Square Circle derives insight through critical reflection and participatory processes that seek to understand the content and quality of social relations—from the local to the global—through which people and communities reproduce social life. Such perspective is informed by a critical historical approach to the contemporary challenges and opportunities of development. Our approach seeks to understand key questions: ‘where have we come from’; ‘how have we gotten here’, and ‘where do we want to go’? We do this by bringing people’s everyday lived experience into dialogue with commonplace assumptions and abstractions of development theory and practice. As such, people, everywhere, are seen as holders of knowledge with important insights for realizing the opportunities afforded by the contemporary politics of development and social change.

At Square Circle, we have a deep commitment to ensuring our programs and activities are informed by local context and knowledge, as well as local conceptions of the ‘good life’. Because of this conviction, we take a strengths-based approach where we value local capacities and understandings of the challenges of development. We also bring a keen awareness of the inter-connectedness of our world, and the possibilities for action that such connectivity brings. It is through the building and strengthening of ties within and across geographies, scales, cultures and ideas that we ensure programming and activities that are meaningful, sustainable and inclusive. In essence, we seek to foster an environment for action that is locally grounded and globally informed for maximum impact.

Sustainable and inclusive impact for a dynamic and diverse world is at the core of all of Square Circle’s research and analysis, policy advice, program design and implementation activities. One of the reasons we do what we do is to have an impact on some of the diverse development challenges found in an increasingly complex global environment. By fostering an exchange of knowledge, experience and practices, our work seeks to ensure that impact is felt at every level of our approach—from the local, grassroots level, through to national, regional and global levels. Such an exchange allows governments, communities, institutions, and private sector partners for development to continuously learn and adapt towards more equitable and inclusive outcomes.