A debate for inclusive community development: Uncovering marginalized perspectives

The paper draws on participatory development, social justice, and decolonization frameworks, emphasizing inclusive development as a tool to address historical and ongoing exclusions. Using a desktop qualitative literature review, the paper collected secondary data from publicly available sources. The paper uses case studies from South Africa and other African nations to illustrate the successful implementation of the identified guides, demonstrating how they align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2023 (SDGs), the African Union Agenda 2063, and the South African National Development Plan 2030 (NDP). Thematic content analysis is employed; the paper identifies five key themes and proposes five key guides for advancing inclusive community development in Africa. The main argument the paper maintains is that Participatory Action Research (PAR) empowers marginalized communities to identify issues and co-create solutions. The paper concludes by proposing a shift in Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) to prioritize inclusivity and equitable participation.