Community leadership: A comparison between asset-based community-led development (ABCD) and the traditional needs-based approach

A comparison study was undertaken between the asset-based community-led development (ABCD) approaches versus the traditional needs-based approach to community development relating to community leadership. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 24 community projects in South Africa for the study, of which 14 were sensitised to ABCD and 10 were not. The kind of community leadership developed in ABCD communities enabled communities to lead their own development by co-investing their own assets, and leveraging their assets with resources from external agencies. In comparison, although development took place, the leadership that emerged in the needs-oriented projects was more authoritarian in nature, and in some instances, seemed to establish a dependency on external agencies. Community leadership that contributes to projects that were more driven by community members complements the principles of appreciative leadership, which were more evident in ABCD-sensitised communities.     

Beyond community participation? Alternative routes to civil engagement and development in South Africa

Although community participation still enjoys a high level of support across various sectors in South Africa, its practice is fraught with conceptual and practical difficulties. This paper starts out by examining some of the problems and limitations associated with community participation, including the heterogeneity and fragmentation of many poor communities, the lack of social and material resources and community members' expectations of receiving a return from their involvement in development projects. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) or participatory learning and action (PLA) is used as an example to illustrate some of the conceptual and theoretical limitations that characterise most approaches to participatory development. In particular it is argued that approaches such as PRA/PLA lack the theoretical basis for effectively getting to grips with the problems of participatory development. What is needed is a conceptual framework not only to understand the responses of communities, but also to locate such communities within their socio-economic contexts. The second part of the paper therefore examines three developments in social science theory that may be able to contribute to the development of a richer conceptual framework for popular participation. These are the concept of social capital, the asset-based approach to development, and the debate around the role of the state in development.     

Development through Harambee: Who wins and who loses? Rural self-help projects in Kenya

Organization of rural communities for participation in development is a critical need in many Third World countries. This study examines local development through self-help, Harambee, in three districts in Kenya for its impact on equity issues. Data from six locations representing Kenya's smallholder farmers in varying ecological and demographic circumstances suggest that Harambee projects have provided important benefits across socioeconomic strata within communities while increasing regional and ethnic differentiation. Moreover, Harambee projects have drawn higher levels of support from more affluent households than from poorer ones. Although it does not alter fundamental inequities in economic and political structures, and sometimes reinforces them, Harambee is a useful strategy for mobilizing local-level resources for the benefit of the community.     

We want to live a better life like other people: Self-assessed development needs of rural women in Ndwedwe,KwaZulu-Natal

This case study was conducted in two tribal wards in the Ndwedwe district of KwaZulu-Natal and was designed to gain a better understanding of how rural women see their role in development, a role which is acknowledged by the new government. Focus group discussions with 40 local women covered their perceptions of community development roles, successful community projects, development needs and feelings of empowerment. Perceived development priorities differed according to standard of living. The women from the better serviced Mavela ward cited piped water and electricity in the home as important development needs. For the women living in the remoter Cibane ward more basic needs such as safe water, housing and access roads were priorities. Women involved in successful gardening projects were bolder in making demands for government assistance in bringing infrastructure development to their area, suggesting gains in empowerment. Generally, the women aspired to levels of service provision similar to those found in the city but stated that they could not afford to pay the installation costs. Their strong commitment to a rural lifestyle prompted the women to call for government support to make their own efforts to develop their rural communities worthwhile.     

Perspectives on corporate social responsibility as a route to citizen empowerment

The integration of corporate social responsibility in existing government-funded projects geared towards community upliftment is fundamental for the restoration of humanity. The study aims to untangle the intricacies by the citizens in imposing support from government-funded projects while significantly aiming to contribute towards policy considerations, enterprises, institutions and communities. The study was approached from a case study perspective. The lessons from the case study will be integrated and synthesised within the content analytical framework. The findings from the literature review demonstrated that citizen empowerment is a critical factor that could contribute to enhanced efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of goods and services. The study recommends that there is a need for a clear regulatory framework for corporate social responsibility in the public sector. This original article contributes to the body of knowledge within the development context and public policy.     

Community participation for health: The case of Latin America

Current efforts at involving communities in health activities are analysed from a number of perspectives. Participation may be mainly aimed at easing resource constraints, through involvement in the implementation of health activities. Examples are the construction of health infrastructure, or the enlistment of community health workers — though in Latin America strong medical resistance to delegation has severely restricted their tasks. Participation in decision-making has been even more limited, with the exception of some small-scale NGO projects. Examples are next given of the differences that arise between projects with governmental or NGO sponsorship, or with a conservative or progressive orientation. Finally, the structure of the community, and the socio-political context in which it exists, are examined for the different constraints and opportunities they present to community participation for health.     

Renewable energy and local development: Seven lessons from the mining industry

Having long depended on fossil fuels for energy generation, South Africa is now investing in renewable energy. Like its mining operations, its renewable energy plants will have local implications. Renewable energy companies are therefore required by government to engage with communities to contribute to socio-economic development. We present seven lessons we believe the renewable energy sector can learn from the mining industry. We argue that the new industry must: manage social disruption, understand community complexities, create responsive institutions and the capacity to support industry practice, employ trained community practitioners, be clear about the aims of local development, encourage economic diversification in remote areas and, importantly, in view of problems caused by downscaling in the mining industry, plan for the possible closure of projects. Renewable energy projects could then serve and shape local development.     

Putting community participation into development work: The difficult case of Winterveld

Community development in impoverished homeland communities like Winterveld is an important priority in this era of transition. Yet, it is rarely effective and self‐sustaining. Government, parastatals, NGOs and international development agencies have all tried to initiate their own versions of community development, but most have failed to get the full participation of the community as an equal and active partner. A community development project should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a means of promoting the development of local communities into key agents with control over their own lives. Before embarking on community capacity‐building exercises, development agencies will have to take more time and effort to understand, respect, and root their work in the experiences and expectations of community members.     

基于居民旅游影响感知的社区治理研究——以河源市埔前镇为例

河源市埔前镇高埔岗是河源旅游度假产品发展的聚集区,该地辖区内开发了客天下水晶温泉度假区、春沐源小镇、巴伐利亚庄园、七寨湖公园、大水井民宿区等休闲度假文旅项目,吸引大量省内外游客前来度假旅游。随着当地旅游业快速发展,如何处理好当地居民、旅游相关企业、旅游景区以及政府管理部门之间的关系,是社区治理的重要问题。为了更好地厘清当地旅游社区治理的发展现状和存在问题,从当地居民对旅游影响感知的角度出发,探索当地旅游发展对社区产生的影响,并发现在旅游社区治理过程中存在的主要问题,为旅游社区参与和社区治理提供理论参考和实践借鉴。     

Participatory Exclusions,Community Forestry,and Gender: An Analysis for South Asia and a Conceptual Framework

The idea of people's participation has long been part of development thinking. But today the management of local natural resources by village communities is widely accepted as an institutional imperative. It is therefore essential to examine how these institutions perform, especially from the perspective of the more disadvantaged. Based on extensive fieldwork among community forestry groups in India and Nepal, and existing case studies, this paper demonstrates how seemingly participatory institutions can exclude significant sections, such as women. It provides a typology of participation, spells out the gender equity and efficiency implications of such exclusions, and analyzes what underlies them. It also outlines a conceptual framework to help analyze the process of gender exclusion and how it might be alleviated.     

Community Development Credit Unions: Securing and Protecting Assets in Black Communities

Credit Unions, with a hundred year history, and Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs), with a 30–40 year history of serving the under-served, have only recently begun to be recognized by some of the media and the progressive community as “safe havens” and fair lenders. There is little independent, academic research, however, that investigates and evaluates the ways that credit unions are community-rooted and responsive to local needs, and/or their achievements in this area. This paper reports on preliminary qualitative research this author has conducted to help us understand how community development credit unions in Black communities in the U.S. provide affordable financial services, and especially help their clients/members to preserve assets. Major findings include: all CDCUs note that they charge lower rates for their products, and provide higher interest or dividends when possible; both which enable members/customers to save money and build assets. CDCUs work closely with their members to personalize services, to help them avoid loans they cannot afford, and to educate them enough to make sound financial decisions and preserve their assets. Many give some direct options to their members to avoid “payday loans” with check cashing and other predatory lenders. In addition, most CDCUs are deeply involved in their communities, and the bigger ones actually provide donations, encourage their employees to volunteer in the community and are generous employees (creating jobs with benefits and job ladder opportunities). Some are able to help finance affordable housing and contribute to other community economic development projects.     

Enchantment and Disenchantment: The Role of Community in Natural Resource Conservation

The poor conservation outcomes that followed decades of intrusive resource management strategies and planned development have forced policy makers and scholars to reconsider the role of community in resource use and conservation. In a break from previous work on development which considered communities a hindrance to progressive social change, current writings champion the role of community in bringing about decentralization, meaningful participation, and conservation. But despite its recent popularity, the concept of community is rarely defined or carefully examined by those concerned with resource use and management. We seek to redress this omission by investigating “community” in work concerning resource conservation and management. We explore the conceptual origins of the community, and the ways the term has been deployed in writings on resource use. We then analyze those aspects of community most important to advocates for community's role in resource management — community as a small spatial unit, as a homogeneous social structure, and as shared norms — and indicate the weaknesses of these approaches. Finally, we suggest a more political approach: community must be examined in the context of development and conservation by focusing on the multiple interests and actors within communities, on how these actors influence decision-making, and on the internal and external institutions that shape the decision-making process. A focus on institutions rather than “community” is likely to be more fruitful for those interested in community-based natural resource management.     

Urban water security in Africa: The face of climate and development challenges

ABSTRACT

Resilience has been promoted as an important objective for the global development community, in part, as a response to concern about the potential impacts of climate change and related risks. A review of the challenges of achieving water security in urban areas of developing countries suggests that a specific focus on resilience may distract communities from more effective interventions. It would be more useful to support relevant institutions to address current service delivery priorities. This will better enable them to manage future climate change and the challenges that this may bring.     

Transfrontier parks and development in southern Africa: The case of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park

The interface between local communities and transfrontier parks has received considerable attention, yet the utility of the transfrontier concept in developing livelihoods and environmental sustainability in southern Africa remains questionable. This paper argues that the benefits of transfrontier parks at regional, national and community levels cannot be overstated; neither should the problems be underestimated. Transfrontier parks may be viable alternatives in achieving development that is sustainable by protecting southern Africa's fragile environments, generating more funds and bringing significant and major improvements to the lives of the rural poor. At the same time, transfrontier parks raise issues of sovereignty of national governments, create complexity in governance processes and can lead to the needs of rural communities being sacrificed. Therefore, there is a need to find ways to reconcile conflictual and sometimes controversial circumstances in the establishment of transfrontier parks and, inquire further into the programmatic blueprints for transfrontier initiatives.     

构建和谐城市社区 彰显人文精神

城市社区是现代社会的细胞,是城市化发展进程中的重要部分。培育和建设城市和谐社区是构建和谐社会的重要内容,也是实现当前社会稳定、提高人民生活水平、促进整个社会和谐的重要基石。构建和谐城市社区,需要大力倡导人文精神,突出"以人为本"的核心,调动社区居民参与和谐城市社区建设的积极性、主动性和创造性,强化社区居民的社区凝聚力和归属感,打造安定团结、和谐稳定的社区生活环境。     

新疆城镇社区建设问题研究

社区是社会的细胞,是构建和谐新疆的基础。本文介绍了新疆城镇社区建设工作的现状,并指出了新疆城镇社区工作存在的主要问题及新疆社区未来发展的方向,最后提出了建设新疆城镇和谐社区的几点建议。     

Village appraisals. A tool for sustainable community development in rural areas in the UK?

This paper evaluates the contribution that village appraisals can make to sustainable development in local communities in rural areas. Based upon an evaluation of the JIGSO initiative, it both outlines the strengths of this approach and argues for the necessity of proper community infrastructure if most benefit is to be gained from it.     

失地农民与企业社会责任

在工业化下,农民失去土地成为了常态,企业是市场经济的强者而失地社区则是弱者。在这二者之间能否协调发展?本文系统调查了日照市开发区发展的情况,系统分析了失地农民的困难处境,并对存在于失地农民、村级社区、企业和当地政府之间的互动关系进行了研究,最后提出发挥企业社会责任感是帮助失地社区发展的重要途径。     

基于森的功能和能力福利理论的农村社区居民福利水平评价——以成都市10个农村社区为例

文章运用森的功能和能力福利理论构建农村社区居民福利水平评价指标体系,运用模糊综合评价法对成都市分层抽样和随机抽样相结合得到的10个农村社区的问卷数据进行分析。研究发现,成都市农村社区居民的福利水平为0.421,整体偏低;成都市农村社区居民经济状况城乡差异显著,内部差异不显著;成都市农村社区居民居住条件尚未得到根本性的改善;城乡社会保障制度的二元化降低了成都市农村社区居民的福利水平;成都市在农村社区管理方面取得了较明显的成绩;农村社区居民的发展空间依旧狭窄;农村社区居民亚健康心理状态较为明显。     

我国社区学院发展机制研究

社区学院发展机制既是社区学院持续健康发展的重要保证,又是提高社区学院社会服务能力和品牌影响力的重要策略。文章梳理了我国社区学院发展现状与问题,围绕建设学习型社会的目标与社区学院发展的定位,基于政府宏观引导、社区具体推动、社会团体积极参与、企业倾力支持和学院自主建设的社区学院发展"五元驱动"思路,从定位、管理、教学等方面设计运行机制和从立法、评估、经费等方面设计保障机制。