colonial Ways of Doing Good, this opening session sets the tone for the Collaborative Unlearning Labs by exploring the tension between good intentions and real-world practice. It invites participants to reflect on the limits of “meaning well” in complex development systems shaped by history, power, and inequality. The session opens space to examine assumptions, mindset, and everyday decisions that shape practice. It encourages honest reflection on how intentions interact with systems, relationships, and power. This forms the foundation for the Labs’ approach to unlearning and rethinking development practice.