Participation Of Local Actors Research Articles

Perceptions of Socio-Ecological Changes and Their Implications on Changes in Farming Practises and Agricultural Land Uses in the Savannahs of Northeast Ghana

This study assesses the perceptions of local farming households in the savannahs of northeast Ghana about the patterns of ecological and social changes happening around them over the years. It then unpacks how those perceptions are influencing farming practices and agricultural land use changes. Theoretical and empirical understandings of the value of local resource users’ perceptual judgements about changes in their socio-ecological environment and how they respond to those changes have far-reaching implications for design of agricultural development and sustainable land management policies. Consideration of local perceptions offers more informed basis to design and implement agricultural development policies in ways that encourage active local participation, sustainable livelihoods development, and responsiveness to changing conditions. This departs from current conventional implementation systems, which are usually top-down and based on technical and political aspects of agricultural land management, but do not necessarily comprehend processes influencing the agency of local communities in shaping various agricultural land use outcomes.

The 2005 London terror attacks: An investigation of changes in psychological wellbeing and social capital pre- and post-attacks (2003-07)-A UK panel study

The London public transport suicide bombings, which occurred on 7th July 2005, were described as the worst single terrorist atrocity on British soil to date. Past acts of terrorism have been associated with deterioration in population mental health. They may also negatively impact levels of social capital, which is considered a buffer against poor mental health outcomes. By employing panel data from the British Household Panel Survey and following the same individuals (NT=9287) three times over a five-year period (2003, 2005 and 2007), the aim of this longitudinal multilevel study was to investigate: (i) the impact of terrorism on individual-level social capital (generalised trust and social participation) across the UK; and (ii) the buffering effects of social capital on psychological wellbeing (GHQ-12). By comparing 2005 and 2007 covariate values (including the two social capital proxies) against their pre-terror baseline (2003) measurements in two separate multilevel logistic regression models, we examined the immediate and longer-term effects of the 2005 attacks on our GHQ-12 outcome. Compared to baseline, generalised trust dropped from 44% to 36% immediately post-terror attacks in 2005, while local participation increased from 45.8% to 47.5%. Social capital levels started to return to baseline levels by 2007, yet both proxies maintained independent buffering effects against poor GHQ-12 scores in years 2005 and 2007. From this empirical evidence, it seems that though generalised trust levels are negatively affected by acts of terrorism, the accompanying increase in local active participation may aid in the re-establishment of societal norms and beliefs in later years. Decision makers should be aware that such atrocities may negatively impact on populations’ generalised trust in the shorter-term. To safeguard against losing this buffer against poor mental health outcomes, local active participation should be encouraged.

THE STATUTE OF THE CITY AND THE MASTER PLAN: INSTRUMENTS FOR SUSTAINABLE CITIES

The Master Plan is an important instrument to promote significant changes in Brazilian cities in order to achieve a sustainable development and create a new relationship between man and the environment. As far as this planning is concerned, the Master Plan is a basic tool to stablish guidelines to meet citizens necessities, as well as quality of life and social-economic development. For this purpose, citizens supervision and participation in local activities are necessary, so that Constitutional principles and democracy are accomplished. Civil society should be part of the decision-making process concerning enviromental public policies, as well as integrate elaboration, and supervision of these policies, taking into consideration that the public authorities, as well as the society, have to protect and defend the environment for the future generations (article 225, of the Federal Constitution). In this context, this task aims, firstly, evaluare the general guidelines od the Statute of the City (Law nº 10.257/01) and the importance of the Master Plans. Afterwards, adresses the participatory management as a way of implementing the sustainable cities.

Formação de um Sistema Agroalimentar Localizado (SIAL) na Região Vale do Caí (RS)

O tema deste estudo é o potencial de formação de um sistema produtivo agroalimentar localizado (SIAL), autônomo e com interfaces com as redes globais, como estratégia de desenvolvimento da região Vale do Caí (RS). Isto inclui o aproveitando das potencialidades locais e das oportunidades de mercado e, também, a participação dos atores locais e do Estado na formulação e gestão das políticas públicas. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar o potencial dinamizador de algumas atividades produtivas agroalimentares locais para o desenvolvimento territorial da região. Foram utilizadas informações qualitativas de mercados de produtos agroalimentares e agroindustriais potenciais e da estrutura produtiva regional. Para medir o grau de concentração dessas atividades na região foi utilizado o Quociente Locacional (QL), com base na renda bruta agrícola e no perfil do emprego formal. As atividades com maior potencial de expansão local foram consideradas o embrião de um Sistema Agroalimentar Localizado (SIAL) na região.

English

A study to assess the contribution of tourist hotels in socio-economic development was carried out in Mto wa Mbu Ward in Monduli District. Survey data were collected using household questionnaire survey, focus group discussion, semi-structured interviews, and by physical visits.  The study revealed that tourist hotels and/or lodges realized TZS 665, 496,000 (US $ 443,664) per annum and offered employment to 143 people, out of which 19% were females. In addition, hotels and/or lodges investors helped village governments in implementing different socio-economic development projects such as schools, dispensaries, and provision of clean water.  Despite these livelihood achievements, only 9.3% of the local communities had the opinion that these investments were of beneficial to them. The study concludes that these investments have the potential of improving local communities’ livelihood. To achieve this, the study recommends active local participation in the tourism development process by involving government and other tourist stakeholders such as tour companies and travel agencies.   Key words: Conservation, governance, development, livelihood, Monduli, tourism.

Biodiversity governance: a Tower of Babel of scales and cultures.

The recently created Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), originally focused on multilateral and global issues, is shifting its focus to address local issues and to include in its assessments local stakeholders and indigenous and traditional systems of knowledge. Acknowledging that full biodiversity governance is unavoidably rooted in participation of local actors and their problems and knowledge, we suggest that to deal successfully with the complexity and diversity of local issues, including indigenous knowledge systems, IPBES must recognize a key role of local institutions.

Towards a land management approach to ecological restoration to encourage stakeholder participation

In the field of ecological restoration, many authors call for more stakeholder participation in the process of restoration. In their opinion, when a restoration project is planned, the range of points of view and the knowledge of local stakeholders need to be taken into account to limit the risk of failure. Although effective stakeholder involvement is often cited as a factor of success, in practice, it is far from systematic. To understand the ways in which the stakeholders actually participate in projects and their opinion of the projects, we analysed three restoration projects. We interviewed the people who would be affected by the projects in the French Pyrenean Mountains: inhabitants, livestock farmers, and other users of the territory, site managers, locally elected officials, experts, and development agents. Our results revealed that how interviewees viewed the outcome and the success of a restoration project depended on their own activity, which also influenced the way they viewed and defined the territory concerned by restoration. Two different perceptions of ecological restoration objectives and approaches coexist in the Pyrenees. The first is highly technical and the aim is simply to restore the original plant cover. In this case, the ‘territory’ is limited to the area to be restored and its immediate surroundings. The second perception of restoration takes into account both past and other possible land uses and consequently concerns a larger territory and the users of the site to be restored. If the participation of local actors in the restoration process is desired, we recommend a comprehensive land management approach to ecological restoration, as this approach is more likely to arouse the interest of the stakeholders.

Community Forestry in Nepal’s Terai Region: Local Resource Dependency and Perception on Institutional Attributes

Since the 1970s, the implementation of community forestry (CF) programs in Nepal has recognized that local involvement is a prerequisite for sustainably managing forests and fulfilling local resource needs. Although this devolution policy of active local participation has halted and in many cases reversed forest degradation, a comprehensive research on attributes of CF and its impact on local community livelihoods, especially among the rural populations in the low-lying Terai region- is lacking. Hence, using an institutional analysis approach, this research attempts to understand changes in forest management and governance. More specifically, this paper explores major attributes of CF, i.e. the forest, dependency of local people on the forest, institutions that govern local people interaction with the forest and other actors as well as economic and tree cover outcomes. The overall results indicated that most respondents were highly dependent on local forests for economic, ecological and cultural purposes and were collectively involved in creating rules and regulations that defined access to and distribution of CF benefits. The results also indicated that locals’ main priorities were to improve their income generation capabilities, whereas CF management primarily emphasized forest protection and local development, as CF-generated funds were used to improve local infrastructure. Hence, the main constraints to CF sustainability were identified to be the CF committee’s lack of transparency in fund expenditure and the exclusion of poor and disadvantaged households in the decision-making process. The study concludes that CF implementation is feasible in the Terai region and that equal decision-making participation is critical toward future CF sustainability.

The contours and contexts of public power in the tenth-century Liébana

The mid- to late tenth century has been seen as a period in which the kings of León saw their ability to project their power throughout their regnum challenged by the emergence of a magnate class increasingly disinclined to co-operate with public authority. This article aims to re-examine this premise via the following approach: first, a discussion of common problems and misconceptions related to notions of public power and government as these terms are used in an early medieval Spanish historiographical context; second, a case study which examines the roles of political actors in one relatively well-documented region of the kingdom. It argues that structures designed to deliver justice and maintain order in the region depended much more on the participation of local actors than they did on the king's official agents; the wider implications for our understanding of public authority are then considered anew.

The Chinese electricity access model for rural electrification: Approach, experience and lessons for others

The economic and infrastructural disparities between the rural and urban communities of most developing countries in general and in terms of energy access in particular are quite glaring. China presents a good example of a developing country that has successfully embarked on rural electrification projects over the last few decades and achieved a great feat of almost 100% electrification rate (IEA, 2009. World Energy Outlook, 2009, International Energy Agency, Paris (see IEA website at http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/electricity.asp.)). The purpose of this paper is to find out how China has achieved this feat; how China’s rural energy projects were financed and whether China provides lessons for other countries to follow.The above questions are examined through an extensive literature review and the paper finds that unlike many other countries following the top-down approach to rural electrification, China has preferred to use a phased development through a bottom-up approach where local resources, and village level development and empowerment played an important role. While the state provided the overall guidance and financial support, the integrated rural development approach has produced local-level solutions that are subsequently integrated to produce an alternative development pathway. Strong government commitment, active local participation, technological flexibility and diversity, strong emphasis on rural development through agricultural and industrial activities and an emphasis on capacity building and training have also played an important role in the success. However, despite achieving the universal access objective, China still faces a number of issues related to rural electricity use, especially in terms of regional use patterns, long-term sustainability of supply and commercial operation of the systems. The Chinese model could serve as an inspiration for other developing countries trying to ensure universal electricity access.

Objective Community Integration of Mental Health Consumers Living in Supported Housing and of Others in the Community

Housing programs for people with severe mental illnesses aim to maximize community integration. However, little is known about how the community integration of mental health consumers living in supported housing compares with that of other community residents in the socially disadvantaged communities where supported housing is often located. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of objective community integration of mental health consumers living in supported housing and of other persons living in the same communities. Participants were 124 adults (60 mental health consumers and 64 other community residents) residing in designated zip codes in the Bronx, New York. Participants were administered measures of psychiatric symptoms, substance use, physical community integration (participation in local activities), social integration (interactions with community members), and citizenship (political activism or volunteering). Mental health consumers living in supported independent housing had significantly lower scores on indicators of objective community integration than other community members. However, differences were relatively small. Among mental health consumers, African-American race, education, and length of time in current residence were associated with better community integration. Findings suggest that mental health consumers living in supported housing may not achieve levels of objective community integration that are comparable with other community members; however, psychiatric factors did not account for this difference. Length of time in neighborhoods appears to be an important factor in facilitating social integration.

Local Public Libraries Serve Important Functions as Meeting Places, but Demographic Variables Appear Significant, Suggesting a Need for Extensive Further Research

Local Public Libraries Serve Important Functions as Meeting Places, but Demographic Variables Appear Significant, Suggesting a Need for Extensive Further Research

Natural Protected Areas and Rural/Local Development: A Sustainable Strategy in Remote Areas

The value and resources of the landscape and heritage of the Pyrenees, conserved in Natural Conservation Areas, have not been included in local social/economic development. The necessary policies and transverse working methods have not taken on board the benefits of these natural, protected areas on local, economic development. In some parts of the Pyrenees like Alt Urgell county the process of naturbanisation is just beginning. There is a great opportunity to put the brakes on uncontrolled urban development. At the same time, the potential to exploit the heritage and resources of the Pyrenees still exists. Therefore, the research defences that Natural Reserved Areas can act as a driving force to articulate a quality label of landscape, heritage and territory in peripheral areas like West Catalan Pyrenees. At the same time, by through promotion of Natural Reserved Areas a multi-organisational project of local development can be build. In the framework of rural-urban dynamics in a global context, the paper explains how the values of landscape and heritage in the mountain areas can be an opportunity to put into practice integrated territorial policies applying transversal methodologies among actors, institutions and private sector. At the same time, local development projects would priories young people and women support as one of the sector more likely to innovate and to maintain social and human capital in peripheral areas. A cooperation and collaboration practices are needed to create new economic activities with the participation of local actors. This paper puts forward suggestions for action to be taken.

Learning in multinational enterprises as the socially embedded translation of practices

PurposeWith a few exceptions, the mainstream literature on learning in multinational enterprises (MNEs) has shown little concern for the transformational nature and the social constitution of learning. This paper aims to address this gap by drawing on Scandinavian institutionalism, social learning perspectives, and comparative institutionalism.Design/methodology/approachA comparative case study of two subsidiaries of the same MNE was conducted. The subsidiaries received similar practices from headquarters (HQ) but displayed contrasting learning outcomes.FindingsIt is shown that learning outcomes differed based on the varying extent to which practices were translated, which depends on the participation of local actors. The difference in participation pattern, in turn, is rooted in differences in the institutional context of the two subsidiaries.Research limitations/implicationsIt is recognized that apart from institutional influences, organizational idiosyncrasies may be at work. In addition, the paper briefly considers the extent to which the notion of contrasting forms of capitalism is still useful when comparing the German and British institutional contexts.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the importance of involving employees in the translation of new practices. A challenge for MNEs is that learning of new practices can differ by institutional context. Where enabling institutional conditions are absent, conscious effort may be needed to ensure employee participation.Originality/valueThis paper highlights that MNE practice transfer rests on the translation of the practice content to the local context, and that subsidiary‐level learning processes may be institutionally embedded, thus establishing a link between subsidiary learning and the macro‐level context. As such, this paper both illustrates the value of social learning perspectives and the relevance of the work of institutionalists for understanding MNE learning processes.

The theology of inculturation and the African church

This paper investigated the theology of inculturation and the African Church. Specifically, the study set to examined the demand and relevance of inculturation for cultural development, assess inculturation message to Africa, determine the role of Small Christian Communities and examine the impact of inculturation in African Church. The study was based on both primary and secondary data collected for a period of two years. The study was principally qualitative in nature based on qualitative techniques of data analysis. The results of the study indicated that for an effective inculturation, facilitation of active local participation motivated and controlled from bottom-up approach through Small Christian Communities has been very crucial for a sustainable inculturation process. This approach has led to successful inculturation especially in areas of liturgy, moral theology, African leadership and the Church-as-family. The study recommended that to establish an authentic African Church, there is need to emphasize on the role of Small Christian Communities. Key words: Theology, inculturation, christianity, catholic church, culture.

THE EFFECT OF LOCAL STRUCTURAL FACTORS ON LOCAL ONLINE COMMUNITIES AND PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL ACTIVITIES

The reconstruction of local community by using ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) has been key issues in the field of local governance. The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of local structural factors toward local online communities and participation in local activities. The result showed significant effect of local structural factors. The smaller the size of local communities were, the older the age of local communities were, and the lower the percentage of rental housing in the local communities were, the more actively people participated in local activities.

Los actores locales de la modernidad a finales del siglo XIX: expositores poblanos en las exhibiciones mundiales.

The research on elements and ways in which Mexico and its regions participated in the exhibitions is a valuable inventory of natural and human resources as well as of social, scientific and technical progress; so far, historical studies on the subject focused on the actions of elites located in the central government of the country and neglected the regional specificities in the periphery of the central power. In this paper, we are interested in presenting contribution of the State of Puebla to the Mexican pavilions at the international exhibitions and the participation of local actors in this collective enterprise. Our sources come from the Branch for the Promotion of the National Archives and public archives from the State of Puebla.

人々が地域の水辺に対して抱く愛着に関する研究

This study was aimed at understanding what makes people feel attached to their local waterfront areas, by conducting an interview to local residents in the southwestern part of Hannan City, Osaka, as it is blessed with various forms of water edges, facing the sea, a river, or a farm pond. In consideration of social or physical changes with the times, the questionnaire to interviewees included where and how they often spent their playing time in their childhood and whether or not they have ever attended local activities, with a view to clarifying the differences among three generations, people in their 20s, their 40s, and their 60s. Based on these results, an analysis was made as to what made a difference in their affection toward their local waterfronts. It showed that the attachment to the local waterfront areas was greatly affected by their frequent experiences of playing there in their childhood and their active participation in local activities after they grew up, and that their loving places are completely different depending on the attributes.

Laying a solid foundation for sustainable development in Bolivian mountain villages

In Bolivia, recent decentralisation policies have broadened the participation of local actors in development processes. However, development is far from sustainable, and poverty and natural resources degradation still increase. The challenge is to develop strategies that achieve the genuine participation of poor farmers in natural resources management and sustainable development. The logical strategy, which was developed and validated in five Bolivian mountain villages, is an example. In this strategy, first a solid foundation for sustainable development is laid, with activities focussing on five basic conditions for sustainable development in rural villages: leadership and organisation, responsible participation, effective collaboration, mutual trust and environmental awareness. The results show that the existence of a solid foundation is crucial for the success of other development activities, such as soil and water conservation activities. However, given that 2 years after the project’s withdrawal the firmness of the foundation had slightly weakened, it was concluded that a better integration of these villages in local development processes is essential to profit from the new dynamics. This is especially true for soil and water conservation. To achieve this integration, municipalities—with the support of international development agencies—must be encouraged to invest in laying this solid foundation in rural villages and in facilitating follow-up activities to keep the dynamic process going. This study shows that such investments result in better organised villages, more equality, and the genuine participation of more people in sustainable village development. Effective collaboration and accountability at institutional level are, however, required.

Community decisionmaking participation in development

Generally Western scholars think that active local participation in decisionmaking is a precondition for benefits reaching communities. In developing countries, however, this paradigm is difficult to put into practice owing to various constraints. Based on a study in the Jiuzhaigou Biosphere Reserve of China, it is demonstrated that despite weak participation in decisionmaking processes, the local community can benefit sufficiently from tourism. Thus, to have a say in the management arena is only one of many ways to ensure that local people benefit from ecotourism. Rather, the modes of participation are related to the institutional arrangements and the different stages of tourism development present in a community.