Cultural and Religious Authority in Public Health: The Role of Ulema and Traditional Leaders in Stunting Prevention in Kampar Regency, Indonesia

This study determined the role of traditional Maranao leaders and local political leaders towards collaboration in promotion of peace in Marawi City. The study used the descriptive – explanatory research design. Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentage distribution were used in the presentation and analysis of data. Furthermore, this study explored the association among variables. Pearson R tests were conducted to determine if there were associations between the traits and characteristics of Maranao traditional leaders and their role in promotion of peace; association between the administrative capabilities of local political leaders and their role in promotion of peace; both as independent variables, and association between roles of traditional and political leaders and their level of collaboration in promotion of peace, as the dependent variables. Percentage was used to quantitatively describe and analyze the responses given by the respondents while weighted mean was used to determine the average value of the responses in each item of the given questionnaire. Results of the findings revealed that the Sulutan was the highest traditional leader involved in conflict resolution while the Datu was the second most influential traditional leaders involved in the same. Furthermore, these traditional Maranao leaders is still seen by the respondents as honest and dependable, morally upright, tenacious and responsible, able to identify and clarify the needs and desires of groups, as well as that of the community as their priority. Moreover, the local political leaders in Marawi City including those of the Province of Lanao del Sur, are being seen to be important along with the Maranao traditional leaders in terms of conflict resolution and promotion of peace in the aforementioned areas.

There has for many years been legal recognition of Traditional Leaders in South African laws, such as the Black Administration Act 38 of 1927 and regulations and proclamations issued in terms of other legislation. Recently legal recognition was confirmed in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996. 
 Additional recognition of Traditional Leaders and the institution of Traditional Leadership is found in the various provincial legislation providing for Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders and the establishment and functioning of the National Council of Traditional Leaders. 
 Yet the institution of Traditional Leadership has over the past few years given rise to much controversy. There are those who argue that the institution is outdated and others who regard Traditional Leaders as custodians of customary values and the only leaders who are truly responsible for the well being of communities historically and religiously entrusted to them. 
 Traditional leaders fulfil a variety of functions in rural society, including that of presiding officer in customary courts, mediator of disputes, advisor in agricultural and family matters, guardian of young, old, infirm and abandoned. They perform legislative, executive and judicial functions according to the wish of the majority of the members of the tribe. 
 It became apparent, that de facto Traditional Authorities are the only existing form of local government in rural areas in South Africa. It seems unlikely that, in the foreseeable future, it will be financially, politically or practically possible to replace this form of rural government with a comprehensive and sustainable alternative. 
 The future role of Traditional Leadership in the development process is significant in that in addition to the recognition afforded by the Constitution and other legislation, the development law, unfolding in modern day South Africa under a new
 development paradigm, distinctly provides for Traditional Leaders to play a significant role in rural development and development planning at local government level in rural areas. 
 The role and function of the Traditional Leaders of South Africa in the rural development process unfolds as the Integrated planning process comes into operation as envisaged in section 10 of the Local Government Transition Act 209 of 1993 read with the .principles contained in the Development Facilitation Act 67 of 1995. 
 The development principles and the regulations prescribing the process of formulating land development objectives, provides for an inclusive process in which all role players and stakeholders are to be involved. In practice this means that communities, community organizations and institutions, as concerned role players in civil society, are also the concerned and key role players in the development planning and development process at local level. No plan and development strategy will therefore meet the prescribed legal requirements of acceptable development planning standards, if the rural communities and their leaders are not directly and actively involved. 
 Much of the confusion and conflict between Traditional Leadership and Customary Law Councilors on the one hand and elected Local Government Councilors on the other, arose as a result of a misunderstanding of the valuable support role which Traditional Leaders can play in the development process. The difference in the nature and scope of the tasks of elected and traditional community leaders provide a rich multi-facet basis on which a successful local governance system can be developed within the context of the current constitutional-legal framework in South Africa. 
 In many other countries in Africa it was only realized after repeated failures of rural development experiments, that Traditional Leaders and Traditional Authorities constitute a most valuable asset in the rural development process. 

Purpose: There are two key governance forms in Ghana, specifically traditional governance and democratic governance. Accelerating development in the local communities requires effective collaboration and the fusion of the two governances divide to harness the unique capabilities and opportunities embedded within each paradigm. The perceptions hold by local and traditional leaders about each other is fundamental to collaborative efforts. Such perceptions speak to the psychosocial, convictional and behaviour of local leaders. Methodology: This study through a field survey samples the views of two leadership divide about each other in terms of their ability to drive positive change in the community to drive accelerated community development. The study was conducted among three select districts specifically, the Accra Metropolis, Kumasi Metropolis and the Tamale Metropolis using key informant interviews, and focus group discussions to gather the data. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The findings of the study indicated that there are shared perceptions of strengths of both systems of governance for developing local communities. The traditional leaders are seen to be strong on cultural legitimacy, moral authority, communication competence, and historical knowledge, all of which helps in social mobilization within the local communities. The local government leaders were found to exercise strength in the areas of access to money and resources, legal authority, and enforcement authority. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: We conclude that there are opportunities to harness each of these strengths such that a successful fusion of local and traditional systems of government will lead transformative leadership for sustainable local development.

Background The doctoral dissertation examines how local response efforts were integrated into overall emergency management. Objectives It seeks to understand the role and effectiveness of community-based actors in addressing collective action problems Methods Sixty-seven semi-structured interviews were conducted from January to July 2017 in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Key informants include healthcare workers, traditional leaders, and community stakeholders, such as non-governmental organization representatives and volunteers. Results Findings show that traditional and community leaders responded to the public health emergency via rulemaking, quarantine, travel limitation, healthcare referrals, health sensitization, and door-to-door contact tracing. These actions by local leaders helped to change behaviors and improve cooperation. Sierra Leone had 32.3% more Ebola cases than Liberia but 18% fewer deaths. Sierra Leone had integrated traditional and community leaders before the scale up of international aid resources. Conclusion This suggests that actions taken by traditional and community leaders improved overall efforts, and in some areas, before scaled-up humanitarian interventions. Bilateral engagement with local community actors should be integrated in every public health response to improve cooperation, and it should be done before an intervention is conceived and executed.

Purpose: This research examines the role and dynamics of traditional administrative leadership in Rantau Bais Sub-District, Rokan Hilir, Riau, Indonesia. The objective of this research is to analyze the traditional administrative leadership of the Penghulu in Rantau Bais Sub-District. Theoretical framework: In the context of globalization and the rapid modernization process, the role of the village chief (Penghulu) as a traditional leader becomes increasingly crucial to understand. Methods: A qualitative approach is employed, involving in-depth interviews and participatory observation to gain profound insights from the Penghulu and community members. Results and Conclusion: The findings of this research provide a better understanding of how traditional leadership in Rantau Bais Sub-District adapts to the changing times, addresses administrative challenges, and plays a key role in local development. The results of this research are expected to contribute theoretically and practically to our understanding of traditional leadership in the rapidly changing local context. Research implications: The implications of these research findings can serve as a foundation for developing policies that support community empowerment, preserve traditional values, and foster adaptive leadership development in Rantau Bais Sub-District and similar communities throughout Indonesia. Originality/value: The analysis also found the emergence of a new trait in the village chief’s leadership emphasized in the previous trait theory, namely, “Justice,” which manifests in community development issues.

The phenomenon of paddy fields conversion in Kampar Regency which continues to increase from year to year had caused decreasing paddy fields area and threatening food supply capacity. The purpose of this study was to analyze the index and the status of the sustainability of control over the paddy fields conversion and to find out the sensitive attributes of the sustainability of control over the paddy fields conversion in Tambang Sub-District, Kampar Regency. This research was conducted in Aur Sati Village, Balam Jaya Village and Pulau Permai Village, Tambang Sub-District, Kampar Regency from October 2020 to January 2021. The method used was the survey method with a quantitative approach. The sampel of farmers in this study were 88 people who were selected by purposive sampling. Data collection was done by observation, interviews, and literature study. This study used questionnaires as an instrument to collect data. The analytical method used in this research was the sustainability analysis carried out with the Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) analysis approach with the Rap-Paddy Field tool which has been modified from Rapfish program. The results showed that the control of the paddy fields conversion in Aur Sati Village has been going very well, this can be seen from the sustainability index value of each dimension in the range of 52.4 - 83.9% (fairly - highly sustainable). On the other hand, the sustainability index value of each dimension in Balam Jaya Village ranges from 35.9 - 48.2% (less sustainable), this showed that paddy fields conversion in this village has not been well controlled. While in Pulau Permai Village, the economic dimension had a sustainability index value of 48.2% (less sustainable) and there were 2 (two) dimensions that were classified as fairly sustainable, namely the ecological dimension of 64.4% and the social dimension of 52.3%. These data provided information that the control of paddy fields conversion in Pulau Permai Village is still ecologically and socially oriented, and ignores the economic dimension. There were sensitive attributes that need to be given top priority in planning the sustainability of control over the paddy fields conversion in Tambang Sub-District, Kampar Regency, namely price stability, product markets, traditional leaders, cultivation techniques and availability of RTRW.

ABSTRACTWilmien Wicomb from the Legal Resource Centre states that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 marks the first time that customary law was recognised as a law equal to its common law and even statutory law counterparts. Whilst this recognition is implicit in chapter two of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court’s jurisprudence in 2000 placed such recognition beyond doubt to make sure that the legislature and executive entrench the understanding of constitutional recognition of customary practices. This article considers the following research question: Is the interface of the interplay of local government, traditional leaders and society possible to restore transformation and community development where there are traditional leaders’ presence? To answer, qualitative methodologies were explored. The study found that traditionality and modernity, lack of clarity of the role of traditional leaders, parallel administrations, power struggles and court battles needed resolve to ensure meaningful public-sector reforms and transformation.

Traditional leadership, community participation and mining development in South Africa: The case of Fuleni, Saint Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal

The events leading to the 1994 general elections marked a major turning point in the history of South Africa. The new dispensation saw the introduction of new legislation that would see traditional leaders ‘losing’ their powers to the newly established local government structures. The government’s White Paper on Local Government 1998 offered a new vision of a post-apartheid society, embodied in the concept of developmental local government. As a result, territories previously controlled by the traditional leaders would be divided into municipalities, each governed by an elected municipal council. This paper uses a combination of archival sources such as newspapers, minutes of the committee meetings and other written documentary and oral sources drawn from in-depth interviews with local leaders, traditional leaders, and local people from the area. It argues that the incorporation of remote traditional areas under the jurisdiction of traditional leaders in the newly formed municipalities threatened the powers of traditional leaders and complicated the jobs of newly elected councillors, as they were expected to go through izinduna for any project to be successfully launched. This was the case mainly in instances where a local traditional leader and a councillor belong to different political parties.

This article critically examines the evolving role of traditional leaders in post-apartheid South Africa, particularly in land governance, resources management and party politics. Despite their constitutionally protected status, traditional leaders have become increasingly involved with political parties, raising essential questions about their role in democratic governance. They have often been criticised for aligning with political parties, raising questions about their impartiality in a democratic society. This study employed literature review methodology, oral histories, document analysis, and other historical materials to examine the role and neutrality of traditional leaders in party politics in post-1994 South Africa. The analysis draws on interviews conducted with nine traditional leaders and key informants, as well as an examination of newspapers, policies, and historical records. The findings reveal that traditional leaders are not merely custodians of land and culture but active participants in the political sphere, often aligning with political parties to secure influence and resources. This involvement is evident in rural areas, where traditional leaders exert considerable control over land allocation and serve as intermediaries between political parties and local communities. The research highlights the power dynamics, suggesting that the entwinement of traditional authority and party politics may have significant implications for democratic governance, rural land rights and local development. It highlights how political parties leverage traditional leaders to secure electoral support, particularly in rural areas where amakhosi significantly influence land allocation and social governance. These dynamics challenge the democratic principles of fairness and transparency, raising concerns about the potential for political manipulation. This study adds to ongoing debates on the contested role of traditional leaders in South Africa’s political landscape, urging reconsideration of their position within modern governance frameworks.

Traditional authorities play an important role in South Africa. Not everyone is, however, prepared to recognise them as role players. In government circles, on the one hand, a tendency exists to marginalise the role of traditional leaders and, on the other hand, a White Paper process is under way to spell out the role of traditional leaders in the future dispensation. Traditional authorities are seen by their communities as leaders through and by the people. In some instances it is even stated that they receive their authority from God. Research done in the Province of the North West, the Northern Province and the Province of KwaZulu-Natal illustrates that in many of the communities in which traditional leaders serve they are regarded as leaders and they are also seen as symbols of unity in the community. The idea that the system of traditional leadership may be abolished was met by fierce resistance. Traditional leaders are recognised in terms of section 211 of the 1996 Constitution. The Constitution also recognises the possibility that national and provincial legislation may provide a role fo r traditional leaders at national, provincial and local level. Some of the findings of the above-mentioned research programme illustrate that traditional leaders were used as political tools in the past and that they should refrain from participating in party politics. Findings also highlighted the fact that the fragmented legislation dealing with the recognition and functions of traditional leaders (caused by the apartheid system) should be rationalised. Some confusion still exists as to the role of traditional leaders vis-á-vis local government and it is recommended that the respective roles should be clearly spelled out. Traditional communities resent interference in their own affairs without them being consulted. In some respects rural women fe lt that they are not part of the decision-making process and that in some instances they are not allocated land. They, however, express the need to be consulted before any changes to their position is made. Traditional leaders have an important role to play in development at grassroots level. Traditional communities themselves need to be consulted when development is planned and a proper mechanism should be implemented to ensure that rural communities also benefit from rural development schemes.

This study examines the role of traditional leaders, as custodians of culture, in the fight against infection with the HI virus and the AIDS pandemic in the Chipinge District of Zimbabwe. The research aims to assess traditional leaders� knowledge of HIV and AIDS and its causes. It also examines some traditional practices to determine whether they expose people to HIV and AIDS, and it evaluates the traditional leaders� roles in curbing the pandemic. From a phenomenological standpoint � and grounded in the African traditional religious landscape � the study uses a survey research design. A convenient sample of 18 participants for the study consisted of 3 chiefs and 5 headmen who completed a questionnaire as well as 5 village heads and 5 elders who were interviewed and involved in four focus-group discussions (FGDs) that provided a variety of insightful information. The study identifies promiscuity as a major cause of HIV infection in communities. The results show that traditional leaders discourage barika and kuputsa as being harmful traditional marriage practices. Furthermore, the study indicates that traditional leaders encourage behavioural change amongst the youth and adults alike to curb the spread of HIV and that the pandemic could possibly be contained if government fully empowered the traditional leaders. The research has value in attempting to minimise the spread of HIV if communities discontinue harmful cultural practices. Therefore, donor agencies involved in intervention projects concerning the HIV and AIDS pandemic and government should work closely with traditional leaders who wield considerable power in areas under their jurisdiction to arrest the spread of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the Chipinge district in Zimbabwe.

Background: The power disparity between traditional leaders and councillors is a source of concern for the local government’s developmental focus, as the municipality and traditional leaders do not always agree, even though the service delivery is sorely needed by the people they serve. Although many scholars have written about the roles of traditional leaders and municipal councillors, the critical question that remains unanswered is how their relationship works in terms of service delivery.Aim: This article theoretically investigates the relationship between traditional leaders and municipal councillors and its adverse impacts on rural development.Setting: South African municipalities.Methods: The methodology for this article is a literature review guided by a hermeneutic framework. This article adopted a hermeneutic framework to integrate the analysis and interpretation of information collected from the literature.Results: The power dynamic between traditional leaders and elected councillors has surfaced as a source of concern, as it has the potential to delay and block development.Conclusion: The article concludes that all local government stakeholders must work to strengthen the relationship between traditional leaders and municipal councillors.Contribution: This article has the potential to add to theory, policy and practice in terms of strategies to address the relationship between traditional leaders and municipal councillors in local government.

Lubuk larangan is tradition and also a means of communication based on local wisdom in managing the river and forest environment in Kampar Kiri Hulu District, Kampar Regency. This study aims to explain environmental communication pattern based on local wisdom in the management of Lubuk larangan in the Subayang River, Kampar Regency. This study uses a qualitative descriptive research method using an interactive model. There were six informants who were selected purposively. The results show that environmental communication is based on the local wisdom of the community that has been passed down from generation to generation. Traditional leaders (ninik mamak) play an important role in conveying messages of environmental concern in preserving the preservation of the forbidden pits (lubuk larangan), rivers and forest. This hereditary tradition forms local wisdom as a form of joint action through deliberation and mutual cooperation activities. The community manages the lubuk prohibition through communication based on customary law, rituals, myths, phrases, proverbs, and the annual tradition of catching fish (mencokou). This channel of communication through customary laws, myths and traditions is very effective in conserving the Subayang river and forest areas. The environmental communication based on local wisdom in the Subayang River contributes to supporting the preservation of natural resources of forests, rivers, fish and existing ecosystems. Stakeholders such as local governments, universities, mass media, NGOs, companies and the community must synergize with each other in developing local wisdom as a tourist area so that it can be of added value.

This research attempts to analyze the forms of power in the utilization of communal land in Kampar Regency. The interests of indigenous peoples in terms of ulayat land tenure feel threatened by the existence of plantation corporations by bringing large investments which ultimately provide economic added value for the Government and Regional Government. This study uses qualitative research methods with a phenomenological approach. Data was obtained through interviews conducted with elements of the Kampar District Government, Lembaga Adat Kampar (LAK), the Archipelago Indigenous Peoples Alliance (AMAN) Kampar, and traditional leaders. Technical data analysis in this study was conducted interactively. The argument from this study shows that there are 2 (two) forms of power that influence the implementation of ulayat land use in Kampar Regency. The first is visible power, where the practice of power occurs in the formal sphere in the policy-making process of recognizing and protecting customary law communities in Kampar District. In addition, the practice of visible power is also evident from the interaction between actors in resolving communal land conflicts that occurred in Kampar District. While the second form of power in the utilization of communal land is hidden power. This hidden power practice is carried out by corporate actors who are suspected of taking over customary land by playing their power in licenses issued by the Government.