Mazzarotto, M., van Amstel, F. M. C., Oliveira Serpa, B., Marques, P., Gonzatto, R. F., & Carvalho, R. A. P. (2026, June). The Pasts and Futures of Latin American Participatory Design: Thinking and Making Participation from Where Our Feet Stand. In Proceedings of the 19th Participatory Design Conference 2026, Vol. 3: Workshops, Situated Actions, and PDC Places (pp. 178-180). https://doi.org/10.1145/3789493.3797342
Abstract: The contributions of Latin American peoples, culture, science, research, and practice to Participatory Design urge recognition, summary, documentation, and sharing in Latin America by Latin Americans. Brazil is a significant place for affirming this identity, given its historical lack of self-identification as Latin American, in contrast to the inevitable other-identification as Latin American. This proposal stems from the research and practice of Rede Design & Opressão (Design & Oppression Network) conducted in Latin America and its diaspora. The proposed PDC Place seeks to reflect on and expand participatory design in Latin America, emphasizing design as a political, pedagogical, and aesthetic practice of freedom. Organized simultaneously as a hybrid event in Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba, and connected online to other regions, the event will include conversation circles, collective meals, and a collaborative workshop culminating in a visual collage that answers this question: What does Latin American participatory design mean? Rooted in care, listening, and consent, this event aims to strengthen ties between universities and social movements, decolonize participatory design, and make visible Southern perspectives by exhibiting the collage at PDC 2026 in Milan, Italy.
