Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Participatory local development'

The current study aimed to evaluation of a Rural Development project in this case the (Kabelo Trust), by evaluating the factors that contributes to its sustainability even though 70% of the members did not undergo high school education. Qualitative research methods was employed in gathering accurate information from the project members about the strategies that they are employing in sustaining the project while many government funded project does not last for even a year. The involvement of the stakeholders like Setsoto Local Municipality, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, the role they played in the project was also explored. It was therefore suggested by the researcher that the main stakeholder which is the Department of Agriculture should assist the project in establishing market for products in other countries.

This research examines participatory planning processes in rural Egypt, which was deemed successful by the local people. The purpose is to identify elements that caused these projects to be perceived successful. Using the normative participatory planning theory that is usually used in the West as a theoretical context, the research examined three successful development efforts in rural Egypt. Projectsâ publications and planning documents were reviewed to build a context for interviews. The projectsâ planners were interviewed for descriptions of their initial designs for the participatory planning processes employed. An opportunistic sampling technique was used to identify local participants who were interviewed for descriptions of their experiences in the planning processes. The analysis suggests that the participatory planning processes implemented had the same stages as the normative planning process in the West. The thick description of the processes by the interviewees revealed subtle elements within the processes that governed the participantsâ evaluation. Bedouin interviewees viewed consensus as the only valid mode of final agreement in indigenous peoplesâ decision-making processes. Bedouin participants were found to consider perceptions of time, and choice of space and language used in planning sessions to be extremely important, significantly impacting their evaluation of the process in which they took part. Long sessions that took place locally and were formatted in a traditional Bedouin manner were perceived more successful. Bedouin dialect and Bedouin hospitality employed during sessions also increased the perceived success of planning sessions. Such subtle Bedouin interpretation of elements of social environment guided their perceptions of the success or failure of the planning processes. Government planning agencies and planners should integrate the indigenous peoplesâ traditional decision-making processes in their designs for participatory planning processes, when planning development projects. Also indigenous people should take responsibility to present their cultural methods to individuals and agencies involved in planning such development projects in their locale. This can lead to a change in the planning culture to engage in more organic, grassrootsâ processes. Community-based, organic-design processes will significantly increase the likelihood of achieving the full potential of a plan in the short and long term.<br>Ph. D.

Understanding stakeholders’ perception on the participation process is imperative so that strategies that foster people’s participation in community projects are implemented. This will facilitate that community members take part and contribute in their own development projects. In most projects perceptions can influence and impede participation. Most often the challenges experienced include acts of inequalities, lack of financial resources and informal and formal barriers that limit decision making and the capacity of people to participate effectively. As a consequence, authentic participation in community development projects intended to enhance and encourage more people to participate is not possible. The focus of the study was to explore and analyse perceptions of community stakeholders towards participation in community development activities in Mdantsane, a township situated between East London and King William’s Town. The research asked the following question: What are the perceptions of community stakeholders regarding the participation process in community development projects. This study was conducted using the qualitative approach to explore and gain an understanding of the underlying reasons, opinions and motivation for data gathered. The sample groups were the project staff and the government officials that had a better knowledge of the projects. Data was collected through the use of in-depth structured and semi structured interviews. The data showed that a large number of participants believed that participation involvement in project activities was motivated by regular meetings and material and financial incentives. The data further revealed that poor planning, lack of resources, constrained decision-making processes, selective reporting on the project progress were among the limitations of participation. Restraining these participation impediments will enhance and expand participation in community development projects. It is the author’s hope that recommendations made by this study, if implemented will improve participation in community projects in Mdantsane development projects to understand the concept and significance of community participation.

Includes bibliographical references.<br>Urbanisation is occurring most rapidly in the global South, where cities are characterised by increasing levels of poverty, socio-spatial inequality, and informality. Mainstream planning theories have tended to originate from the North, responding to a context that differs greatly from that of cities of the South where theories have been uncritically adopted and imposed. State planning systems in developing countries often reflect traditional technocratic approaches and have become increasingly disengaged from rapidly changing urban conditions. In a context in which neoliberalism is becoming increasingly hegemonic, such planning systems may serve the interests of capital over the needs of the poor. There has therefore been a call to focus on developing descriptive and explanatory theories through case research from which new and more contextually appropriate approaches to planning might emerge. I offer the case of Vrygrond as a contribution to this ongoing endeavour to ‘theorize from the South’, regrounding planning theory and practice in the realities and complexities of global South contexts. The case study explores the nature of development in the densely populated, low-income settlement in Cape Town, from 1997 to 2014. The main research question asks how services, public facilities and amenities have been secured in Vrygrond, and how planning theory and practice might learn from this experience. The dissertation therefore draws on semi-structured interviews to understand the interaction between development processes adopted by key actors and contextual factors which include racial and ethnic diversity, power struggles, oppositional forms of citizenship, mistrust, and pervasive crime. The findings are then interpreted through the application of three contrasting theoretical frameworks of technocratic planning, communicative and collaborative planning, and co-production. I argue that the assumptions underlying technocratic and communicative planning are problematic in the context of Vrygrond, and that co-production might be better placed to respond to a lack of access to public facilities as well as a broader sense of disempowerment and marginalization. Recommendations include institutional rearrangements that might foster a social context that would be more receptive to co-production. I call attention to the nature of citizenship in postapartheid communities, to social difference and power relations, and to the impact of crime and gangsterism on local governance, as important considerations for participatory planning approaches such as co-production.

Magister Artium - MA<br>This research examines the role and impact of local government communication strategies in participatory governance with particular reference to Lamberts Bay, South Africa. The investigation aimed at establishing whether the communication strategies of the municipality serve as an effective mechanism to promote public participation in local government. The study used qualitative research methodology, towards the realisation of the aims and objectives of the study. Accordingly, an interview schedule was used as a tool that contains the pre-determined questions prepared in order to acquire insight and knowledge of the councillors, administration, community and community organisations. In addition, observation was used as a tool to observe the dynamics of the different institutionalised structures such as the ward committee meeting, council meeting and public meeting. An empirical study was conducted to measure the role and impact of communication strategies used by the local authority in the case study area of Lamberts Bay to enhance public participation. The findings indicated that the communication strategies used by local government to encourage meaningful participation within the case study area is not effective with regard to enabling local residents to participate meaningfully in governance decisionmaking within the region. The study concluded by presenting a number of recommendations in an attempt to improve the communication between the citizens and local government and to enhance public participation of local residents.

The Constitution of South Africa, 1996, requires local government to be democratic and accountable to local communities. Municipalities are also constitutionally bound to encourage the involvement of the communities in the affairs of local government. Section 152 of the Constitution of South Africa, 1996, sets out the rights of communities to be involved in the affairs of local government.Participation is not only about communicating information and addressing the needs of the community. Participation is also about building partnerships with the community, being accountable to the community, allowing the community to take part in policy decisions, capacitating the community to understand their rights and obligations as citizens, and allowing the community to participate actively in social, political and economic affairs. Local government as a sphere of government closest to the peopleplays a critical role in advancing the participation of the community. Chapter 4 of the Municipal Structures Act of 1998 requires that municipalities should establish ward committees in order to enhance participatory democracy. Ward committees were therefore established, as community structures, to play a role in advocating needs, aspirations, potentials and problems of the community. However, studies appear to be critical on the functionality of ward committees and argue that most ward committees are not functioning as intended. The purpose of the study is to establish whether MatlosanaLocal Municipality has created the environment for active participation through the ward committee system in order to enhance participatory democracy. Thestudy further investigates whether the ward committees are functioning as intended and according to what the law requires. The researcher used a qualitative method to determine how Matlosana Local Municipality uses the ward committee system to enhance participatory democracy. The investigation revealed a number of challenges facing the ward committees which hinder their effectiveness. However, recommendations are recommended to assist the management of the municipality in making the system more effective.<br>Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

This study is an analysis of the role of Community Development Workers in strengthening participatory democracy with reference to Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality. The focus of the study is participatory democracy, public participation and community development. The implementation of the Community Development workers does not yield the expected result as it was foreseen when it was established. The aim of the CDWs was to bring government closer to the people and improve the delivery of services by government which is not happening. This means that the institution is not delivering its mandate. The study considers the reasons why the CDWs do not deliver on their mandate. The researcher suggests that a strategic review should be done on the operations of the CDWs. The question at hand is whether the CDWs are strategically significant. If they are not why is it important to have them in the political landscape? The study presents findings on the role of the CDWs in strengthening participatory democracy in its operations, specifically with reference to Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality and suggests proposals on the improvement of the institution of CDWs.<br>Thesis (M Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:48:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lodovico Sidonio Passo.pdf: 2448644 bytes, checksum: 8bc15bf2832ebd9592e059a5ffe1f9c3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-08<br>Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico<br>The work studied and seeks to articulate the dynamics of the local management in Mozambique, based on the subject of Local Economic Development (LED), emphasizing the active role of the territory, decentralization and micro finance in the development process. The actions of the development can be characterized as the local development when they generate or strengthen systemic dynamics in the local scale (KLEIN: 1997 & 2003). In the LED converge theories and models that have different origins and that raise diverse methods, in definitive opposing cases. What acts as unifying element in the field of the local economic development are the questions in the origins, the actors, the modalities and the objectives of the actions of development. In order to talk about the local economic development, the actions of the development must be carried through by local actors. Thus, the work examines the general problems of development in Mozambique and suggests a landscaping examination of institutional and administrative method probably to facilitate or assist in defining policies and methodologies for the economic and social development through the participation of local communities and decentralized activities. To achieve its goals, the actions of the local in the economic development must characterize the local actors to play an active role in the development of its communities that can develop initiatives and projects thus, so that endogenous and exogenous resources are mobilized to benefit the local collectivity<br>O trabalho estuda e procura sistematizar as dinâmicas da gestão local em Moçambique, com base na temática do Desenvolvimento Econômico Local (DEL), sublinhando o papel ativo do território, da descentralização e das micro finanças no processo de desenvolvimento. As ações do desenvolvimento podem ser caracterizadas como o desenvolvimento local quando geram ou reforçam dinâmicas sistémicas na escala local (KLEIN: 1997 & 2003). No desenvolvimento econômico local convergem teorias e modelos que têm diferentes origens e que levantam métodos diversos, em determinados casos opostos. O que atua como elemento unificador no campo do desenvolvimento econômico local são os questionamentos nas origens, nos atores, nas modalidades e nos objetivos das ações do desenvolvimento. Para que se possa falar do desenvolvimento econômico local, as ações do desenvolvimento devem ser realizadas por atores locais. Assim, o trabalho analisa os problemas gerais de desenvolvimento em Moçambique e sugere um método de exame de arranjos institucionais e administrativos que provavelmente facilitará ou ajudará na definição de políticas e metodologias para o desenvolvimento econômico e social através da participação das comunidades locais e das atividades descentralizadas. Para atingir seus objetivos, as ações do local no desenvolvimento econômico devem qualificar os atores locais a fim de que estes possam jogar um papel ativo no desenvolvimento de suas comunidades, que possam desenvolver iniciativas e projetos de maneira que se mobilizem recursos endógenos e exógenos para o benefício da coletividade local

Abstract The road freight transport industry as a labour-intensive sector is dependent on the work ability and well-being at work of employees. The majority of the occupational accidents are related to work phases outside the cab. These work phases, which are performed in various different work environments, contain several kinds of ergonomic discomforts. This poses complex challenges for the employers from a safety and productivity point of view. The framework of this thesis is based on the foundations of ergonomics and design science. The main objective was to provide knowledge that can be implemented into the design and management of work systems for local and short haul delivery operations. Material was obtained from two sources. A meta-synthesis was performed to frame holistic management in a human perspective. Furthermore, additional in-depth design knowledge was obtained through participatory ergonomics video analyses on drivers’ work outside the cab. Video analyses resulted in 262 identifications of demanding work situations where ergonomic discomforts and risks of accidents occurred. Sudden over-exertions and strains, falls and slips as well as losing control of work equipment were the most common deviations related to drivers’ work outside the cab and mainly related to physical activities of movement and carrying by hand. The majority of the work situations identified were performed in cargo spaces or elsewhere within the truck structure or at premises and yards that are administered by the customers or other stakeholders. In these environments, drivers tend to perform their work manually or using different types of work equipment. This thesis provides new in-depth knowledge on drivers’ work outside the cab. The results show that different stakeholders can contribute to drivers’ work systems. The knowledge provided by drivers and other stakeholders can be applied to holistic design and management processes at company level. Moreover, the knowledge can also be applied to broader value chain design and management processes<br>Tiivistelmä Tieliikenteen tavarankuljetus työvoimavaltaisena toimialana on riippuvainen henkilöstön työkyvystä ja -hyvinvoinnista. Suurin osa tapaturmista liittyy työtehtäviin ohjaamon ulkopuolella. Näitä töitä tehdään hyvin vaihtelevissa työympäristöissä ja niihin työtehtäviin liittyy monenlaisia ergonomisia haittakuormitustekijöitä. Tämä asettaa haasteita niin työsuojelun kuin tuottavuuden näkökulmasta. Väitöskirjan viitekehys pohjautuu ergonomiaan sekä suunnittelutieteeseen. Tavoitteena on tuottaa tietoa, jota voidaan hyödyntää työjärjestelmien suunnittelussa ja johtamisessa erityisesti maaliikenteen jakelukuljetuksissa. Materiaali koostui kahdesta osiosta. Metasynteesillä muodostettiin näkemys kokonaisvaltaisesta johtamisesta ihmisnäkökulmasta. Lisäksi kuljettajat ja sidosryhmien edustajat analysoivat osallistuvan ergonomian keinoin videoaineistoa jakelukuljettajien työstä ohjaamon ulkopuolella. Videoanalyyseissa tunnistettiin yhteensä 262 työtilannetta, jossa esiintyy erilaisia ergonomisia haittakuormitustekijöitä sekä mahdollisia tapaturmariskejä. Äkilliset fyysiset kuormitukset, putoamiset, liukastumiset ja kaatumiset sekä työvälineiden hallinnan menettäminen olivat yleisimpiä tunnistettuja poikkeamia kuljettajan työssä. Pääasiassa nämä liittyivät kuljettajan liikkumiseen sekä erilaisten taakkojen kantamiseen. Valtaosassa (85&#160;%) havainnoista kuljettaja työskenteli ajoneuvon kuormatilassa tai päällirakenteissa tai asiakkaiden tai muiden sidosryhmien hallinnoimissa työympäristöissä. Näissä työympäristöissä kuljettaja työskenteli sekä manuaalisesti käsin että hyödyntäen erilaisia apuvälineitä. Väitöskirja tarjoaa uudenlaista syvällistä tietoa kuljettajan työstä ohjaamon ulkopuolella. Eri sidosryhmät voivat osaltaan vaikuttaa kuljettajan työjärjestelmiin. Kuljettajien ja sidosryhmien tuottamaa tietoa voidaan soveltaa työjärjestelmien kokonaisvaltaisessa suunnittelussa ja johtamisessa niin yritystasolla kuin myös suunniteltaessa ja johdettaessa laajempia arvoketjuja

Local government is an important level of participatory democracy, where communities play an active role not only as the electorate, but also as end-users and consumers, and thereby holding their municipal councils accountable for their actions. Given the above statement, the interim Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011, entrusts local government with the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner. It also provides for the promotion of social and economic development and the promotion of a safe and healthy environment. This also entails the need for a commitment to service delivery hence, public representatives and public officials must take seriously their obligation to render services to the people that could be in the form of ensuring that refuse gets collected, electricity being supplied and other services rendered which better the general welfare of citizens. There are several definitions of public participation, but it can be defined as a process of empowering citizens by involving them in making decisions on all issues that concern them, which can be political, social or economic. The main aim of this study was to, investigate and identify the nature and extent of integrated participatory planning in Yei River County and the extent to which opportunities for public participation are accessible to the communities. The study sought to investigate: How different stakeholders in the community in Yei River County make use of public participation opportunities during the integrated participatory planning process? As such, the main objectives of the study were to; to assess the existing integrated participatory planning practices in Yei River County, to examine and evaluate how the existing integrated participatory planning practices influence service delivery in Yei River County and lastly to identify the barriers to effective integrated participatory planning in YRC and advance recommendations for improvement. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used and data was collected from a sample of two hundred and twenty-six (226) public officials, comprising of Local Government officials, County councillors and members of the public. Results from the data collected using open and close-ended questionnaires, showed that public participation is very important in local government planning as it leads to incorporation of public suggestions and interests in the development strategies. The results further showed that public meetings and workshops were the only public participation mechanisms being used by Yei River County. The study therefore recommended among other things that, Yei River County should strengthen public participation in integrated participatory planning by providing adequate skilled human resources and establishing structures, as well as public participation mechanisms at the Payam and Boma levels. It was also recommended that the communities needed to utilise all available mechanisms of participation to ensure maximum participation during the integrated participatory planning processes.

Esta tese discute a presença de dois fatores determinantes de mudança na região do Oeste Baiano, polarizada pelo centro urbano de Barreiras, sejam: a competitividade regional e a participação local de agentes e instituições no planejamento do desenvolvimento territorial. A discussão se dá em torno dos efeitos gerados pelo processo de inserção competitiva da região de Barreiras, fronteira agrícola no Brasil, que teve na soja o seu vetor de formação sócio-espacial. Avaliam-se algumas questões relativas ao processo de especialização produtiva na cadeia de grãos, com um ciclo de crescimento orientado para o sistema agroindustrial; às mudanças na ocupação espacial, com uma re-configuração do perfil produtivo regional; e, também, aos impactos sócio-econômicos sofridos face à recente dinâmica econômica. A chamada \"inserção competitiva na globalização\" pode ser uma condição necessária para o crescimento econômico, porém não se mostra suficiente para transformar o crescimento em desenvolvimento. Os fatores promotores desta mudança emergem das teorias de desenvolvimento endógeno e territorial, que têm por base o planejamento participativo. Objetiva-se reconhecer a presença ou a ausência, na região de Barreiras, dos fatores determinantes do processo de desenvolvimento, segundo as teorias descritas por Boisier e Vázquez Barquero, através da análise da organização social local, suas lideranças e principais atributos encontrados. As análises teóricas e empíricas realizadas induziram a elaboração de um Plano de Ação para o Oeste Baiano, intitulado \"Prefeitura Inteligente\", que tem uma prática piloto de atuação iniciada na região de Barreiras. Uma avaliação dos resultados preliminares desta atuação piloto foi realizada, permitindo concluir que Barreiras ainda não se mostrou capaz de criar respostas estratégicas ao processo de globalização; mas, por outro lado, apresenta indicativos da possibilidade de mudanças. Há vazios políticos importantes a ocupar; através de novos arranjos institucionais em ações de parceria entre agentes públicos, setor produtivo e sociedade, e, assim, reconhecer, mobilizar e promover o potencial endógeno deste território. Ao mesmo tempo, há manifestações de inconformismo, com o surgimento de lideranças locais com vontade de realizar e que reconhecem no fazer científico um potencial aprendizado. A ação técnica do planejamento aliada à ação política poderão servir aos agentes locais como instrumento de influência e controle para a promoção do desenvolvimento, visando uma globalização mais humana.<br>This thesis discusses the existence of the two changing determinant factors in west Bahia region, pulled by Barreiras urban area, focused on regional competitiveness and the partaking of local actors and institutions in territorial development planning decision-making. The discussion is about the effects caused by the involvement of Barreiras and the surrounding region, as an agricultural frontier, in the competitive economic process, which has had in large scale soy plantation its socio-spatial arrangement. It also analyses some of the issues related to grain chain specialized production process, with its development cycle based on agro-industrial system; the spatial occupation changes, with the re-shaping of regional productive profile; the socio-economic impacts due to that new economic dynamics. The conception of \"competitive partaking in global economy\" may be a necessary condition for economic growth, but it has not been enough to shape up growth into development. The shifting promoting factors emerge from endogenous, sustainable territorial development theories, whose basis are partaking planning, which can serve local actors as an influence and control tool to shape development promotion actions, in regard to a more humane worldwide economies. The theoretical and empirical analysis have led to the elaboration of a Plan of Action for the west Bahia, named \"Prefeitura Inteligente\" (intelligent Public Management) that had a pilot practice in the region of Barreiras. A preliminary evaluation of the results was then carried out, which allowed inferring that Barreiras has not proved capable yet to create strategic answers to global economic process; but, on the other hand, it shows indications of possible changes. There are important political gaps to bridge, be it through new institutional arrangements, building partnerships among public agents, productive sector and society, in order to acknowledge, mobilize and promote endogenous potential in that territory. On the same time, there has been seen a nonconformity movement, the emerging local leaderships willing to accomplish the goals, who perceive scientific deeds as learning potential. The planning technical framing allied to political actions can serve local agents as instrument of influence and control to promote development, with a view to a more human globalization process.

Mestrado em Desenvolvimento e Cooperação Internacional<br>O desenvolvimento deve ser interpretado como um processo de transformação institucional, que envolve uma articulação entre as diversas instituições sociais (economia, política, cultura e história) e organizações (actores sociais), ou seja, estamos perante um sistema complexo, o que exclui uma abordagem do tipo atomizado. Assim, nos casos em que os Estados não apresentam uma homogeneidade política e geográfica, estando distantes das populações, um desenvolvimento integrado do tipo "dialogante" pode apresentar bons resultados. Este tipo de "Desenvolvimento Dialogante" deverá garantir a robustez das instituições locais (emanadas da cultura) integradas num contexto de Estado nacional, cujas instituições centrais também deverão ser reforçadas. A forma de garantir uma apropriação do Estado pela burocracia é a de garantir que as preferências, geradas endogenamente, são materializas através de um esquema político de democracia participativa. Por fim, deverá estar sempre presente que o Homem é o centro do desenvolvimento, pelo que os direitos consagrados pela Declaração dos Direitos Humanos deverão estar sempre presentes como o meio e o fim deste processo. A Nova Economia Institucional fornece enquadramento teórico utilizado<br>Development is a process of institutional change involving the whole social institutions (economics, politics, culture and history) and organizations (social players) that can be interpreted as a complex system, which excludes any type of atomised approach. For weak States, that are politically and regionally heterogeneous, the "dialoguing" type of development process can lead to good results. Local institutions (informal) resulting from local culture should be enhanced but always within a context of enhancing also the central formal institutions (the State). A way of avoid rent seeking kind of procedures is, assuring endogenous preferences, though politicai mechanisms of participatory democracy. Last, but not least, development should always be focused on Man so that the human rights granted on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should be the used as the best proxy for development both in term of means and end. The theoretical framework used is the New Institutional Economics.<br>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T13:46:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sandro_Miranda_Dissertacao.pdf: 1000011 bytes, checksum: 29649a529d4e5ef697a03e07aeb13d98 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-10-13<br>Globalization is a process of intensification of relations on a global scale that related to the ecological crisis, causing major social, environmental and economic issues, calling into question the current development model. As a counterpart of this situation, several alternatives are being built locally, with particular reference to Agenda 21, participatory mechanism, arising from an agreement signed by 179 countries at the National Conference of the United Nations for Sustainable Development 1992 in Rio de Janeiro . The present study had as its central theme the construction of sustainable alternative development, based on participatory democratic processes in cities located in peripheral region, within the context of economic, social and political globalization. In the specific case, Southern São Lourenço do Sul and São José do Norte. The practical reality of the cities studied, it was found that all cases had the initiative of the municipality, and the results point to the political marginalization of Agenda 21 within the municipal administrative structure, the same spot with a share of the population in their development, being limited to environment policy. This marginalization is reinforced by the discontinuity government. In all cases, we found a relatively organized civil society and participatory, composing an emerging public sphere, but that did not prevent the emptying of the projects.<br>A globalização é um processo de intensificação de relações em escala mundial que associada à crise ecológica, provoca grandes problemas sociais, ambientais e econômicos, colocando em xeque o atual modelo de desenvolvimento. Como forma de contrapor esta situação, várias alternativas estão sendo construídas em âmbito local, com destaque para a Agenda 21, mecanismo participativo, oriundo de acordo assinado por 179 países na Conferência das Nacionais Unidas para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável, de 1992, no Rio de Janeiro. O presente estudo teve como tema central a construção de alternativas sustentáveis de desenvolvimento, a partir de processos democráticos participativos, em cidades situadas em região periférica, dentro do contexto econômico, social e político da globalização. No caso específico, Pelotas, São Lourenço do Sul, e São José do Norte. No plano prático da realidade das cidades estudadas, foi constatado que todos os processos tiveram iniciativa da municipalidade, e os resultados obtidos apontam para a marginalização política da Agenda 21 dentro da estrutura administrativa municipal, mesmo contado com uma participação significativa da população na sua elaboração, ficando limitadas às políticas ambientais. Esta marginalização é reforçada pela descontinuidade governamental. Em todos os casos, foi possível encontrar uma sociedade civil relativamente organizada e participativa, compondo uma esfera pública emergente, mas que não impediu o esvaziamento dos projetos.

У роботі досліджено вплив проектів та фінансування від міжнародних організацій на місцевий економічний розвиток в Україні. Проведений аналіз проекту «Місцевий розвиток, орієнтований на громаду» та його вплив на соціально-економічні показники місцевих громад. Основною метою цього дослідження є обґрунтування ефективності проектів міжнародних організацій для місцевого розвитку. Запропоновано метод оцінки міжнародних проектів.<br>The paper examines the impact of projects and funding from international organizations on local economic development in Ukraine. The analysis of the project «Community Based Local Development» and its impact on the socio-economic indicators of local communities have been carried out. The main aim of this study is to substantiate the effectiveness of international organizations projects for local development. The method of estimation of international projects is offered.

This dissertation analyzes the role of tourism within development process in the case of the role of Mawlana tourism in the urban development process of Konya, around the theoretical approaches about tourism and development such as new modernization school, global local nexus approach, glokalism, and TBD (Tourism Business District) approaches. The study finds out that Mawlawi tourism has been playing crucial roles in articulation of Konya to the global markets and urban identity building process. Mawlana tourism establishes a city trademark and international business connections, rather than taking place as a supplementary economic sector in the development process of Konya. Within the diversification in the global tourism, Mawlana tourism can be defined as cultural, religious, and spiritual tourism. Although Mawlana tourism is a limited sector compared to others, it is crucial for Konya to be articulated to the global markets with an urban identity and business connections through Mawlana and Mawlawi Order.

Submitted by Haroudo Xavier Filho (haroudo.xavierfo@ufpe.br) on 2016-10-07T14:18:59Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese Vanderlei Carvalho - PPGS.pdf: 2244445 bytes, checksum: 84c6fc30f57e1cb8afb68c0ac278ad72 (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-07T14:18:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese Vanderlei Carvalho - PPGS.pdf: 2244445 bytes, checksum: 84c6fc30f57e1cb8afb68c0ac278ad72 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-31<br>Este trabalho analisa a gestão dos resíduos sólidos nos municípios de Juazeiro-BA e Petrolina-PE no Vale do São Francisco, com atenção especial à inclusão sócio-produtiva dos catadores de materiais recicláveis nas políticas de resíduos sólidos, conforme recomenda a Lei Federal nº 12.305/2010 que instituiu a Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos – PNRS. As duas cidades conviviam com lixões utilizados para a disposição inadequada dos resíduos sólidos coletados de forma indiferenciada e abrigavam centenas de catadores que coletavam materiais recicláveis nos lixões em meio a outros resíduos orgânicos e de serviços de Saúde. Os lixões passaram por processos de remediação a partir de 2006 – Petrolina-PE e de 2009 – Juazeiro-BA. A questão ambiental é analisada a partir da Sociologia ambiental, acolhendo contribuições da Economia ecológica e da Ecologia política para o reexame do conceito de desenvolvimento sustentável e a reflexão sobre um dos maiores desafios ambientais urbanos com que se defrontam as sociedades contemporâneas – o equacionamento da geração excessiva e disposição final dos resíduos sólidos. Analisa-se a redução da capacidade de coordenação política do Estado Nacional, a descentralização político-administrativa e as mudanças na gestão pública brasileira que objetivaram uma maior coordenação das políticas ambientais no plano local, com vistas à eficiência e efetividade na alocação de recursos na gestão ambiental. Analisada na literatura Sociológica como produtora de modelos de gestão democrática e participativa, a descentralização é estudada enfocando-se os avanços e limites, contrapondo-se à execução descentralizada e compartilhada da política ambiental, o caráter centralizado de sua formulação pelos órgãos da administração federal. A pesquisa analisa a legislação ambiental brasileira e a responsabilidade dos governos municipais pelos serviços de limpeza pública, baseada nas recomendações legais para a gestão local integrada e participativa dos resíduos sólidos, com prioridade para a redução, o tratamento, a reutilização e reciclagem, a redução da disposição final no solo, a coleta seletiva com inclusão sócio-produtiva dos catadores e a participação da sociedade civil. Caracterizados como municípios médios, Juazeiro e Petrolina inserem-se numa expressiva faixa da população brasileira e foram estudados comparativamente e em face dos indicadores de resíduos sólidos no Brasil disponibilizados por institutos como IBGE, IPEA, ABRELPE e SNIS do Ministério das Cidades. A pesquisa qualitativa analisa os avanços e limites das alternativas adotadas pelos municípios de Juazeiro e Petrolina, observando a situação da coleta seletiva, a participação social e a incorporação dos catadores de materiais recicláveis através de suas cooperativas na gestão dos resíduos sólidos. Analisa-se ainda o processo de remediação dos lixões, a retirada dos catadores de materiais recicláveis, a formação das cooperativas e as atuais condições de trabalho dos catadores nos dois municípios, de modo a compreender a situação presente destes novos agentes, parceiros das gestões locais de resíduos sólidos. Conclui-se que ocorreram importantes avanços no Brasil, de maneira geral e nos municípios médios, especialmente em Juazeiro e Petrolina, mas persistem limitações relacionadas à capacidade técnica e financeira para que os municípios médios possam realizar a gestão local integrada e participativa dos resíduos sólidos.<br>This academic work analyzes the management of solid waste in the municipalities of Juazeiro-BA and Petrolina-PE in the São Francisco Valley, with special attention to socio-productive inclusion of waste pickers in solid waste policies, as recommended by the Brazilian Federal Law Number 12.305 / 2010, which established the National Policy on Solid Waste - PNRS. The two cities lived with dumps used for improper disposal of solid waste collection in an undifferentiated way and housed hundreds of collectors who collected recyclable materials in landfills in the midst of other organic waste and health services. The landfills have undergone remediation processes from 2006 in Petrolina and 2009 in Juazeiro-BA. The environmental issue is analyzed from the environmental sociology, receiving contributions from the ecological economics and political ecology for the review of the concept of sustainable development and reflection on one of the greatest urban environmental challenges facing contemporary societies - excessive equating generation and final disposal of solid waste. Analyzes the reduction of policy coordination capacity of the National State, the political and administrative decentralization and changes in Brazilian public administration that aimed to better coordination of environmental policies at the local level, with the views to efficiency and effectiveness in resource allocation in the environmental management. Analyzed in sociological literature as a producer of a democratic and participatory management models, decentralization is studied focusing up progress and limits, in contrast to the decentralized and shared implementation of environmental policy, the centralized nature of its formulation by the organs of the federal administration. The research analyzes the Brazilian environmental legislation and the responsibility of local governments by public cleaning services, based on legal recommendations for integrated and participatory local solid waste management, giving priority to the reduction, treatment, reuse and recycling, reduction of the final disposal on the ground, the selective collection with socioproductive inclusion of collectors and the participation of civil society. Characterized as medium-sized cities, Juazeiro and Petrolina are part of a significant group of the Brazilian population and were studied comparatively and in the face of solid waste indicators in Brazil offered by institutes such as IBGE, IPEA, ABRELPE and SNIS from the Ministry of Cities. The qualitative research analyzes the advances and limitations of alternatives adopted by the municipalities of Juazeiro and Petrolina, observing the situation of selective collection, social participation and the inclusion of waste pickers through their cooperatives in the management of solid waste. It is analyzed even the landfills remediation process, the removal of waste pickers, the formation of cooperatives and the current working conditions of scavengers in the two municipalities, in order to understand the present situation of these new agents, local administrations partners of the solid waste. We conclude that there have been major advances in Brazil in general and medium-sized municipalities, especially in Juazeiro and Petrolina, but persisted limitations related to the technical and financial capacity for the medium-sized municipalities can carry out integrated and participatory local solid waste management.

Tese de doutoramento em Democracia no Século XXI, apresentada à Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra<br>As migrações contemporâneas na Europa são fenómenos estruturais que produzem efeitos relevantes nos territórios. Dependentes principalmente de variáveis económicas e geopolíticas transnacionais, dificilmente podem ser governadas, controladas ou limitadas. Contudo, políticas comunitárias, nacionais e locais procuram acompanhar as milhares de pessoas que movimentam. As dificuldades intrínsecas que encontram para realizar os seus objetivos são explicadas pelo autor utilizando a teoria de Boaventura Sousa Santos (1994, 2000, 2002, 2006) sobre a turbulenta fase de transformação paradigmática que vive a modernidade ocidental. Lida sob o foco da dimensão migratória, a crise moderna reproduz-se na contraposição entre princípios regulatórios, que priorizam a inclusão dos/das migrantes na ordem social, política e territorial e princípios emancipatórios, que valorizam a sua contribuição heterogénea e articulada para a sociedade europeia. Porque razão a modernidade exprime esta ambivalência na abordagem europeia às migrações internacionais? Quais são as consequências em termos de políticas públicas? Quais os efeitos sociais destas escolhas? Graças a um minucioso trabalho de arqueologia hermenêutica, o autor inicia o trabalho fazendo aflorar as raízes modernas dos modelos hegemónicos de política migratória na Europa. Estes, apesar de expressarem o domínio dos princípios regulatórios sobre os emancipatórios, figuram sistemas híbridos de tensões transparadigmáticas que o autor agrupa em três pares: integração<->intercultura, representação<->participação e desenvolvimento-sem-os/as-migrantes<->experimentação-com-os/as-migrantes. À luz deste confronto entre perspetivas conflituantes de políticas públicas, o autor justifica epistemologicamente a presença de contrastes na abordagem migratória europeia que resultam, na escala nacional, em medidas legislativas produzidas por cada país membro que abordam de forma diferenciada o fenómeno migratório. Porque razão, apesar de proceder de modelos gerais modernos, o tratamento legislativo dos/das imigrantes se realiza de diferentes formas nos países europeus? Para responder a esta pergunta, o autor considera a implementação de políticas migratórias em dois países do Sul da Europa: Portugal e Itália. Nestes contextos, o autor reconstrói os conflitos epistemológicos ligados à transição paradigmática no plano das políticas nacionais e em quatro experiências inovadoras de governação local nas áreas urbanas e periurbanas de Lisboa e Pádua. Para estudar os contextos nacionais e locais, o autor realizou numerosas entrevistas, observações direitas e grupos focais num trabalho de terreno de dois anos que focou a participação dos/das migrantes em arenas autárquicas representativas que atuam para o desenvolvimento local. Os resultados obtidos dão conta de contextos locais conflituosos onde o confronto entre princípios hegemónicos e contra-hegemónicos recombina formas de inferiorização dos/das migrantes de cunho colonial com emergências de práticas de transformação social solidária. Para o efeito, o estudo descreve a presença de fenómenos contraditórios que muitas vezes aparecem sob formas híbridas nos organismos autárquicos: por um lado, a existência de condições de subalternidade, formas objetificação do outro, sofrimento humano, medo e insegurança; por outro, experiências de participação, soluções inovadoras na gestão do governo local, formas de empoderamento e subjectivização dos/das migrantes. As consequências sociais destas turbulências comportam exclusão social, segregação política e fragmentação territorial que, segundo o autor, não se realizam apenas na dimensão migratória mas, através de uma função de derivação paradigmática, para outros grupos sociais (jovens, mulheres, idosos/as, trabalhadores/as precarizados/as). O que fazer diante dos conflitos? O que pode um doutorando concretamente fazer para tentar reduzi-los? Após uma atenta análise comparada dos contextos (Messina, 2012), o autor adota abertamente o objetivo de contribuir para contrariar as instabilidades, os conflitos e a violência. Em conclusão, da interação entre atores/atrizes locais são identificados mecanismos genéricos de relações sociais (Guerra, 2006) que permitem relevar as principais emergências de práticas emancipatórias e solidárias locais. A partir deste longo trabalho de análise de conteúdo, o autor formula um conjunto de propostas técnicas, políticas e metodológicas finalizadas à difusão de um clima de confiança e solidariedade que considera funcional para a adoção de políticas de resolução dos conflitos e de fortalecimento da coesão social, política e territorial dos contextos. Palavras-chave: migrações internacionais, democracia participativa, desenvolvimento local, Portugal, Itália.<br>Migrant's participation in public policies for local development. The cases of Lisbon and Padua. Contemporary migrations in Europe are structural phenomena that produce significant effects in local dimension. Mainly dependent on transnational economic and geopolitical variables, couldn’t easily be governed, controlled or restricted. However, European, national and local policies seek to monitor the thousands of people that move. The intrinsic difficulties encountered to accomplish their goals are explained by the author using the theory of paradigmatic transition of Western Modernity by Boaventura Sousa Santos (1994, 2000, 2002, 2006). Focused from the standpoint of migratory dimension, the modern crisis reproduces the opposition between regulatory principles, which prioritize the inclusion of migrants in the social, political and territorial and emancipatory principles that value their diverse and articulate contribution to European society. Why modernity expresses this ambivalence in the European approach to international migration? What are the implications for public policy? What are the social effects of these choices? Thanks to a thorough job of hermeneutics archeology, the author begins work making emerge the modern roots of hegemonic models of migration policy in Europe. Even though they express mastership of regulatory principles on those emancipatory, hybrid systems emerging into three pairs: integration <-> intercultural, representation <-> participation and development-without-migrants <-> experimentation-with-migrants. In light of this confrontation between conflicting perspectives of public policy, the author epistemologically justified the presence of contrasts in European migration approach considering legislative measures produced by each member country. Why, in spite of carrying modern general models the legislative treatment of immigrant is done differently in European countries? To answer this question, the author considers the implementation of migration policies in Portugal and Italy. In these contexts, the author reconstructs the epistemological conflicts in terms of national policies and innovative experiences in four local governments in urban and peri-urban areas of Lisbon and Padua. To study national and local contexts, the author conducted several interviews, focus groups and direct observations; in two years fieldwork, author focused on participation and representative of migrants in local arenas for local development. The results give conflicting account local contexts where the clash between hegemonic and counter-hegemonic principles recombines forms of inferiority of migrants, as colonial legacy, with emergencies practices supporting social transformation. To this end , the study describes the presence of contradictory phenomena that often appear hybridized in municipal bodies: on one hand, the existence of conditions of subordination, objectification of the other, human suffering, fear and insecurity; on the other, participative experiences, innovative solutions in the management of local government, empowering forms of migrants subjectivism. The social consequences of these disturbances involve social exclusion, political segregation and territorial fragmentation which, according to the author, do not take place only for migrants but, through a paradigmatic shifting function, for other social groups (youth, women, elderly, precarious workers). What to do about the conflict? What a doctoral student could concretely do to try to reduce them? After a careful comparative analysis of the contexts (Messina, 2012), the author openly adopts the goal of contributing to contrast the instability, conflict and violence. Finally, interaction between local players emerge generic mechanisms in the field of social relations (Guerra, 2006) that allow local emancipatory and solidarity practices. From this long process of content analysis, the author makes a number of technical, policy and methodological proposals. Final goal is dissemination policies for resolution of conflicts and strengthening of cohesion social, political and territorial contexts. Key-words: international migrations, participatory democracy, local development, Portugal, Italy.<br>Partecipazione di migranti alle politiche pubbliche per lo sviluppo locale. I casi di Lisbona e Padova Le migrazioni contemporanee in Europa sono fenomeni strutturali che producono effetti significativi nei territori. Legati in primo luogo a variabili economiche e geopolitiche transnazionali, possono difficilmente essere governati, controllati o limitati. Tuttavia, politiche pubbliche a livello comunitario, nazionale e locale avviano misure di accompagnamento delle migliaia di persone che si muovono. Le difficoltà intrinseche incontrate per realizzare i loro obiettivi sono spiegate dall'autore applicando la teoria di Boaventura Sousa Santos (1994, 2000, 2002, 2006) relativa alla fase turbolenta di transizione paradigmatica vissuta dalla modernità occidentale. Letta nella dimensione migratoria, la crisi moderna riproduce la stessa opposizione tra principi regolativi, che danno priorità all'inclusione dei/delle migranti in un ordine sistemico (sociale, politico e territoriale), e principi emancipatori che ne valorizzano l’eterogeneo e articolato contributo alla società europea. Perché la modernità esprime questa ambivalenza nell'approccio europeo alla migrazione internazionale? Quali sono le implicazioni per le politiche pubbliche? Quali sono gli effetti sociali di queste scelte? Grazie a un approfondito lavoro di archeologia ermeneutica, l'autore fa emergere le radici moderne dei modelli egemonici di politica migratoria in Europa. Questi, anche se esprimono un generale dominio dei principi regolativi su quelli emancipatori, presentano tensioni transparadigmatiche che producono sistemi ibridi e che l'autore raggruppa in tre coppie: integrazione <-> intercultura, rappresentazione <-> partecipazione e sviluppo-senza-migranti <-> sperimentazione-con-i/le-migranti. Da questo confronto tra policies contrastanti l'autore spiega, da un punto di vista epistemologico, le diverse misure legislative prodotte da ciascun Paese membro. Permane comunque l’interrogativo: perché, a dispetto di modelli generali moderni, il trattamento legislativo verso gli/le immigrati/e è diverso da Paese a Paese? Per rispondere a questa domanda, l'autore analizza l'adozione di politiche migratorie in due paesi dell'Europa meridionale, Portogallo e Italia. Di questi contesti, sono ricostruiti i conflitti epistemologici, legati al cambiamento di paradigma, in termini di politiche nazionali e in quattro esperienze innovative di governance locale delle aree urbane e peri-urbane di Lisbona e di Padova. Per studiare i contesti nazionali e locali, l'autore ha condotto numerosi interviste, focus group e osservazioni dirette in un lavoro sul campo durato due anni che ha messo a fuoco la partecipazione dei/delle migranti in arene rappresentative per lo sviluppo locale. I risultati svelano l’esistenza di conflitti locali in cui lo scontro tra i principi egemonici e contro-egemonici ricombina forme di inferiorizzazione dei/delle migranti di origine coloniale, mentre emergono pratiche di trasformazione sociale e solidale. In tal senso, lo studio descrive la presenza di fenomeni contraddittori che spesso appaiono ibridati negli organismi comunali: da un lato, l'esistenza di condizioni di subalternità, oggettivazione dell’altro, sofferenza umana, paura e insicurezza; dall’altro, la condivisione di soluzioni innovative nella gestione della governance locale capaci di potenziare le forme di soggettivizzazione dei/delle migranti. Le conseguenze sociali di queste turbolenze comportano esclusione sociale, segregazione politica e frammentazione territoriale che, secondo l'autore, non avvengono solo nella dimensione migratoria ma, attraverso una funzione di derivazione paradigmatica, si estendono ad altri gruppi sociali (giovani, donne, anziani/e, lavoratori/trici precari/e). Che atteggiamento tenere davanti ai conflitti? Cosa può concretamente fare un dottorando per cercare di ridurli? Dopo un'attenta comparazione dei contesti (Messina, 2012), l'autore adotta apertamente l'obiettivo di contribuire a contrastare instabilità, conflitti e violenze. In conclusione, dall'interazione tra attori e attrici emergono meccanismi generici di relazioni sociali (Guerra, 2006) che permettono di individuare le più importanti pratiche di emancipazione e solidarietà locali emerse. Da questo lungo lavoro di analisi di contenuto, l'autore presenta una serie di proposte tecniche, politiche e metodologiche finalizzate alla diffusione di un clima di fiducia e di solidarietà che considera funzionale all'adozione di politiche di risoluzione dei conflitti e di rafforzamento della coesione sociale, politica e territoriale. Parole-chiave: migrazioni internazionali, democrazia partecipativa, sviluppo locale, Portogallo, Italia.<br>Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia -SFRH/BD/67030/2009

Social contexts are possible information sources that can foster connections between mobile application users, but they are also minefields of privacy concerns and have great potential for misinterpretation. This research establishes a framework for guiding the design of context-aware mobile social applications from a socio-technical perspective. Agile ridesharing was chosen as the test domain for the research because its success relies upon effectively connecting people through mobile technologies.

D’une manière générale, les théories du développement ne constituent pas seulement des modèles explicatifs du changement social mais représentent avant tout des modèles théoriques fortement imprégnés d’idéologie justifiant les axes d’action des programmes politiques de développement. Dans un premier temps, les théories proposaient aux pays du « Sud » le rattrapage du retard ou le gommage de l’ordre historique de domination internationale comme solution à l’énigme du développement. Dans un second temps, à la fin des années 1970, elles constituaient le moyen de garantir une forte croissance économique pour les Etats aussi bien du « Nord » que du « Sud » par l’application des PAS. A partir des années 1990, un nouveau corpus de théories du développement propose une forme d’action politique se distinguant des ajustements structurels, le développement local. Celui-ci se décline en trois grands axes d’actions : - le retour du politique en tant qu’institution de régulation économique et sociale à travers les idées de gouvernance et de démocratie participative ;- l’optimisation de la croissance économique et des services sociaux par la régulation politique ;- le développement local en tant que niveau de production et de régulation du politique, du social et de l’économique.Ainsi, que cela soit à l’échelle des théories scientifiques ou des programmes politiques, ces trois axes constituent les conditions sine qua non du changement social. Mais le fait de suivre ces axes conduit-il au développement local ? C’est à cette question que nous nous sommes efforcé de répondre par la mise en perspective de pratiques de développement local au niveau d’une ville d’un pays dit « du Sud », Bamako au Mali, et au niveau d’une ville d’un pays dit « du Nord », Marseille en France<br>Overall, development theories are not only explanatory models of social change but are primarily theoretical models strongly imbued with ideology justifying the action axes of program development policies. Initially, the theories proposed for the 'southern' countries to “take off” or to wipe the historical order of international dominance as a solution to the riddle of development. In a second step, in the late 1970s, they were the means of ensuring strong economic growth for “North” and “South” countries by the application of SAPs. From the 1990s, a new set of theories of development proposes a form of political action distinct from structural adjustment: local development. It comes in three main action axes:- the return of politics as an institution of economic and social regulation through the ideas of governance and participatory democracy ;- optimization of economic growth and social services by political regulation ;- local development as a production and a regulation level of the politic, the social and the economic.Thus, whether at the level of scientific theories or political agendas, these three axes are the prerequisites of social change. But must these prerequisites be followed to lead the Local Development? This is the question that we tried to address through the perspective of local development practices in a city of a “South” country, Bamako, Mali, and in a city of a “North” country, Marseille, France

Cette thèse, ancrée dans l'anthropologie de la ville et les pratiques urbaines, explore le processus de participation démocratique dans le contexte des projets d'aménagement urbain. En effet, le développement urbain entraîne d'importantes conséquences sur l'ensemble du territoire de la ville, engendrant des tensions et des répercussions à la fois sur l'environnement et sur les dynamiques sociales locales. L’école publique, en tant qu’élément architectural et équipement public dédié à l’éducation culturelle et à la transmission des connaissances validées par les sciences, est inévitablement touchée par ces projets, eux-mêmes influencés par les normes de l’urbanisme contemporain. Mes expériences professionnelles et personnelles, ancrées dans le contexte scolaire, m'ont permis de m’engager dans ces projets de rénovation urbaine de 2010 à 2015. J'ai mené une enquête ethnographique sur des situations particulières de participation dans les quartiers d'Armação à Florianópolis, au Brésil, et de Carnot-Parmentier à Saint-Fons, situé dans la métropole de Lyon, et j’ai réalisé une analyse des projets d'aménagement territorial. Dans une approche réflexive et dans une perspective de recherche-action, je me suis impliquée dans des initiatives pédagogiques qui m’ont permis à travers une étude comparative multi-située, de suivre différents acteurs de la politique de la ville, des habitants, des professionnels des écoles ainsi que des élèves. J’ai analysé les dynamiques institutionnelles ainsi que les processus vécus par les acteurs sociaux impliqués dans les changements urbains, tout en examinant ma propre trajectoire et mon engagement. Malgré l'émergence de la participation démocratique dans nos sociétés, j'ai observé que dans les projets étudiés cette pratique reste marginale. Les expériences vécues, perçues et conçues, révélées par la mémoire des événements, la perception des relations et des affects, ainsi que par les réflexions des citoyens sur la réalité urbaine, sont peu prises en compte dans le processus participatif. Les expériences scolaires participatives observées sur le terrain ont été perçues comme des pratiques émancipatrices relationnelles, à la fois individuelles et collectives. L'école, influencée par des éléments épistémologiques et méthodologiques, peut devenir un acteur local crucial pour la construction transgénérationnelle de réponses aux défis liés à la gentrification, à l'environnement, au développement, ainsi qu'à la culture et aux politiques sociales urbaines. Cependant, les politiques éducatives et les politiques publiques territoriales, influencées par les processus politico-administratifs et scientifiques, semblent très peu connectées. Dans ce sens, considérer l'aspect systémique de l’expérience participative revêt d’une importance croissante pour le développement durable des villes et la promotion de l'épanouissement intégral des citoyens<br>This thesis, rooted in urban anthropology and urban practices, focuses particularly on the process democratic participation in urban development projects. Indeed, urban development leads to significant consequences throughout the city's territory, causing tensions and repercussions both on the environment and on local social dynamics. The public school, as an architectural element and public facility dedicated to cultural education and the transmission of scientifically validated knowledge, is inevitably affected by these projects, themselves influenced by contemporary urban planning norms. My professional and personal experiences, rooted in the school context, enabled me to engage in urban renewal projects from 2010 to 2015. I conducted an ethnographic investigation into specific participation scenarios in the neighborhoods of Armação in Florianópolis, Brazil, and Carnot-Parmentier in Saint-Fons, in the metropolis of Lyon, and carried out an analysis of territorial development projects. In a reflexive approach and within a research-action perspective, I engaged in pedagogical initiatives that, through a multi-situated comparative study, enabled me to follow different actors in urban policy, residents, school professionals, and students. I analyzed institutional dynamics as well as the processes experienced by social actors involved in urban changes, while examining my own trajectory and commitment. Despite the emergence of democratic participation in our societies, I have observed that in the studied projects, this practice remains marginal. I have observed that this practice remains marginal in our societies, and that experiences lived, perceived, and conceived influenced by memory, by politico-administrative processes, as well as by sciences are scarcely considered in this participatory process. Participatory school experiences observed on the ground have been perceived as relational emancipatory practices, both individual and collective. Schools, influenced by epistemological and methodological elements, can become crucial local actors in the transgenerational construction of responses to challenges related to gentrification, the environment, development, as well as culture and urban social policies. However, educational and territorial public policies, influenced by political-administrative and scientific processes, appear to be very poorly connected. In this sense, considering the systemic aspect of participatory experience is of increasing importance for the sustainable development of cities and the promotion of the integral fulfillment of citizens

Increasingly unpredictable, extreme and erratic rainfall with higher temperatures threatens to undermine the adaptive capacity of food systems and ecological resilience of smallholder landscapes. Despite growing concern, land managers still lack quantitative techniques to collect empirical data about the potential impact of climatic variability and change. This thesis aims to assess how ecosystem services and function and how this links with biodiversity and human wellbeing in smallholder agro-ecosystems in a changing climate. To this end, rather than relying on scenarios or probabilistic modelling, space was used as a proxy for time to compare states in disparate climatic conditions. Furthermore, an integrated methodological framework to assess ecosystem services at the field and landscape level was developed and operationalised, the results of which can be modelled with measures of wellbeing. Various multidisciplinary analytical tools were utilised, including ecological and socio-economic surveys, biological assessments, participatory open enquiry, and documenting ethnobotanical knowledge. The study was located within monsoon rice farms in the Terai Plains of Nepal, and dry season vegetable farms in Northern Ghana. Sites were selected that are climatically and culturally diverse to enable comparative analysis, with application to broad areas of adaptive planning. The linkages that bring about biophysical and human changes are complex and operate through social, political, economic and demographic drivers, making attribution extremely challenging. Nevertheless, it was demonstrated that within hotter and drier conditions in Ghana long-tongued pollinators and granivores, important for decomposition processes and pollination services, are more abundant in farms. Results further indicated that in cooler and drier conditions in Nepal, the taxonomic diversity of indigenous and close relative plant species growing in and around farms, important for the provisioning of ecosystem services, decreases. All other things equal, in both Nepal and Ghana findings indicate that overall human wellbeing may be adversely effected in hotter conditions, with a potentially significantly lower yields, fewer months of the year in which food is available, higher exposure to natural hazards and crop loss, unemployment, and psychological anxiety. Yet, surveys indicate smallholders continue to maintain a fair diversity of species in and around farms, which may allow them to secure basic necessities from provisioning ecosystem services. Moreover, farmers may employ adaptive strategies such as pooling labour and food sharing more frequently, and may have greater access to communication, technology, and infrastructure. Novel methodological and empirical contributions of this research offer predictive insights that could inform innovations in climate-smart agricultural practice and planning.

Cette étude de territoires infranationaux déconstruit la gouvernance sur quatre projets urbains durables, dont deux à Rennes, un à Copenhague et un autre à Elseneur au Danemark. Elle permet de révéler les préoccupations des acteurs publics, privés ou associatifs, et dévoile leur vision à différentes échelles (locale, nationale, supranationale) pour de grands territoires urbains. Elle interroge également la cohérence de l'action publique, le fonctionnement des institutions, et la démocratie locale plus généralement. Mon travail de recherche part de deux hypothèses : il suppose d'une part l'émergence d'une gouvernance nouvelle entre acteurs publics et privés à travers ces projets urbains novateurs, tant au niveau de la fabrique urbaine que des usages. D'autre part, il questionne l'éventuelle instrumentation de ces projets urbains durables par les pouvoirs publics, à travers la question du marketing territorial rendu nécessaire par une concurrence exacerbée des territoires métropolitains dans le cadre de la mondialisation. Ces hypothèses posent donc in fine la question de l'homogénéisation (ou pas) de la fabrique urbaine européenne. L'État, pour sa part, semble vouloir encourager la réalisation d’opérations exemplaires d’aménagement dans le contexte annoncé d'une transition écologique pour les territoires, mais il reste à distance. L’enjeu est de soutenir la croissance et l’attractivité de ces grandes agglomérations, de les rendre plus respectueuses de leur environnement en diminuant les pollutions multiples et en consommant moins d’énergie et d’espace périurbain. L'intérêt de cette recherche est de proposer une typologie inédite des projets urbains durables à travers une matrice inspirée des trois piliers (économique, social et environnemental) du rapport Brundtland (1987), la référence internationale en matière de durabilité<br>This work deconstructs governance over four ecocity projects: two in Rennes (France), one in Copenhagen and another one in Helsingør (Denmark), which have been completed over one or several decades. The monitoring of these projects is carried out at the metropolitan level, but with a significant nation-state and European Union influence. These projects peculiarly highlight the views of public and private institutions or NGOs on large urban territories nowadays. The analysis covers different scales from a local or national to a supranational perspective. They also point out how well institutions are managed, and question how consistent public action and local democracy is in today's globalized world. My research is based on two hypotheses. It first assumes the emergence of a new governance model between public and private stakeholders across these state-of-the-art urban projects. Secondly, it raises the question of new patterns based on marketing methods and communication tools. It raises therefore the question of common European building features. Finally, the purpose of this research is to deliver a new typology of urban sustainable projects, based on three pillars (economic, social and environmental) as suggested by the Brundtland report (1987), the international reference in sustainability, if any

Cette thèse a pour objectif de théoriser et d'opérationnaliser la notion de publicisation des espaces agricoles périurbains. Cette notion, encore peu courante en géographie, désigne tout processus qui transforme la nature d'espaces agricoles sous influence urbaine, les rendant plus publics. Ce processus, complexe, est composé de débats sur l'avenir des espaces agricoles périurbains et de pratiques spatiales qui illustrent leur multifonctionnalité (production, paysage, loisirs...). La première partie vise à théoriser la notion en construisant sa définition et une grille de lecture composée de cinq dimensions : juridique, sociale, politique, historique et économique. La deuxième partie décrit le processus par l'étude des débats qui ont lieu lors d'un projet d'Agenda 21 Local. L'objectif est de savoir si des débats qui débouchent sur des actions peuvent, en territoire périurbain, publiciser des espaces agricoles. Cette partie montre que la publicisation fluctue dans le temps et se matérialise dans des lieux agricoles. Dans une troisième partie, la publicisation est étudiée à l'échelle d'un territoire : la communauté de communes du Pays de Lunel. De l'analyse de ses projets politiques et associatifs, dont certains prévoient l'ouverture d'espaces agricoles au public, à l'analyse précise de six lieux du territoire, la publicisation est un phénomène pluriel. Une typologie de lieux agricoles périurbains publicisés rend compte de la diversité du processus: débats globaux et pratiques locales s'imbriquent dans la fabrique de lieux publicisés. Cette thèse débouche sur plusieurs perspectives de recherches pour éclairer les transformations à l'oeuvre dans les espaces agricoles périurbains.

This research explores the perception and practice of participatory communication for development. To this end, the study focuses on a leading local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) named Organisation for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA), Ethiopia. This qualitative case study was based on the participatory development communication model which has been assumed to bring about sustainable socio-economic change of a country (Melkote & Steeves, 2001; Mefalopulos, 2008; Servaes, 2008). The data were collected using in-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), document analysis and field observation. The collected data were organised and analysed in the form of content and thematic analysis. The results revealed economic oriented and top down approach to development communication as the dominant conceptions, and majority of the research participants perceived the concept ‘participation’ as mere contributions of labour and materials which are not real participation, but co-option. Only a few of the management members of ORDA conceptualized the idea of ‘participation’ as an empowerment process in which the organisation’s official document is also stated. Besides, the results showed no genuine participation of the local community in ORDA’s development process. Generally, these results could lead us to conclude that participatory communication was the missing link in the development process. That is, communication was perceived as a transmission of development information and an image building activity, not a process of empowerment. The major communications practices of ORDA were also best described as one-way top down which could reveal the legacy of modernisation and dependency theories of the development literature. The study further indicated pressing factors such as individual, organisational and environmental related affecting the implementation of ORDA’s participatory development communication. The results of study further indicated that participatory development communication was not used a means of liberation from the chain of poverty, dependency syndrome and other underdevelopment problems which deeply persist in the region. Based on the findings, the study commends the mainstreaming of participatory development communication both at the perceptual and practical level for achieving sustainable development in rural Amhara region, Ethiopia.<br>D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication)<br>Communication

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Geography.<br>Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 402-414). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR29497

[EN] The dilemma of development and sustainability in the local context generates multiple interests and concerns. This dissertation arises from the challenge proposed by both concepts in the framework of decision making for urban planning. Its development has been guided by two main motivations. The first and most important is to discuss sustainable development in a context where little had been said, responding to how to improve the practices used for the prioritisation of actions during the planning stages of local development projects, taking as a case study the city of Cartagena de Indias (Colombia). The second, on the other hand, responds to the interest of contributing to the field of multicriteria decision making techniques. The objective is to design a methodology to help those responsible for territorial planning to evaluate development strategies and projects. In particular, it focuses on the participation of different stakeholders and on the approach to sustainable local development. Therefore, the general research question is: how can a participatory multicriteria methodology help to evaluate local development projects with a sustainable approach? To answer this research question the present dissertation, of an exploratory and descriptive nature, has been designed, and developed from the application of three cases of iterative and complementary studies. The objective has been to propose a framework that systematically allows the taking of decisions and the integration of diverse positions, without trying to find a unique solution with the best decision model. The proposed methodology has been developed from the combination of two techniques known from the field of Operations Research, Analytic Network Process (ANP) and Social Network Analysis (SNA). SNA is used to find out how the network of actors related to a problem is structured, to study and evaluate the relationships between the actors that make it up, to determine their degree of cohesion, the actors in the most relevant positions and the existing structural gaps. All of this permits the selection of participants in the decision making process carried out through ANP. ANP is a wellknown multicriteria decision method, which provides a framework for addressing decision making or problem assessment. It defines a prioritisation model as a network with complex, interdependent and feedback relationships between elements. The elements represent characteristics, requirements, conditions or criteria related to a problem, as well as possible alternative solutions. ANP is used to discover the opinions of the participants, to obtain their decision profiles and to reach a consensus on the prioritisation of projects and strategies. Additionally, this methodological proposal, based on the SNA-ANP combination, can be completed with other techniques, for example, geographic information systems to add some components that improve the decision. The results suggest that this SNA-ANP methodology is a novel and useful combination for evaluating local development plans with a multicriteria, sustainable and participatory approach. The results establish a basis for proposing new applications and generating new discussions with the local administration and other actors. With the inclusion of the local and sustainable development approach in the decision framework, throughout this dissertation, the value of different heritages is highlighted, as is the promotion of a more adapted strategic planning and the recognition and inclusion of multiple groups of actors. In addition, the use of practical and replicable methodologies that account for the results is promoted, to be applied at different scales, in order to improve planning and prioritisation of actions. The proposal has considered the dimensions of sustainability in decision models, the active participation of decision-makers and a better selection of participants. In short, it has facilitated the construction of a more participatory decision making process. Finally, it also allows us to explore future applications and to continue the discussion related to the problem of decision making during the planning and evaluation stages of strategic projects, whether for local sustainable development or for other types of objectives.<br>[ES] El dilema del desarrollo y la sostenibilidad en el contexto local genera múltiples intereses e inquietudes. Esta disertación surge entorno al desafío propuesto por ambos conceptos en el marco de la toma de decisiones para la planeación urbana. Su desarrollo se ha orientado a partir de dos motivaciones principales. La primera y más importante es discutir sobre desarrollo sostenible en un contexto en el que se había hablado poco, respondiendo a cómo mejorar las prácticas utilizadas para la priorización de acciones durante las etapas de planeación de proyectos de desarrollo local, tomando como objeto de estudio la ciudad de Cartagena de Indias (Colombia). La segunda, por su parte, responde al interés por contribuir en el campo de las técnicas de toma de decisiones multicriterio. El objetivo es diseñar una metodología para ayudar a los responsables de la planificación territorial a evaluar estrategias y proyectos de desarrollo. En particular, se centra en la participación de diferentes partes interesadas y en el enfoque al desarrollo local sostenible. Por lo tanto, la pregunta general de investigación es: ¿Cómo puede una metodología multicriterio participativa ayudar a evaluar proyectos de desarrollo local con un enfoque sostenible? Para responder a esta pregunta de investigación se ha diseñado la presente disertación, de naturaleza exploratoria y descriptiva, desarrollada a partir de la aplicación de tres casos de estudios iterativos y complementarios. El objetivo ha sido proponer un marco que de forma sistemática permita tomar decisiones e integrar diversas posiciones, sin pretender hallar una solución única con el mejor modelo de decisión. La metodología propuesta se ha construido a partir de la combinación de dos técnicas conocidas del campo de la Investigación de Operaciones, el Proceso Analítico en Red (ANP) y el Análisis de Redes Sociales (SNA). El SNA se utiliza para conocer cómo se estructura la red de actores relacionados con un problema, estudiar y evaluar las relaciones entre los actores que la componen, determinar su grado de cohesión, los actores en posiciones más relevantes y los vacíos estructurales existentes. Todo ello permite seleccionar a los participantes en el proceso de toma de decisiones realizado a través del ANP. El ANP es un conocido método de decisión multicriterio, que proporciona un marco para abordar la toma de decisiones o la evaluación de problemas. Define un modelo de priorización como una red con relaciones complejas, interdependientes y retroalimentadas entre elementos. Los elementos representan características, requerimientos, condiciones o criterios relacionados con un problema, así como las posibles alternativas de solución. El ANP se utiliza para conocer las opiniones de los participantes, obtener sus perfiles de decisión y alcanzar un consenso sobre la priorización de proyectos y estrategias. Adicionalmente, esta propuesta metodológica, basada en la combinación SNA-ANP, se puede completar con otras técnicas, por ejemplo, los sistemas de información geográfica para agregar algunos componentes que mejoren la decisión. Los resultados sugieren que esta metodología SNA-ANP, es una combinación novedosa y útil para evaluar planes de desarrollo local con un enfoque multicriterio, sostenible y participativo. Los resultados establecen una base para proponer nuevas aplicaciones y generar nuevas discusiones con la administración local y otros actores. Con la inclusión del enfoque del desarrollo local y sostenible en el marco de las decisiones, a lo largo de esta disertación, se resalta el valor de distintos patrimonios, la promoción de una planeación estratégica más adaptada y el reconocimiento e inclusión de múltiples grupos de actores. Además, se promueve el uso de metodologías prácticas y replicables que den cuenta de los resultados, para ser aplicadas a diferentes escalas, con el fin de mejorar la planeación y la priorización de acciones. La propuesta ha considerado las dimensiones de la sostenibilidad en los modelos de decisión, la participación activa de los decisores y una mejor selección de los participantes. En síntesis, ha facilitado la construcción de un proceso de decisión más participativo. Finalmente, también permite explorar futuras aplicaciones y continuar la discusión relacionada con el problema de la toma de decisiones durante las etapas de planeación y evaluación de proyectos estratégicos sean para el desarrollo local sostenible o para otro tipo de objetivos.<br>[CA] El dilema del desenvolupament i la sostenibilitat en el context local genera múltiples interessos i inquietuds. Aquesta dissertació sorgeix entorn al desafiament proposat per ambdós conceptes en el marc de la presa de decisions per a la planificació urbana. El seu desenvolupament s'ha orientat a partir de dues motivacions principals. La primera i més important és discutir sobre desenvolupament sostenible en un context en què s'havia parlat poc, responent a com millorar les pràctiques utilitzades per a la priorització d'accions durant les etapes de planificació de projectes de desenvolupament local, prenent com a objecte d'estudi la ciutat de Cartagena d'Índies (Colòmbia). La segona, per la seva banda, respon a l'interès per contribuir en el camp de les tècniques de presa de decisions multicriteri. L'objectiu és dissenyar una metodologia per ajudar els responsables de la planificació territorial a avaluar estratègies i projectes de desenvolupament. En particular, es centra en la participació de diferents parts interessades i en l'enfocament al desenvolupament local sostenible. Per tant, la pregunta general d'investigació és: Com pot una metodologia multicriteri participativa ajudar a avaluar projectes de desenvolupament local amb un enfocament sostenible? Per respondre a aquesta pregunta de recerca s'ha dissenyat la present dissertació, de naturalesa exploratòria i descriptiva, desenvolupada a partir de l'aplicació de tres casos d'estudi iteratius i complementaris. L'objectiu ha estat proposar un marc que de forma sistemàtica permeti prendre decisions i integrar diverses posicions, sense pretendre trobar una solució única amb el millor model de decisió. La metodologia proposada s'ha construït a partir de la combinació de dues tècniques conegudes del camp de la Investigació d'Operacions, el Procés Analític en Xarxa (ANP) i l'anàlisi de xarxes socials (SNA). El SNA s'utilitza per conèixer com s'estructura la xarxa d'actors relacionats amb un problema, estudiar i avaluar les relacions entre els actors que la componen, determinar el seu grau de cohesió, els actors en posicions més rellevants i els buits estructurals existents. Tot això permet seleccionar els participants en el procés de presa de decisions realitzat a través de l'ANP. L'ANP és un conegut mètode de decisió multicriteri, que proporciona un marc per abordar la presa de decisions o l'avaluació de problemes. Defineix un model de priorització com una xarxa amb relacions complexes, interdependents i retroalimentades entre elements. Els elements representen característiques, requeriments, condicions o criteris relacionats amb un problema, així com les possibles alternatives de solució. El ANP s'utilitza per conèixer les opinions dels participants, obtenir els seus perfils de decisió i arribar a un consens sobre la priorització de projectes i estratègies. Addicionalment, aquesta proposta metodològica, basada en la combinació SNA-ANP, es pot completar amb altres tècniques, per exemple, els sistemes d'informació geogràfica per afegir alguns components que millorin la decisió. Els resultats suggereixen que aquesta metodologia SNA-ANP, és una combinació innovadora i útil per avaluar plans de desenvolupament local amb un enfocament multicriteri, sostenible i participatiu. Els resultats estableixen una base per proposar noves aplicacions i generar noves discussions amb l'administració local i altres actors. Amb la inclusió de l'enfocament del desenvolupament local i sostenible en el marc de les decisions, al llarg d'aquesta dissertació, es ressalta el valor de diferents patrimonis, la promoció d'una planificació estratègica més adaptada i el reconeixement i inclusió de múltiples grups d'actors . A més, es promou l'ús de metodologies pràctiques i replicables que donin compte dels resultats, per ser aplicades a diferents escales, per tal de millorar la planificació i la priorització d'accions. La proposta ha considerat les dimensions de la sostenibilitat en els models de decisió, la participació activa dels decisors i una millor selecció dels participants. En síntesi, ha facilitat la construcció d'un procés de decisió més participatiu. Finalment, també permet explorar futures aplicacions i continuar la discussió relacionada amb el problema de la presa de decisions durant les etapes de planificació i avaluació de projectes estratègics siguin per al desenvolupament local sostenible o per a un altre tipus d'objectius.<br>Gonzalez Urango, HK. (2020). A participatory multicriteria approach to evaluate strategic projects for local sustainable development [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/149490<br>TESIS

Chronic political instability and erratic economic management in most African countries since the implementation of self-rule in the 1950s has produced a record of persistent economic decline. This general problem of stalled African development has been linked to poor governance, a key proposed solution being political, administrative and/or financial decentralisation to empower communities to foster local economic development (LED). This thesis investigates the effectiveness of the decentralised governance approach. Combining a qualitative social science approach with the Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology, the study analyses the experience of decentralisation in two Ugandan communities from the perspective of those directly affected by it. Through PAR, it aimed to empower local government officials to obtain better outcomes for their communities by adopting a cycle of planning, action and reflection on the structure and operation of decentralisation policies and procedures. The research methods employed also included literature review of decentralised governance in pre- and post-colonial Uganda and content analysis of governmental and non-governmental organisation documents, supported by interviews, council meetings, and workshops with local governmental officials, with observation of local government practices. The study found that decentralisation as currently practiced leads to the disempowerment of local leaders via a lack of accountability, transparency, participation, financial systems practices, money-politics and alleged corruption, and deferential cultural orientations. However, the thesis also demonstrates how, through PAR, these decentralisation challenges were significantly reduced through gradual and continued conscientisation of local government officials via collective, community learning. The significance of the study lies in its highlighting the large gap between theories of decentralised local governance and on-the-ground practices.

"Participation" has become an increasingly important discourse within the global practice of development. Rhetorically used by a disparate array of development organizations ranging from government departments and large multi-national development agencies to small local non-government organizations (NGOs), "participation" has come to broadly represent the attempt to involve local individuals and groups within the planning and management of the development activities directly affecting them. The far-reaching and enthusiastic acceptance of what participation conceptually represents, however, has tended to definitionally cloud the more intricate and human matter of how participation as a development process is to be practically achieved at the local level. How macro-level conceptual policies of institutionalised development, such as "participation", become visible in the micro-level realities of rural communities is a central question. This dissertation examines the work of a small Indian NGO (INDEV), involved in a participatory watershed development project in Madhya Pradesh, India. How participation emerged as a social process between INDEV and local farmers to bring about social, economic, and ecological change is documented. Essential to the emergence of a process of meaningful participatory development is the intersubjective accomplishment of meaning. Therefore, the local-level experience where the social construction of knowledge and relations of power were negotiated daily within the interactions between INDEV, local farmers and the government district administration is emphasised. Participatory development can be an empowering activity for marginalized communities, but this depends on a shift in power relations between development officials and local individuals. The meaningful participation of communities can be severely limited when state development policies, often inextricably tied to rigid management practices, fixed time frames and quantitative measurement standards, are favoured over local knowledge, local time frames and a social space in which participation happens through the unmeasurables of trust, compromise and self-confidence. This research focuses on INDEV's struggles with both the district administration's reluctance to surrender control over development actions, as well as the hesitancy of local farmers who, in light of their past interactions with the authoritative nature of government development activities, often see non-participation as the best way to avoid risks to their short and long term economic survival.

The Cowichan and Chemainus Valleys Ecomuseum is a regional heritage demonstration project initiated by Heritage Canada, B.C. Heritage Trust and the local governments of the Cowichan Valley Regional District in 1988. This thesis used the Ecomuseum as a case study to investigate how and why people participate in public processes, specifically from the perspective of the participants themselves. The study provides a documentation and analysis of individual participatory experiences across a range of public involvement activities. The thesis has two main purposes. The research provides conclusions which may be useful in the design and implementation of the Ecomuseum's future public involvement activities and similar projects. As well, implications from the research are identified which contributes to a better understanding of public participation in context of community development. The study outlines the participatory process of the Cowichan and Chemainus Valleys Ecomuseum, provides a descriptive evaluation of individuals' participatory experiences and summarizes individual reports across different types of participatory activities. The research methods included a general literature review, a review of the documents, materials and organizational files of the Ecomuseum Society, the development of a newspaper survey and personal interviews with 24 participants. A content analysis of the interviews and surveys was used to summarize the research findings. Activities of the Ecomuseum Society are guided by principles of community participation and consensus decision-making in pursuit of three recognized objectives: - To preserve and present the history and living heritage of the British Columbia forest legacy of the Cowichan and Chemainus Valleys; - To increase resident and visitor awareness and appreciation of this heritage through the management of unique resources - To stimulate regional economic growth through appropriate tourism development and marketing of forest related "heritage experiences". With its emphasis on local involvement, the Ecomuseum is pioneering a new approach to community-based tourism and community development in general. Active public participation is the cornerstone of the ecomuseum concept. To date, the only formal evaluation of the Ecomuseum's progress has been a telephone survey to determine the level of resident awareness regarding the Ecomuseum. Given the critical role of public participation in the development of an ecomuseum, additional evaluation of the project was necessary to provide information about local involvement. Research on patterns of public participation suggest that different groups of people participate in different types of activities. As well, these patterns of participation may be identified and categorized by a variety of psychosocial variables perhaps more accurately than by a composition of demographic characteristics. During its five years of operation, the Ecomuseum has developed a wide range of public involvement activities to facilitate local participation. Six general categories of participation can be identified: general, passive participation, such as attending displays, lectures and tours; public forums; educational/ training programs; general volunteer work; working committees and specific Ecomuseum development projects. This study examined the usefulness of developing participant group profiles based on the descriptive experiences of individual participants. As well, the research investigated the hypothesis that different people participate in different types of activities through a comparison of participant profiles in each of the six categories of participation noted above. The research provides information about the experiences of local participants, their preferences and patterns of participation which is useful to the Cowichan and Chemainus Valleys Ecomuseum Society. The findings suggest that the initial reasons for individuals partaking in a particular activity will be common for members of a particular activity, but are different across different types of participation. Regardless of the type of activity people were participating in, most people indicated a common preference for certain kinds of activities. These included activities of a general, passive nature as well as those with an educational component. Within the category of general, passive activities, participants from the entire range of activity types again showed similar preferences. Exhibits/ displays, tours and lectures/ presentations were cited as common preferences although participants gave different reasons for their preference. While the main purpose of the research was to draw out implications for future activities of the Cowichan and Chemainus Valleys Ecomuseum, information from this research can be generally applied to community development public processes in general. Empowering a community to affect change requires developing the skills, capabilities and confidence of individuals to the point where they can take action. Improving the individual participatory experience is a means of increasing people's effectiveness in the collective process of community development. If the intention is to provide people with participatory opportunities which respond to their needs, information about participants' needs and desires is necessary. Research which focuses specifically on the participant's perspective should be encouraged. The development of participant profiles is suggested as a means of generating information which is useful in designing future participatory processes. Ultimately, the purpose is to facilitate the development of effective and satisfying opportunities for participation. The research findings were reviewed for their contribution to better understanding processes which facilitate increased levels of participation, project efficiency, effectiveness and self-reliance through local participation. The study does not provide a blueprint for designing public processes instead, the intention of the research is to stress certain aspects of the participants' perspectives which have implications for public participation processes in general and which should be considered in future research.

To strengthen democracy, the South African government established the ward committee system in accordance with Sections 72-78 of the Municipal Structures Act, 1998. The objective was to improve service delivery by bridging the gap between the respective communities and the municipal structures. Ward committees should be able to enhance participatory government. Public participation is essentially a process that engages communities from the planning to the implementation and the evaluation phases of a particular activity or a project. The ward committee structure should focus on increasing the involvement of the municipal communities when decisions are made within the local government sphere. The primary objective of this research was to establish the role of ward committees in enhancing local governance, with particular reference to Maphumulo Municipality. The objectives of the study were to provide an overview of the new mandate for future ward committees and trends in local governance affairs; review the roles of ward committees and transformation processes with particular reference to Maphumulo Municipality; and evaluate the concept of ward committees in the context of participatory developmental local government and the mandate enshrined in the Constitution. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches to understand the scope and nature under which ward committees operate to enhance local governance. The research has established that there are still important aspects regarding the roles of ward committees and community participation on which Maphumulo Municipality has still to improve. The municipality structures, particularly the Public Participation Unit, should work closely with the ward committees so that they will be able to drive community initiatives.<br>Thesis (MPA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

The study stemmed from the observation that the Msunduzi Municipal Council has adopted the principles of Agenda 21. The aim was to examine participatory approaches employed by the Local Agenda 21 Working Committee. The research findings have signalled the importance of improving public invol vement in environmental decisionmaking. Yet the participatory approaches employed by the working committee such as advertisements and council meetings have proved inadequate to effectively meet the challenge of constructively involving the public. One reason is a lack of understanding on what public participation is supposed to accomplish. The Msunduzi Municipal Council is faced with the challenge of making high quality decisions while remaining responsive to the citizens those decisions affect. Meeting the challenge in the environmental policy arena poses particular problems because issues are often technically complex and value-laden, and multiple interests operate. At the same time , experience with public participation to support the position that involving the public is a mitigated good and more of it is always better, has not yet penetrated council structures. The Council is increasingly seeking better ways to fulfil its constitutional mandates while constructively engaging the public in environmental decision-making. Representatives of business and civil society are now included in joint forums with the council. They bring with them expertise and local perceptions to the policy-making process. It has been found out that members of civil society have led the way in showing connections between the environment and development. The effectiveness of promoting environmental equity depends upon the use of participation methodology that caters to the cultural and socio-economic needs of groups. The use of social capital is one way of organising and ordering individuals into productive associations. Local Agenda 21 makes possible social capital through the involvement of different stakeholders in environmental management and decisionmaking.<br>Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

O presente trabalho surgiu por influência de motivações ligadas às temáticas da participação e do desenvolvimento, reforçadas pelo fascínio suscitado por práticas, métodos e técnicas de promoção da participação ao nível do Desenvolvimento Local. Através da aplicação na/sobre a prática de uma metodologia especifica (Participatory Action Development - PAD), adaptada de Marc P. Lammerink (1999), e recorrendo a procedimentos de Investigação na/sobre a Acção, visou-se o reforço das práticas e das perspectivas em torno da Acção Participativa para o Desenvolvimento. Pretendeu-se acompanhar o movimento pendular, que permite ir do desenvolvimento da participação à participação no desenvolvimento, partindo de duas preocupações fundamentais: i) saber como desenvolver, e melhorar, uma proposta de intervenção prática, com forte enfoque na participação e ii) caracterizar o(s) sentido(s) que as pessoas atribuem a estas práticas, ao nível local. A intervenção prática teve lugar na Freguesia de Arrouquelas, durante um período de dois anos (2006-2007), e teve três fases distintas: uma primeira, onde se escutou a população e identificaram os principais focos da intervenção (Fase de Diagnóstico), uma segunda fase composta por actividades de (re)solução de alguns dos problemas identificados (Fase de Experimentação), e uma fase final, de identificação e disseminação dos resultados (Fase de Sustentabilidade). A assimilação do discurso da participação, a influência dos níveis de conflitualidade nos processos de participação e a erosão das práticas, são aspectos relevantes para as futuras abordagens, cujas implicações práticas incluem ainda a valorização implícita dos processos de moderação, da animação e do carácter formativo das experiências.<br>This present work emerge as result of the influence from motivations connected to participation and development issues, reinforced by the fascination raised by practical work, methods and participatory promotion techniques at Local Development Level. Through the practical application of Participatory Action Development (PAD) methodology, adapted from Marc P. Lammerink (1999), and with procedures from Action-Research’s context, our aim is the reinforcement of practices and perspectives around a local version of Participatory Action Development. The proposal is to follow the on-going movement from participation’s development to the participation on the development, starting from two basic targets: i) to know how to develop, and enhance, a practical proposal focused on participation and ii) to identify the people’s senses according this kind of activities, specially made at a local level. The practical work takes place at the region of Arrouquelas, during a period of two years (2006-2007), divided on three different phases: a first one, where the people were listened, identified and focused the main problems (Diagnosing Phase), a second phase, with several activities made as possible solutions for the identified problem (Experimenting Phase), and a third one, where the practical results are sustained and disseminated (Sustaining Phase). The participation speech’s assimilation, the influence from the conflicts, and the erosion among the main activities, are relevant issues for the future approaches, which practical implications included also the implicit leadership reinforcement at a moderator’s level, the dynamic needs for the process and the learning face from the practical work.

Despite stipulations in local government legislation that Municipalities should build the capacity of the local communities to enable effective public participation and to foster community participation in local government, little is known on how municipalities capacitate their people staying in the rural areas to participate effectively in the IDP process. This research study investigated, explored and analyzed capacity building programmes used by Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality to capacitate its people staying in the rural areas to participate effectively in the IDP process. The study was conducted through qualitative interviews with officials working and people living in two rural wards. An analysis of the interviews yields that Lepelle-Nkumpi municipality does not have a capacity building policy or strategy for promoting effective participation of people in the IDP process. The capacity building programmes used by the municipality are more focused on ward committees, ward councilors and project steering committee members than on traditional leaders, small businesses and other people staying in the rural areas. The municipality has planned training programmes for ward committees, ward councilors and project steering committee members and none for other people. Information sharing is done through ward committees, municipality and council meetings for all categories of citizens. People who practise subsistence farming are capacitated through agricultural research based interventions. Skills development programmes are used to enhance participation of project steering committee members in monitoring the implementation of IDP projects. The capacity building programmes are effective in making people aware of structures they can use to participate in the IDP process and to participate during IDP project implementation and to a minimal extent enhances people’s participation in monitoring the implementation of IDP projects. The Municipality’s capacity building programmes enhances people’s skills to participate effectively during implementation of IDP projects and not in the decision making during analysis, strategies and approval phases of the IDP process.

This dissertation examines state-society relationships in Turkey through the lens of efforts to promote sustainable development at the local level. To this end, it first lays out a theoretical framework to analyze the political economy of local sustainable development, for which purpose the Gramscian state theory and its applications to the political economy of the environment are deployed. The dissertation thus situates the local social-economic-environmental processes within the making of state hegemony and the uneven impacts of state behavior on the society. The dissertation employs two case studies, each based on extensive qualitative study and quantitative data from the administration of representative surveys to operationalize this framework. At both case study sites, Sultan Sazligˇi and Köprülü Kanyon, the Turkish state made explicit efforts to implement sustainable development through projects funded by the Global Environmental Facility, but failed to do so. In analyzing the reasons for failure, the dissertation documents how the Turkish state’s hegemonic practices, interacting with local power inequalities, undercut the implementation of sustainable development. It further reveals how inequalities are perpetuated by the failure of sustainable development and how they, in turn, prove to be impediments on sustainable development implementation at the local level. The dissertation also provides a critical lens through which community-based schemes, including co-governance and participatory management, can be examined. It highlights, in particular, the role of local inequalities and anticipations shaped by the state by conducting an econometric study. It demonstrates the different channels through which exclusion from decision-making operates, impeding the democratic functioning of these institutions and undermining efforts to promote sustainable development.

Much is written on the importance of participatory communication and its role in uplifting indigent communities. As the closest government sphere to communities, local government is charged with directly improving the lives of the poor and is required by legislation to conduct Integrated Development Planning (IDP). This requires that a municipal authority utilise participatory communication aspects such as dialogue, empowerment, and planning. These are most important pillars of community development. However, many studies have warned that elements such as modernisation, dependency and bureaucracy need to be re-assed and observed with caution since they have the potential to impede and limit the extent of participatory communication in community development. These concepts serve as the basic points of departure and theoretical background underpinning this study, which is tasked with exploring the extent of participatory communication in the IDP context of Jouberton Township in the Matlosana LocalMunicipality. In her public address on challenges facing North West Local municipalities (Including Matlosana Municipality) in January 2014, former premier, Thandi Modise, emphasised the need for municipalities to ensure that communities attend IDP meetings, approve earmarked IDP projects and be aware of how a municipality spends its budget earmarked for specific development projects. It is evident from theory and higher echelon of government that participatory communication is seen as the most important pillar and the basis for the existence of a municipal government. It is against this background, that this study was carried out under the assumption that the practice of participatory communication in contemporary local government only exists on paper; while in reality the public does not enjoy active participation in municipal IDP consultative frameworks. This is despite much discourse being available in government and in academia around the importance and role of participatory communication in community development. The study espoused a qualitative research approach to gather data and purposive sampling was used to select respondents linked to two IDP projects in Jouberton Township from the 2012/13 financial year. Its purpose was to explore perceptions among Matlosana municipal representatives and community members in Jouberton Township on the extent of participatory communication in the IDP context. The empirical part of the study comprised of focus group and unstructured interviews, as well as participant observation. By using a typology of participation by Anyaegbunam et al (2004), the study revealed that Jouberton communities are passive participators in municipal IDP consultative frameworks where they participate by just being informed about what is going to happen or has already happened and feedback is minimal. This is opposed to a desired form of empowered participation which is highly recommended by scholars in development communication where stakeholders should be able to and are willing to participate in joint analysis, which leads to joint decision making about what should be achieved and how. It has been discovered that there is a lack of active participation in community development in the IDP context of Matlosana Municipality and the study makes recommendations on how transformative elements of participation can be applied to improve current norms and standards in participatory communication.<br>MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

There are few teacher trainings that focus on the development of social and emotional competencies for teachers (SECT) despite a large research base showing its relevance to teaching, learning, and academic success. Research suggests a major reason many current professional development (PD) models are not effective nor show utility to the immediate context of teachers is that they are externally developed and driven without consideration of the teachers’ voice. Further, they are not created to be context-specific. This study employs a qualitative, participatory action research design (PAR) to use the teachers’ perspectives at an urban elementary charter school to create a local model of professional development with the goal of enhancing social and emotional competencies of teachers. Findings reveal a local definition of PD, indicate the importance of considering macrosystemic policies, systems level policies and practices, and interpersonal supports as potential influences on SECT.<br>acase@tulane.edu

Este estudo é realizado como requisito parcial para a obtenção do grau de mestre em Estudos de Desenvolvimento – Diversidades Locais e Desafios Mundiais. A investigação analisa as dinâmicas participativas das comunidades de três bairros da freguesia de Alcabideche (concelho de Cascais): Adroana, Alcoitão e Cruz Vermelha. Os principais objectivos deste estudo são: analisar qual a relação estabelecida entre o poder local e as dinâmicas participativas locais, procurando compreender se as instituições governativas têm ou não apoiado a participação dos grupos de base e as parcerias locais para o desenvolvimento do território; analisar a influência dessas dinâmicas nas decisões públicas; e a sua importância para a consolidação e fortalecimento do desenvolvimento local e da democracia participativa. Utilizando prioritariamente a aplicação de entrevistas semi-directivas e a observação participante, como técnicas de investigação, foi possível concluir que existe uma diversidade de formas participativas nestes bairros que contribuem positivamente para o desenvolvimento local, cujas dimensões são parcialmente satisfeitas. No entanto, a comunidade é ainda confrontada com uma série de obstáculos que a impossibilitam de participar plenamente no seu desenvolvimento, destacando-se os condicionalismos inerentes ao centralismo do poder local.<br>This study is conducted as a partial requirement for the attainment of a Master's Degree in Development Studies – Local Diversities and Global Challenges. The study analyzes the participatory dynamics of communities of three districts of the parish of Alcabideche (Cascais municipality): Adroana, Alcoitão and Cruz Vermelha. The main objectives of this study are: to analyze the relationship established between the government institutions and the participatory local dynamics and trying to understand whether or not local government have supported the participation of the base groups and local partnerships for the development of the territory; analyze the influence of these dynamics in public decisions; and its importance for the consolidation and strengthening of local development and participatory democracy. Primarily using the application of semi-directive interviews and participant observation as research techniques, it was concluded that there is a diversity of participatory forms in these neighborhoods that contribute positively to local development, whose dimensions are partially satisfied. However, the community is still facing a number of obstacles that prevent them from participating fully in its development, stressing the constraints of the local government centralism.

This study is non-empirical and its design is based on three forms of analysis: conceptualisation, theoretical justification and strategic considerations for a participatory model in the water services sector in South Africa. In terms of the conceptualisation, the study addresses the old and new paradigms of sustainable development. First, it argues that for many years the concept of sustainable development has long dominated the development discourse. Second, the theoretical justification traces the evolution and meanings of sustainable development and also patterns and trends of the legacies of colonialism and apartheid. The descriptive analysis of apartheid and colonialism suggests a new development path for inclusive people-centred development. The study therefore postulates that in the South African context, sustainable development is both a political and a historical construct. This is the basis within which sustainable development should be understood. Third, the study concludes that context plays an important part in understanding and challenging the immoral and unjust practices of colonialism and apartheid which have militated against sustainable human development. The study further provides a description of the local government and water sectors and their underpinned legislative and policy framework, and notes impressive results in the delivery of basic water supply since 1994. However, the study argues that in order for municipalities to fulfil their constitutional responsibilities as water services authorities, they need to adopt a participatory model towards sustainable development since this is currently lacking. In doing so, the water services sector needs to overcome dangers of parochialism which were more evident from the supply-driven policy of the government. The study therefore draws lessons from three Latin American countries: Chile, Bolivia and Nicaragua, and proposes a new developmental path which conforms to the principles of sustainability. This development path is represented in the form of a dynamic, diagrammatic model for participatory sustainable development. This model displays successive stages and cycles of transaction between stakeholders. The model represents a decision support system which provides a conceptual framework for the diagnosis, consolidation and analysis of information. The model is thus a useful tool which can be applied in the public sector during project or programme implementation.<br>Development Studies<br>D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

O BIP/ZIP será apenas um modelo ou uma estratégia de desenvolvimento local? E, de que forma estes processos podem aplicar-se a outros territórios? É perante estas questões que o presente estudo aborda os aspetos relacionados com a implementação do processo BIP/ZIP na cidade de Lisboa a uma escala macro territorial e compreende a estrutura geral do sistema para a implementação dos subsistemas. A análise baseia-se numa taxonomia do programa BIP/ZIP e os resultados permitirão construir um documento reflexivo que facilite a aplicação de processos semelhantes a outros territórios no país.<br>BIP/ZIP is a model or strategy of local development? How can these processes apply to other territories? Based on these premises, this study addresses several factors related with the BIP/ZIP process deployment in Lisbon at a macro geographical scale and understands the overall system framework towards the deployment of subsystems. The analysis is based on a BIP/ZIP program taxonomy and the results will allow writing a reflective document that streamline the deployment of similar processes in other areas of the country.

O estudo pretende analisar o funcionamento de modelos de Governança Partilhada em contextos de Desenvolvimento Local, à luz do estudo de caso “CLIP – Recursos e Desenvolvimento”, contribuindo para a construção do conceito de Governança Partilhada e refletindo sobre os desafios e potencialidades de lógicas de ação tripartida entre os três sectores (público, privado e 3ºsector). Para tal, foca-se no conceito de Desenvolvimento Local, articulando duas abordagens: Desenvolvimento Regional Endógeno e Desenvolvimento assente em Estratégias Comunitárias de Base, aprofundando os conceitos de Parceria, Participação e Democracia Participativa. São desenvolvidos também os conceitos de Governança Territorial, Colaborativa e Solidária Local, propondo-se uma definição para o conceito de Governança Partilhada. Apesar de se concluir, através das entrevistas realizadas e observação participante, que o estudo de caso não reflete ainda uma experiência plena de Governança Partilhada, é possível definir-se alguns aspetos fulcrais sobre o conceito: é um processo de gestão e tomada de decisão coletiva entre os três sectores; implica participação e uma relação horizontal; tem, na sua génese, uma lógica de base comunitária; implica a existência de um ator animador, preferencialmente assente na sociedade civil; promove complementaridade entre as duas abordagens de Desenvolvimento Local apresentadas. Conclui-se que a morosidade dos processos de decisão é um dos riscos da experiência, sendo, em contrapartida, valorizada a inclusão dos três sectores num processo de decisão horizontal. Por fim, é reconhecida a necessidade de se continuar a aprofundar processos de Governança Partilhada, como possível resposta para intervenções em contextos de Desenvolvimento Local, com potencial de inovação, posicionando-se como uma alternativa a alguns desafios atualmente vividos pela sociedade.<br>The study aims to analyze the operation of Shared Governance models in the context of Local Development, focusing on the case study “CLIP - Resources and Development”, contributing to the construction of the concept of Shared Governance, also reflecting on the challenges and potentials of a tripartite action between the three sectors (public, private and 3rd sector). To this end, it focuses on the concept of Local Development, articulating two approaches: Regional Endogenous Development and Development with Community-Based Strategies, deepening the concepts of Partnership, Participation and Participatory Democracy. Are also developed the concepts of Territorial, Collaborative and Local Solidarity Governance, proposing a definition for the concept of Shared Governance. Although it is concluded, through interviews and participant observation, that the case study does not reflect a full experience of Shared Governance, you can set up some key aspects of the concept: it is a process of management and collective decision making between the three sectors; implies participation and a horizontal relationship; has its genesis in a community-based logic; implies the existence of an animator actor, preferably from civil society; promotes complementarity between the two Local Development approaches presented. We conclude that the slowness of decision-making is one of the risks of the experience, being in contrast, valued the inclusion of the three sectors in a horizontal decision making process. Finally, we recognized the need to continue to deepen processes of Shared Governance as possible response to interventions in contexts of local development, with potential for innovation, positioning itself as an alternative to some challenges currently experienced by society.

A emergência de um novo paradigma de desenvolvimento, o do Desenvolvimento Sustentável, vulgarizado em 1987 através do Relatório Brundtland “O Nosso Futuro Comum”, surge num contexto de crescente consciencialização das populações face às prementes questões ambientais e sociais que assolam a humanidade. Inerente à promoção deste conceito está o de participação pública, que permite institucionalizar, em diversas esferas de governo, a actuação directa dos cidadãos, organizados ou não, na decisão dos interesses da sociedade. A participação, surgindo como contraponto ou complemento dos processos da democracia representativa, é uma questão central da promoção da sustentabilidade. No centro da investigação que levámos a cabo, está a Agenda 21 Local, enquanto processo que prevê a elaboração de um Plano de Acção multissectorial, envolvendo os vários sectores da comunidade, por forma a implementar a sustentabilidade a nível local. No caso concreto da Agenda 21 Local de Vila Franca de Xira, através da aplicação de inquéritos aos participantes nas sessões públicas realizadas, procurou-se descortinar um perfil de participação e o potencial efectivo de utilização da deste processo para a configuração de uma democracia mais participativa. A Agenda 21 Local, neste caso concreto, revelou ir de encontro às percepções societais dos participantes e à sua visão de desenvolvimento, bem como possuir um alto nível de atractividade, face ao seu carácter dinâmico e flexível, respondendo à necessidade diagnosticada de tornar a democracia mais participada.<br>A emergência de um novo paradigma de desenvolvimento, o do Desenvolvimento Sustentável, vulgarizado em 1987 através do Relatório Brundtland “O Nosso Futuro Comum”, surge num contexto de crescente consciencialização das populações face às prementes questões ambientais e sociais que assolam a humanidade. Inerente à promoção deste conceito está o de participação pública, que permite institucionalizar, em diversas esferas de governo, a actuação directa dos cidadãos, organizados ou não, na decisão dos interesses da sociedade. A participação, surgindo como contraponto ou complemento dos processos da democracia representativa, é uma questão central da promoção da sustentabilidade. No centro da investigação que levámos a cabo, está a Agenda 21 Local, enquanto processo que prevê a elaboração de um Plano de Acção multissectorial, envolvendo os vários sectores da comunidade, por forma a implementar a sustentabilidade a nível local. No caso concreto da Agenda 21 Local de Vila Franca de Xira, através da aplicação de inquéritos aos participantes nas sessões públicas realizadas, procurou-se descortinar um perfil de participação e o potencial efectivo de utilização da deste processo para a configuração de uma democracia mais participativa. A Agenda 21 Local, neste caso concreto, revelou ir de encontro às percepções societais dos participantes e à sua visão de desenvolvimento, bem como possuir um alto nível de atractividade, face ao seu carácter dinâmico e flexível, respondendo à necessidade diagnosticada de tornar a democracia mais participada.

There is a noticeable improvement in the quality of the lives of women engaged in economic activities beyond the home. In a democratic South Africa, women – including those in rural areas – are being freed from their fixed gender roles. Today women are regarded as co-participants in any undertaking, whether as organisers, natural environmentalists or economists, in order to achieve sustainable development. It is for this reason that a number of laws and statutory bodies are in place to speed up the empowerment of women. Consequently, women as individuals or groups are doing their best to respond to the call of democracy in order to balance the equation which has for long remained skewed. In the study area of the Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality, women have initiated projects through mobilisation of their capabilities and available resources to sustain their personal needs, and those of their households. Hence, their well-being with regard to health, nutrition, mobility and social connectivity has improved. There is no doubt that these women are primary breadwinners for their families on a daily basis, as the majority have no other source of income or their husbands’ jobs are taken by migrant labour. The research reveals that, unless women stand up and take action to disprove what is known as ‘feminisation of poverty’, nothing good can happen. Through Participatory Rural Appraisal and Community Asset Mapping techniques, an observation of ethical considerations, participants responded willingly and exposed the realities of their lives. One remaining challenge that needs to be constantly monitored is that there should be a balance between policies and practices with men needing to be empowered to understand, accept and assist in the empowerment of women with a view to achieving sustainability in almost every undertaking.<br>Geography<br>D.Litt. et Phil. (Geography)