participationandempowerment

Participation and Empowerment

Go to the people, Live among them, Learn from them, Plan with them, Work with them, Start with what they know, Build on what they have, Teach by showing, Learn by doing, Not a showcase but a pattern, Not odds and ends but a system, Not piecemeal but an integrated approach, Not to conform but to transform, Not relief but release.
Credo of Rural Reconstruction

Participation and empowerment are key factors in sustainable development. Local ‘ownership’ is essential to sustain capacity but depends on wide-spread participation, which in turn requires empowerment.

Empowerment occurs when people realise that they can make a contribution or solve problems, and they have a right and responsibility to do so.

Many factors work against empowerment: a lack of self-confidence and experience in resolving issues, an environment that thwarts self-help efforts. Participatory development aims to assist individuals and communities in overcoming these obstacles to development. Participatory approaches emphasise strengths - the skills, knowledge, and resources available already - and through success builds confidence, motivation, and problem-solving strategies. As communities gain a sense of control over their lives this leads to further community action and communal cohesion (social capital).

Empowerment leads to people, organisations, and communities gaining control over their lives, enabling them to move from powerless non-participants to active and effective citizens.

It is based on the premise that people know best about their own needs and resources: if all community members are involved at all stages then programs have a far greater chance of success than those imposed from ‘outside’ or ‘above’.

Sustainable development cannot be achieved without massive advances in the empowerment of women and minority groups. For more information see the pages on Gender and Minorities.

Information on participatory approaches to developing commuities:

Communitybuilders.nsw provides resources and links to community development toolboxes and handbooks, case studies and organisations from around the world. It includes sections on setting up and organisation; project planning and management, media, people, and capacity building.

The development gateway ELDIS, provides both a Participation Resource Guide (information and case studies on participatory approaches; manuals and toolkits on participatory methods) and Participation.net (a global, online space for sharing ideas about the participation of people in development, citizenship, governance and rights).

OneWorld Guides provides tools and case studies on capacity building and community development.OneWorld Guides provides tools and case studies on capacity building and community development.

Institute of Development Studies Participation Resource Centre provides links to research and information on citizen participation, governance, democracy and rights.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development promotes a strengths-based approach to community development rather than the more common problem-oriented methods.

The South African based Centre for Developmental Practice aims to influence development practice and provides comment on current development practice.

Organisations involved in community building are also a good source of practical information:

World Neighbours helps people develop, manage and sustain their own programs. Most programs begin using locally available resources and simple, low-cost technologies. As people gain skills and confidence, local leaders and organizations emerge to carry on the work, multiply results and participate in coalitions advocating for wider change.

Pact seeks to empower vulnerable groups and works with them to combat isolation, exclusion, and human rights violations stemming from stigmatization and discrimination. These groups include women, orphans and vulnerable children, civilian victims of war, people living with disabilities, and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.

The International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) is a rural development organisation with 80 years experience, working in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It promotes people-centred development through capacity building for poor people and their communities, development organisations and agencies.

Journey to Forever is a pioneering expedition by a small, mobile non-government organisation involved in environment and rural development work, starting from Hong Kong and travelling 40,000 kilometres through 26 countries in Asia and Africa to Cape Town, South Africa. The site provides easy access to information and case studies.