Alternative Development Model Research Articles

From Neglected History to Tourist Attraction: Reordering the Past in Zakes Mda’s The Heart of Redness

The Heart of Redness comprises two narrative strands: one which is set only four years after the first democratic elections in South Africa and one that explores the 1856–57 “Cattle Killing Movement” and discloses the early encounters between the Xhosa and the British colonizers. Retrieving the past episode originated in the visions of prophetess Nongqawuse and aligning it with the contemporary discussion surrounding issues of economic and social development raised by the proposal of a tourism project for the village of Qolorha, Mda successfully articulates the complex elements that have marked past and present South African culture and society. In Mda’s novel, the village of Qolorha and the character of Nongqawuse are released from their negative association with one of the most dramatic episodes in the history of the Xhosa and transformed into a tourist attraction that has the potential to contribute to the sustainable development of the local population. Mda’s rescue of Qolorha from the threat of massified tourism, and his recovery of Nongqawuse as a meaningful character for the history of the Xhosa, emphasize the importance of alternative development models and the relevance of revising biased historical narratives that often served manipulative objectives.

Financialisation and the Production of Inequality in Namibia: A Socio-Spatial Perspective

The end of the apartheid regime has had highly significant implications not only for South Africa, but for the wider Southern African region. As part of thes colonial heritage, the neighbouring states are closely and asymmetrically linked to the South African economy. The apartheid regime had pursued aggressive policies of destabilisation against its neighbours, particularly against Mozambique and Angola, in order to cut the South African and Namibian liberation movements off from external support and in order to destroy alternative development models, particularly left-wing ones. The difficult heritage of the apartheid era, of asymmetrical regional relations and past destabilisation policies on the one hand, and the end of state socialism and the global shift toward neo-liberalism on the other, have been conditioning factors for post-apartheid transformations. This introductory article gives an overview on political, economic and social transformations, their structural constraints and main political and social actors.

Natives of a connected world: free and open source software in archaeology

Archaeological research is increasingly based on computational methods and software. This development has profound economical and epistemological implications that must be critically reviewed and understood with respect to financial barriers to reproducible research and the ‘black box’ effect that proprietary software introduces into archaeological research. Free and open source software (FOSS) offers an alternative model of software development that is better aligned with both the economics of project-based research and the demands of good scientific practice. FOSS is not a new concept but reflects the original idea of software as part of the public research domain – an idea that is concordant with the nature of the internet and globally connected research.

Patents for Humanity

This article evaluates two policy initiatives by the United States Government to address access to essential medicines -- Priority Review vouchers and “Patents for Humanity. Such proposals are aimed at speeding up the regulatory review of inventions with humanitarian uses and applications by the United States Food and Drug Administration, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It is argued that such measures fall short of international standards and norms established by the World Intellectual Property Organization Development Agenda 2007; the World Trade Organization’s Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health 2001 and the WTO General Council Decision of August 30, 2003; and the World Health Organization’s declarations on intellectual property and public health. This article concludes that there is a need for broader patent law reform in the United States to address matters of patent law and public health. Moreover, there is a need to experiment with other, more promising alternative models of research and development -- such as medical innovation prizes, a Health Impact Fund, the Medicines Patent Pool, and Open Source Drug Discovery.

History, space, and power: theoretical and methodological problems in the research on areas at (industrial) risk

The present article discusses methods and theoretical problems in the research on areas at industrial risk, using examples and problems deriving from studies conducted in Sicily, as well as the review of a number of contemporary studies. The author argues that much of the contemporary research on areas at risk focuses on the ‘elites’ (environmental movements, boards of citizens, and the like) rather than on populations, and does not reflect on the general ambivalence of the inhabitants. This tendency is also related to the frequent lack of historical analyses on the milieus hosting industrial plants, and the rhetoric employed by authorities and charismatic leaders in order to convince the populations to accept the industries into their territories. The author also reflects on the concept of space and notices that many studies focus mostly on the process of production of slums, neglecting the role of the industrial villages in the creation of perceptions and attitudes towards industry. In a similar manner, the state of local economies is often ignored in many analyses, so that considerations on the possibilities for alternative models of development are not provided. Yet, in spite of the fact that the current debate on risk is characterized by critical approaches, a number of studies appear to be implicitly conservative and cooperative with regard to state and capital and do not adequately reflect on the role of power in determining narratives and behaviors in areas at risk.

Social cohesion in distributive policies and the role of knowledge

This paper discusses the different meanings of the concept of social cohesion, within the framework of sociology and of public policies related to strategies for development. The aim is to explore the relationship between social cohesion and the decrease in inequity and social inequality on one hand, and the role of knowledge in those strategies on the other, aiming to find alternative models for social development. The meaning of concepts parallel to that of social cohesion in the sociological literature, such as social capital, organized collective action and social networks, is reviewed. The paper systematizes the arguments of international organizations about social cohesion, in particular the approaches of the Economic Commission for Latin America. Finally, some arguments are built on the relationship between knowledge, social cohesion and social development.

Alter-Native ‘Development’: indigenous forms of social ecology

The goal of this article is to outline an indigenous form of social ecology offered as an alternative development model. Based on the normative system of the Orang Asli (Malaysian Aborigines), this model is characterised by various social, cultural and ecological ideas and practices undergirding the interconnected conditions of equality, sustainability and peace, which engenders a better life for all within the community. I contend that this model will provide lessons on how we might develop a normative paradigm to serve as an alternative to the current ecological and socially unsustainable mainstream and neoliberal development policy and practice, obsessed with the attainment of economic growth and greater market integration.

MILITARY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: A MODEL FOR THE SA NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE

The result of this article is an alternative model for leadership character development in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The SANDF reflects the racial and cultural diversity of South Africa as a nation. The need for a unifying leadership related mechanism, which will provide for the military milieu in which humane leadership development will flourish, is evident. This statement is based on the premise that no evidence was found that any previous efforts by the SANDF to instil a leadership philosophy or policy as a way of military life was successful. The model also addresses further shortcomings in the current SANDF leadership development model as the selection process of officer candidates needs improvement because political guidance and participation in the development of military leaders are absent. Officer formative training consequently reflects emaciated attention to the development of the character side of leaders, and the SANDF has no military leadership institution to ensure that its leadership development policies and practices are based on sound academic research.

Hydropower development in the lower Mekong basin: alternative approaches to deal with uncertainty

Governments in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) face decisions that involve trade-offs between the economic benefits from hydropower generation and potentially irreversible negative impacts on the ecosystems that provide livelihoods and food security to the rural poor. As a means of comparing these trade-offs, a sensitivity analysis of the benefit-cost analysis of certain Basin Development Plan (BDP) scenarios was undertaken. By changing some key assumptions in the BDP about discount rates, the value of lost capture fisheries, future aquaculture production in the LMB, and the value of lost ecosystem services from wetlands to reflect the full range of uncertainty, at the extremes, there could be a reversal of the Net Present Value (NPV) estimates of the scenarios from a positive $33 billion to negative $274 billion. This report recommends when dealing with large-scale, complex projects: a more comprehensive, integrated human and natural systems framework and adaptive management approach to LMB planning and development that deals with the entire watershed; a more comprehensive analysis and treatment of risk and uncertainty; a more thorough assessment of the value of direct and indirect ecosystem services; a broader set of scenarios that embody alternative models of development, broader stakeholder participation; and better treatment of the effects of infrastructure construction on local cultures and the poor.

Study of an Alternative Model for Sustainable Development

Today all the companies are interested in the area of Sustainable Development as they have to concentrate on the areas of social, economic and environmental issues for the future generations. The companies have started planning for the long run issues that they would face from the public, planet and plant. Sustainable development means attaining a balance between the environmental protection and human economic development between the present and future needs. Some of the companies have a framework which matches the need for Sustainable development such as Global reporting Initiative, Carbon foot printing etc.This paper is mainly targeted towards the concept of Sustainable Development and a reframed structure model associated with it. This paper also concentrates and correlates issues of Sustainability with the three P’s of Sustainability development i.e. Profit, People and Planet.Addressing to the various areas such as inequities that usually dependent on international recognition that makes projects intolerable and makes a commitment of change and set standards to monitor the progress. The viability of the business is measured in terms of resources of healthy ecosystems-fresh water, clean air, robust diversity, productive land and stability of societies.

The alternative model of development: the practice of community economy in disaster-stricken Sichuan

The discussion of China as a new partner among the ‘old’ international powerful states has largely focused on its actual and potential economic power and performance. To achieve and maintain this status, China has to convince the world and its people that continuous economic development is not only possible but also necessary. The dominant discourse suggests a model of development that relies primarily on the relentless growth in GDP. This discourse has had a profound influence on the post-earthquake redevelopment/reconstruction efforts in Sichuan province. However, alternative models of development/redevelopment also attempt to help the reconstruction of these communities. Community economy as alternative model emphasizes not just on economic growth, but also the importance of renewing the interpersonal relationships among local villagers and the relationships between rural producers and urban consumers. In this paper, the evolution, implementation and outcome of this practice are described and discussed. Implications and recommendations are also drawn for similar community endeavours in the context of global (economic) development.

Perceptions, attitudes and involvement of local residents in the establishment of a Samothraki Biosphere Reserve, Greece

The process of establishing a biosphere reserve (BR) under UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme on the island of Samothraki in the NE Aegean (Greece) is conceptualized as a case study of transdisciplinarity. The point of departure has been the wish to preserve an island with unique natural and cultural heritage from potentialy destructive pathways of transforming it into just another Greek beach tourist destination and to come up with an alternative development model. This has generated a unique opportunity to pre-structure, observe and reflect on a process of evolving decision making and management towards a sustainability transformation of an island. After several years of research and communication efforts, the mayor of Samothraki, with the unanimous support of the municipal council and the Greek National MAB Committee, submitted an application to UNESCO for Samothraki to be included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. A positive decision will make Samothraki the first post-Seville BR in Greece. After briefly introducing the study area, this report will discuss the opportunities of this new perspective, as well as the challenges that need to be faced, both on the ground and in people’s minds, for the island of Samothraki to become a true model of sustainable development in the wider region.

The evolution of the land struggle for smallholder irrigated rice production in Nante, Mozambique

The case of Munda Munda irrigation system in Nante, Zambezia, Mozambique, is an example of how a smallholder community, with the active support of local NGOs, has successfully defended its land and water resources against several attempts of resource grabbing. This article examines the strategies the community used to defend its resources. After an initial struggle over legal entitlements the discussion shifted to questions of efficient and productive use of the land. This shift is possible in the context of Mozambican land law which prohibits land from being privately owned while simultaneously aiming to regulate external investments on a basis of arguments of productive use of resources. Smallholders sustained their claim of productive use by switching to ‘modern’ technologies (tractor, fertilizers, improved seeds), investments in infrastructure (rehabilitation and extension of the irrigation system) and commercialisation of their production (increase of yields, processing and marketing). At a second level the case reveals a conflict between two alternative rural development models, the company/concessionary model and the smallholder/cooperative model. The dynamics in Nante are an expression of how this dichotomy plays out at a local level. The article is based on a long-term involvement in the area since 2004.

<em>Participatory Development in Kenya</em>, Josephine S. Mwanzia and Robert C. Strathdee

Reviewed by: Participatory Development in Kenya Ishmael I. Munene Mwanzia, Josephine S., and Robert C. Strathdee. 2010. Participatory development in Kenya. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.182 pp. $99.95 (Hardcover). "People-centered principles," observed Ray Jennings, an influential participatory development advocate, "have influenced the course of western culture . . . often changing the bearings of education, business, public policy and international relief and development programs."1 Thus, a participatory development (PD) ethos has become the mantra of international donor funding and the darling of discourse in academic literature. But how well do policy pronouncements and scholarly theories fare in the practical world of development-project implementation? It is this age-old question that the work by Mwanzia and Strathdee, an in-depth study of the OPEC-funded Basic Education Improvement Project (BEIP) in Kenya employing the PD model, seeks to address. Based on Mwanzia's doctoral dissertation at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, the book provides an incisive exploration of how PD fails in its mandate of promoting participatory democracy, project sustainability, social transformation, and empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalized people. It does so because BEIP was conceived with "technocrats' and donors' top-down mindsets and the use of representatives, aid assistance and technical experts to seal perceived knowledge and information gaps on the part of the disadvantaged people" (p. 159). Because the aid-delivery partnership was "underpinned by competitive and market principles" (p. 161), it failed to challenge the existing power relations leading elite-to-elite networks of donors and government technocrats, which excluded the disadvantaged. Mwanzia and Strathdee's book successfully triangulates field data, official documents, and academic literature to offer theoretical insights into the failure of PD in BEIP. The first two chapters sketch out the rationale, theoretical, and methodological basis of the study. The dearth of empirical studies to verify the efficacy of BEIP as a model of "participation, partnerships, empowerment, social change and sustainability" (p. 5) catalyzed the qualitative study. A compendium of theories informing PD is dissected in chapter two, with the authors settling on Ife's model of community development as the appropriate analytical framework after navigating through modernization, dependency, alternative development, empowerment, and citizen-participation models. Inasmuch as the chapters are detailed, a major lacuna is the glaring absence of the African perspective. African scholars have produced works that have focused on participatory development and democracy, including Mwiria's seminal work on the harambee school movement in Kenya, which could have been referenced in the section on harambee schools.2 The Council for Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) has produced voluminous Afrocentric critiques on neoliberalism and alternative development which could have enriched the theoretical analyses in these foundation chapters. [End Page 106] In chapter three, "The New Centralism," the authors use Ife's model to illustrate how "BEIP promoted decentralization of responsibilities to the marginalized groups and individuals whilst retaining the authority to make decisions at the center" (p. 39). This detailed chapter, with discussions of the management structures from the local units to the national level, captures the process through which bureaucratic technical expertise, aid powers, and representative democracy were responsible for the exclusion of disadvantaged people from decision-making processes. Save for repetitiveness here and there, the chapter is quite instructive. The same is true of chapter four, development cooperation, partnerships, and accountability, which examines how policies, approaches, and principles undergirding the partnership empowerment and social transformation of the disadvantaged failed and negated sustainable development. Partnership arrangements increased, rather than reduced, elite power. Use of technical expertise and aid assistance increased competition, rather than cooperation; the management structure increased upward, rather than downward accountability; aid-delivery mechanisms increased foreign aid dependency, rather than government responsibility. Undue focus on structural reforms, as opposed to a transformative one, therefore enhanced the vulnerability of the disadvantaged through BEIP. The consequences of these structural arrangements in the management of BEIP are explored in chapter five, on methods, processes, and outcomes of participation in BEIP. Mwanzia and Strathdee delve into the workings of the school management committees, boards of governors, and parent-teacher associations in terms of project planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and the attendant impact on the disadvantaged. The outcome...

China – Africa Foreign Trade Policies: the Impact of China's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Flow on Employment of Ghana

Ghana has identified foreign direct investment as a key way to transform its economic growth. China looks on to offer Ghana a new model for development alternative to the western style that depends on commercial relations and fair market. It prioritizes stability over democracy by way of providing alternative development model through promoting product differentiation and competing in different market mechanism. The main question of this research project is “What is the impact of China Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows on the Ghanaian employment sector?” This study would get rid of the wrong impression people have diabolically registered on their minds about Chinese investments. It is imperative that the study would assist students, economists, investors, business leaders and other government officials to understand the significance of FDI and its realization of a sustainable societal development. It will be able to strengthen existing factual and evaluative statements about the impact of Chinese FDI. This research will be limited to the employment activities Chinese investments have impacted in the economy of Ghana. This research is set to determine the quality of goods and services rendered to the various economic sectors of Ghana; the role of Chinese FDI in Ghanaian economy and other financial flows such as loans, development assistance between China and Ghana. This study makes use of the statistical descriptive method which supports the analysis of the influence of FDI inflow in a quantitative way. Results from the study shows that, about 80% or more of investments from China has been mostly concentrated in the Manufacturing, Building & Construction and General Trade sectors of the economy of Ghana for the past five (5) years. This study will be complimented by empirical findings in later sections.

Third World Women in the Development Process: Feminist Thoughts and Debates

Today, the worldwide development concern is going through a new awareness of the importance of women issues in development policies and process which become crucial issue, but most of the time women’s are not actual beneficiaries of development policies especially in the Third World countries women. Women are the almost fifty percent of total population in the world, so we have to priority them to development. Otherwise in terms of socio, economic development we can not go far. In this context most of the feminist have criticized the development processes and suggests for an alternative model of development, which should be development from women’s point of view and human development. So the main objective of this paper is goes to analyze feminist debate and thoughts about third world women and development process. To discus this issue here I also discuss women and development in the third world and the situation of women in the third world process from South Asian (Bangladesh) and Sub Saharan Africa (Uganda) perspective. Key words: Third World Women; Development of Underdevelopment; Development Process; Feminist Debate

¿Modelos alternativos de desarrollo o modelos alternativos al desarrollo?

  The debate on the alternative models of development is significant, be as resistance to the neoliberal globalization, as integration to the one wanted was global; or like you bet of different society. The certain thing is that around this question there are many and complex queries. This way, the purpose of this article is to present the alternative models of development and to place in the discussion the call " post- development" (related with the alternative models to the development"). It is necessary to point out that it is not to claim concepts and theories, but also of questioning them.

Shaping the Neighbourhood? The EU's Impact on Georgia

Drawing on the literature of EU governance in its neighbourhood, this article investigates the EU's impact on Georgia by examining the following policies regarding EU–Georgia relations during the period 2004–2008: single market access; energy security; and foreign and security policy. It argues that policy-level incentives and the overall process of deepening relations with the EU are necessary conditions for the EU to make an impact. However, the EU-promoted rules and norms are key conditions for EU impact and for understanding whether they are adopted or not. The case of Georgia shows the limits of the EU's normative power. Geopolitical pressures and alternative models of development present a challenge for EU impact.

Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment in South Africa: Context, Issues and the Way Forward

The purpose of this article is to present a concise policy review of poverty, inequality and unemployment (PIU) in South Africa and to draw lessons for current and future action. South Africa is of particular interest given its history of racial estates which has entrenched high levels of poverty, structural inequality and structural unemployment. As such, this article is organised as follows. An introduction is followed by an outline of the overarching nature of PIU issues. Next, the key policies in the post-apartheid period to tackle PIU problems are highlighted. Finally, the way forward is proposed with respect to: (i) the range of policy weaknesses identified and the fundamental need to reorient policy in an eclectic and innovative manner to address past failures; (ii) ensuring that PIU are tackled head-on; and (iii) supporting and pursuing the use of both the emerging new economics and alternative models of development. These findings have practical implications for planning, policy-making and programming and a six-step procedure for planning and implementation is proposed.

‘Locally unwanted land use’ movements: the role of left-wing parties and groups in trans-territorial conflicts in Italy

In recent years in Italy there have been numerous conflicts related to locally unwanted land use (‘Lulu’). Some have taken on a political dimension that goes beyond the local, becoming ‘trans-territorial’, as they link with similar conflicts elsewhere. This article analyses the role of various left-wing parties and groups (moderate, radical, antagonist) in these conflicts, examining four specific Lulu movements: those against the high-speed rail line (TAV) in Val di Susa; those against the bridge over the Strait of Messina; those against the extension of the US military base in Vicenza (Dal Molin); and those against the construction of a refuse site in the district of Chiaiano (Naples). Analysis of these cases shows that independent variables related to the well-established ‘political opportunity structure’ (POS) model do not fully explain the role played by the various organisations of the left. Other factors ultimately have greater explanatory power: the policy-making that triggers Lulu conflicts, from which emerge both a new centre/periphery political cleavage (national majoritarian democracy vs. local participatory democracy) and a new economic cleavage (growth/economic development vs. alternative models of development); policies and cleavages in their turn determine the splits between leftist parties nationally and locally and, ultimately, shifts in the Italian party system.