Environment Improvement: How Individual Efforts Lead to Community Participation Parul Goyal Wasan Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, India E-mail:
[email protected] Abstract: The paper presents three case studies aimed at examining the factors relating to individual efforts within real life context in order to improve the sustainability of their environment, with the help of multiple case study methodology. These case studies investigate an ecological transformation within real-life context through the efforts of certain individuals. These individuals act as social-environmental initiators and conceive, believe and act upon an opportunity that others in the community either fail to see, believe in; or lack courage to pursue Their actions and behavior were contrary to what the community behavior exhibited. This aspect is supported by the SES model that pointed out that the initiator of the activity generally takes the first step long before the community, and the Government . The initiator also acts as a) role model for the community, b) encourages community participation, and c) acts as go between the community and the providers viz. Government, large NGOs and corporations. These case studies act as exemplars and (and are not exhaustive ) identified the individual efforts for environment and social development. This is an original research which depends upon secondary sources present in both digital and traditional media. Keywords: individual effort, community participation , behavior change, interpersonal communication 1. Introduction Although ecology and human development have a reciprocal influence on each other, its only during the past few decades that sensitivity for the ecological causes has grown exponentially, resulting in a growing effort for socio-ecology integration.