Participatorylearningandaction

58 58 participatory learning and action

Towards empowered 58 participation: stories 58 and reflections Come on board, good citizens! Were here to give you' a voice in a Look! deliberative 58 some new democratic people to engage process! 58 with! 58 June 2008 Deliberative what? Couldn t you stop our crops' being washed away again?

58 © Kate Charlesworth participatory learning and action

Participatory Learning and Action, Contributing to the series supports democracy and full participation in (formerly PLA Notes and RRA Notes), is We welcome contributions to decision-making and governance. We strive published three times a year in April, Participatory Learning and Action. For to reflect these values in Participatory August, and December. Established in information and guidelines, please see Learning and Action. For further 1987, Participatory Learning and Action the inside back cover. information about IIED contact IIED, 3 enables practitioners of participatory Endsleigh Street, London WC1H 0DD, UK. methodologies from around the world to Subscribing to Participatory Learning Tel: +44 20 7388 2117 share their field experiences, conceptual and Action Fax: +44 20 7388 2826 reflections, and methodological Subscribe to PLA and read the latest issues Website: www.iied.org innovations. The series is informal and free online: www.ingentaconnect.com/ seeks to publish frank accounts, address content/iiedpla/pla Participatory development issues of practical and immediate value, Read PLA 53-54 free online: www.ingenta Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) encourage innovation, and act as a ‘voice connect.com/content/iiedpla/pla is an umbrella term for a wide range of from the field’. Read PLA 1-52 free online: similar approaches and methodologies, We are grateful to the Swedish www.iied.org/NR/agbioliv/pla_notes/ including Participatory Rural Appraisal International Development Cooperation backissues.html (PRA), Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA), Agency (Sida) and the UK Department for To subscribe, please complete the Participatory Learning Methods (PALM), International Development (DFID) for their subscriptions form at the back of this issue Participatory Action Research (PAR), continued financial support of or contact: Research Information Ltd. Farming Systems Research (FSR), Participatory Learning and Action. The (RIL), Grenville Court, Britwell Road, Méthode Active de Recherche et de views expressed in this publication do not Burnham, Buckinghamshire SL1 8DF, UK. Planification Participative (MARP), and necessarily reflect the views of the funding Tel:+44 1628 600499 many others. The common theme to all organisations or the employers of the Fax: +44 1628 600488 these approaches is the full participation authors. Email: [email protected] of people in the processes of learning Website: www.researchinformation.co.uk about their needs and opportunities, Editors: Holly Ashley, Nicole Kenton and and in the action required to address Angela Milligan. Back issues them. Strategic Editorial Board: Ivan Bond, Nazneen Most back issues are available to The methods used range from Kanji, Jethro Pettit, Michel Pimbert, Peter download free of charge visualisation, to interviewing and group Taylor and Sonja Vermeulen. online in PDF format. Recent issues are work. The common theme is the also available online and are free to promotion of interactive learning, shared International Editorial Advisory Board: subscribers, or can be purchased online. knowledge, and flexible, yet structured Oga Steve Abah, Jo Abbot, Jordi Surkin See our website for details. To purchase analysis. These methods have proven Beneria, L. David Brown, Andy Catley, back issues of Participatory Learning and valuable for understanding local Robert Chambers, Louise Chawla, Andrea Action in hard copy please see the green perceptions of the functional value of Cornwall, Bhola Dahal, Qasim Deiri, John order form at the end of this issue. All resources, processes of agricultural Devavaram, Charlotte Flower, FORCE Nepal, IIED publications, including Participatory intervention, and social and institutional Ian Goldman, Bara Guèye, Irene Guijt, Learning and Action back issues, are relations. Marcia Hills, Enamul Huda, Vicky Johnson, available through: In recent years, there has been a Caren Levy, Sarah Levy, Zhang Linyang, PJ Earthprint Limited, Orders Department, number of shifts in the scope and focus of Lolichen, Ilya M. Moeliono, Humera Malik, PO Box 119, Stevenage, Hertfordshire participation: Marjorie Jane Mbilinyi, Ali Mokhtar, Seyed SG1 4TP, UK. • emphasis on sub-national, national and Babak Moosavi, Neela Mukherjee, Trilok Tel: +44 1438 748111 international decision-making, not just Neupane, Esse Nilsson, Zakariya Odeh, Fax: +44 1438 748844 local decision-making; Peter Park, Bardolf Paul, Bimal Kumar Email: [email protected] • move from projects to policy processes Phnuyal, Giacomo Rambaldi, Peter Reason, Website: www.earthprint.com and institutionalisation; Joel Rocamora, Jayatissa Samaranayake, We regret that we are unable to • greater recognition of issues of Madhu Sarin, Daniel Selener, Anil C Shah, supply, or respond to requests for, free difference and power; and, Meera Kaul Shah, Marja Liisa Swantz, hard copies of back issues. • emphasis on assessing the quality and Cecilia Tacoli, Tom Wakeford, Eliud understanding the impact of Wakwabubi and Alice Welbourn. The International participation, rather than simply Cover illustration: www.katecharlesworth.com Institute for promoting participation. (adapted from www.nanojury.org.uk) Environment and Recent issues of Participatory Learning Design and layout: Smith+Bell Development (IIED) is and Action have reflected, and will Printed by: Russell Press, Nottingham, UK committed to continue to reflect, these developments There is no copyright on this material promoting social and shifts. We particularly recognise the and recipients are encouraged to use it justice and the importance of analysing and overcoming freely for not-for-profit purposes only. empowerment of the power differentials which work to Please credit the authors and the poor and exclude the already poor and Participatory Learning and Action series. marginalised. It also marginalised. participatory learning and action Number 58 June 2008

THEME SECTION CONTENTS 1. Towards empowered participation: stories and reflections Tom Wakeford and Jasber Singh (guest editors)...... 6

THEME 1: CITIZENS’ JURIES AND SIMILAR PARTICIPATORY PROCESSES: STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES 2. The people’s vision: UK and Indian reflections on Prajateerpu Kavitha Kuruganti, Michel Pimbert, and Tom Wakeford...... 11 3. Mali’s Farmers’ Jury: an attempt to democratise policy-making on biotechnology Peter Bryant...... 18 4. The UK Nanojury as ‘upstream’ public engagement Jasber Singh ...... 27 5. Citizens’ juries in Burnley, UK: from deliberation to intervention Elham Kashefi and Chris Keene...... 33 6. Community x-change: connecting citizens and scientists to policy makers Nigel Eady, Jasber Singh, Alice Taylor-Gee, and Tom Wakeford ...... 39 7. Hearing the real voices: exploring the experiences of the European Citizens’ Panel Niall Fitzduff, Peter Bryant, Gwen Lanigan, and Catherine Purvis ...... 44 8. Shorts: four brief analyses of citizens’ juries and similar participatory processes....48 8a. Ignoring and suppressing grassroots participation in a northern English town Tom Wakeford, Bano Murtuja, and Peter Bryant ...... 49 8b. The art of facipulation? The UK government’s nuclear power dialogue Transcript of UK TV’s Channel 4 News, 19th September, 2007 ...... 51 8c. Genetically modified meetings: the Food Standards Agency’s citizens’ jury Extract from a report from the Policy Ethics and Life Sciences (PEALS) Research Centre, Newcastle University, UK ...... 53 8d. If we have time, motivation and resources to participate, does that mean we gain authority and power? Right 2B Heard Collective and Swingbridge Video ...... 54

THEME 2: PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING: LESSONS FROM LATIN AMERICA AND THE UK 9. The watering down of participatory budgeting and people power in Porto Alegre, Brazil Daniel Chavez...... 57 10. Participatory budgeting in the UK: a challenge to the system? Heather Blakey ...... 61

THEME 3: GENDER ISSUES AND CHALLENGES OF REPRESENTATION 11. The Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS: from principle to practice? International Community of Women living with HIV/AIDS ...... 67 12. Understanding local difference: gender (plus) matters for NGOs Nazneen Kanji and Su Fei Tan ...... 74 13. The ivory tower and beyond: Bradford University at the heart of its communities Jenny Pearce, Martin Pearson, and Sam Cameron ...... 82

1 2 CONTENTS 4 Thechangingfaceofcommunityparticipation: theLiverpoolblackexperience 14. THEME 4: COMMUNITY ACTIVISM FROM THE GRASSROOTS 16. Communityparticipation:‘activists’ or‘citizens’? 15. RCPLA Network In Touch Tips for Trainers Editorial REGULARS 19. Rosesandpeople:exploringsustainablelivelihoodsintheRosevalley, Bulgaria 18. Ontheroad tochange:writingthehistoryoftechnologiesinBolivia 17. GENERAL SECTION RESOURCES ONLINE THEME ARTICLE ABSTRACTS AND David Clay Madhusudhan Girijana Deepika:challengesforapeople’s organisationinAndhraPradesh,India Jackie Haq Louise ChawlaandJillKruger Phila Impilo!LiveLife! Preslava Nenova W.Jeffery BentleyandGrahamThiele ...... 3 ...... 138 ...... 91 ...... 145 ...... 134 ...... Ways tohealingforchildren inlong-term hospitalcare ...... 104 121 128 113 88 97 editorial

Welcome to the 58th issue of transforming the power of oppressed Regular features EDITORIAL Participatory Learning and Action. peoples via participation. This issue has a reflective focus and Tips for Trainers follows on from the 40th issue, About the guest editors The featured tip in this issue is published in 2001, entitled Tom Wakeford and Jasber Singh are about democracy walls – a Deliberative democracy and citizen guest editors of this special issue. They structured open space where empowerment, guest-edited by are both participation practitioners. participants can post their ideas Michel Pimbert and Tom Wakeford. Tom works for the Beacon for Public and opinions in a workshop Issue 40 focused on participatory Engagement initiative at Newcastle setting. methods and approaches that seek to and Durham Universities in the UK, enhance deliberative democracy and and is a Visiting Fellow at the In Touch citizen empowerment. This current International Institute for Environment These pages include book reviews, issue picks up on the theme of and Development. Jasber is based at events, workshops and on-line deliberative democracy, looks at the London Wildlife Trust where he resources. successes and failures in citizen works with young people and involvement programmes and communities experiencing oppression. RCPLA update examines some of the changes in the Read the latest news from the world of participation since 2001. Acknowledgements Resource Centres for Participatory This issue has been produced with the Learning and Action network – About this special issue additional financial assistance of the and become a member! Many of the articles in this issue are Beacons for Public Engagement from the North, mainly the UK, initiative at Durham and Newcastle Update on multimedia training however since issue 40, several universities, the Joseph Rowntree kit on Participatory Spatial countries from the South are now Charitable Trust, the Economic and Information Management and engaging in these deliberative Social Research Council (ESRC), the Communication democratic processes, as we can see Northern Rock Foundation, and the In April 2008, PLA co-Editor Holly from four of the articles in this current Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences (PEALS) Ashley participated in a two-day issue. At the end of the theme Research Centre. As ever, we are also workshop hosted by the Technical section, we provide an abstract of grateful to the UK Department of Centre for Rural Cooperation each article, followed by relevant International Development (DfID) and (CTA) in the Netherlands. The PLA internet resources. the Swedish International Editorial team is a member of a The theme section is broken into Development Cooperation Agency consultative group which is four sub-sections: (Sida) for their continued financial helping with the development of a • the strengths and weaknesses of support of the Participatory Learning modular multimedia and citizens’ juries and similar and Action series. multilingual training kit on participatory processes; participatory mapping practice. • participatory budgeting; General section The title and the purpose of the • gender and representation; and This issue also includes three general project is ‘Support to the spread • grassroots community activism. articles. Firstly, we have an article from of “good practice” in generating, The overall aim of this special Bolivia on participatory methods to managing, analysing and issue of PLA is to allow practitioners test new technologies with farmers. communicating spatial to reflect on some of these aspects of The second general article is on information’. The project is jointly participation. By fostering a deeper participatory mapping among those funded by CTA, IFAD and the Ford understanding of participation we whose livelihoods depend on rose Foundation, and the training kit hope to promote improved policies cultivation in Bulgaria. The third article will be available from CTA in and practices. We believe the articles looks at ways of engaging in 2009/2010. For more information, call for an increased global solidarity processes of healing with children please contact Giacomo Rambaldi, among those committed to who are in long-term hospital care. Email: [email protected]

3 EDITORIAL

Follow-up on PLA 57 – Following a call for papers in our which provide working examples Immersions: learning about last issue, we received two research from practice. The articles will be poverty face-to-face proposals which are now being based on a selection of papers We hope you enjoyed issue 57, which discussed with IKM Emergent. If the presented at the Web2ForDev 2007: seems to have generated a lot of work goes ahead, one of the Participatory Web for Development

EDITORIAL interest. We are hoping to hold a expected outcomes would be an issue conference, Rome, September 2007. special event on the topic at the UK of PLA which would capture some of It will be co-published by IIED and Department of International the challenges and ways forward for CTA. Development office’s in London in participatory work. September. We hope to have more news in Forthcoming issue our next issue. In the meantime, if For PLA 60, we are hoping to produce Update on IKM you have particular experiences in this a special issue on community-based PLA co-editor Angela Milligan area that you would like to share, adaptation methods to climate attended a conference in Cambridge, please contact Angela at change. The issue would look at the UK organised by IKM Emergent. IKM [email protected]. methods used by communities to Emergent is a five-year research and cope with climate change impacts communication programme funded Next issue: PLA 58 – Participatory (such as floods, rising sea levels, by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign web for development, December droughts and other extreme weather Affairs. It brings together a group of 2008 events). In addition, the special issue development researchers and There are dozens of emerging would look at methods communities practitioners concerned with the ways interactive web applications and worldwide are using to reduce their knowledge is created, handled and services (often referred to as the greenhouse gas emissions. If you have used in development practice. It is participatory web, or Web 2.0). These had any relevant experience, please particularly concerned with multiple can enhance the ways we create, do send us contributions to consider knowledges – different kinds of share, and publish information. But for this issue. knowledge from different sources – these technical opportunities also We hope that PLA 58 will provide and how to ensure that all relevant bring challenges that we need to you with some interesting food for knowledges are considered, including understand and grasp. Some of the thought and we look forward to your those which are often overlooked key questions that this special issue feedback. Please continue to send us such as local knowledge and will seek to address include: articles for our general section, or knowledge generated in the ‘South’. • How can Web 2.0 applications be material for In Touch or Tips for We are currently discussing the integrated with participatory Trainers. Please visit our website possibility of some joint work between development approaches? (www.planotes.org) for our guidelines IKM Emergent and PLA which would • How can they facilitate and for submissions. Here too subscribers look at what happens to knowledge contribute to people’s participation can link with IngentaConnect to generated in the course of participatory and decision-making? download the latest issues. work at local level. Does it feed into • What are the challenges and Holly Ashley, Nicole Kenton, and regional, national or international level barriers to people’s participation? Angela Milligan, Co-editors strategies and policies? What happens • How do we address factors such as if it conflicts with these strategies? Is it access, equity, control, and shared between organisations at local oversight? PLA 57 errata level? What are the barriers to using • Can Web 2.0 applications challenge p3. – 1st column – Fahamu is a pan-African NGO not a Kenyan NGO. the knowledge in this way and how fundamental social inequalities? p.137 – VIPs should be Very Important have organisations and individuals This forthcoming special issue Person visits (not Village Immersion overcome them? aims to publish a collection of articles, Programmes).

4 Theme section

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Nothing we have done as guest editors of this special issue would have been possible without the efforts of the practitioners who have contributed such excellent articles. Just as vital have been the, often unacknowledged, participants in the processes that have been described. It is an unwritten assumption of all those who have contributed to this issue that we owe an immense debt to the insights and wisdom these hundreds of individuals have put into every process we describe. We had hoped to facilitate a process whereby such participants could author their own articles to accompany each of the practitioner perspectives. Unfortunately, lack of resources has meant that just one short contribution by Right 2B Heard, (Article 8d), takes this approach. We would like to thank all our colleagues at the Policy Ethics and Life Sciences (PEALS) Research Centre, where we were both based during the inception of this project, particularly Anne Galbraith, Tom Shakespeare and Tom Martin. At the Newcastle-Durham Beacon for Public Engagement, we'd like to thank Joanne Walker and Catherine Purvis. At IIED we’d like to thank Khanh Tran-Thanh, Angela Milligan, Holly Ashley and most of all, Nicole Kenton. Tom Wakeford and Jasber Singh Guest Editors

5 6 THEME SECTION scape inwhichweoperate. 2001), three trends havetransformedtheparticipationland- by MichelPimbertand Tom Wakeford. 1 reflections participation: storiesand Towards empowered • An • The rhetoricofparticipationhas becomeamainstayof tive democracyandcitizenempowerment structures. forces existingknowledge-validating anddecision-making ment, involvementor‘givingpeopleavoice’merely rein- in thisway, muchofwhatisclaimedtobepublicengage- A secondlinkedthemeisthat,ratherthanempowerpeople in theprocesses ofknowledgegenerationandpolicy-making. should create opportunitiesforpeople’s broader engagement ipation. Allare premised onthebeliefthatparticipation This specialissueisessentiallyaseriesofstoriesaboutpartic- Introduction by TOM WAKEFORD andJASBER SINGH See www.iied.org/NR/agbioliv/pla_notes/pla_backissues/40.html Guest edited 1 dations andotherorganisations withinfluenceongovern- pers andmagazines. everyday occurrences onradio,TVandinpopularnewspa- ‘have yoursay’–viatextmessage,emailortelephoneare Nations tolocalcouncils.IntheUKatleast,invitations policy documentsandpoliticalspeechesfrom theUnited In thesevenyearssinceoneofusjointlyeditedDelibera- ad hoc alliance ofmarketresearch corporations,foun- 1 ( PLA Notes40, www.involve.org.uk/deliberative_principles public engagement:nineprinciples 2 A recent exampleisInvolve&NationalConsumerCouncil,2008 their owndoorstep. ignore therichtraditionsofsocialjusticemovementson schemes thatpromise avoicetocitizens,yetwhichlargely have workedwithpolicymakerstodevelopandvalidate tioners andpromoters ofbest practiceinparticipation.They ment havepresented themselves ascutting-edgepracti- 2 . Involve,London.See PLA Notes PLA Front coverillustration, Deliberative 40.

Cartoon: Regina Doyle 7

1 THEME SECTION based on the PLA (Kuruganti and colleagues, article 2). Towards empowered participation: stories and reflections stories and participation: empowered Towards We contrast domesticated participation with what some domesticated participation with what contrast We their practice in All our contributors have written about The way that scientific or medical expertise is deployed in The way that scientific or medical expertise Contributors point to the disappointment in what appear One citizens’ jury in the UK (Kashefi and Keene, article 5) analysts are calling empowered participation (Fung, 2006). participation calling empowered analysts are range of participation practitioners and Last year we asked a to this issue of analysts to contribute to be ignored, following logic: if participation continues we will not only fail to live up to or domesticated, suppressed but will risk sacrificing some of of participation, the promise the democratic gains made by our predecessors. to empowered the belief that only by looking at the barriers approach, participation, with an honest and self-evaluative that stand a will practitioners be able to formulate strategies scale necessary to chance of making an impact on the our various global crises. address About the articles in this issue factors that Each contributor to this special issue highlights for genuine participation in the potential have threatened – as was the particular contexts. Obstacles may be political case with Prajateerpu that already aware In other cases, organisers may not even be such as women or disabled people, have groups, oppressed the participatory been further marginalised by the way 12). article (Kanji and Tan, was organised or analysed process in several papers, is also explored participatory processes 11), climate article focusing on the issues of HIV/AIDS (ICW, change (Eady and colleagues, article 6), nanotechnology (Shorts 8c; Bryant, article 3). (Singh, article 4), and GM crops in public engagement. Citizens’ juries to be token exercises or panels can easily become ‘a new toy for academics, policy and elites,’ as Fitzduff makers and other professional when institutions or governments colleagues stress, have no (article 7). in acting upon their recommendations interest real influential partly because it was well-supported before proved it began, but also because its conclusions meshed with established government health targets. By contrast, attempts to model of participatory budgeting in the UK Brazil’s replicate government as prevailing article 10) have foundered, (Blakey, decision-making. grassroots financial targets pre-empted also suggestions (Chavez, article 9) that the Latin are There have been based American model on which the UK processes The than has been acknowledged so far. problematic is more l’ECID (Bryant, article 3), stands out as a Mali farmers’ jury, owes much to both a methodology and success story, rare devised together with members of a successful political 3 The hierarchical structure and pre-defined missions of and pre-defined structure The hierarchical The resulting participatory programmes usually fail to programmes participatory The resulting of ignoring or suppressing those of its outcomes that do of ignoring or suppressing not suit its agenda (see Shorts 8a). that the outcome suits those purposes (see Shorts ensures call these practices ‘domestication’, in so far as they 8b). We the ability of participants to speak and think for restrict themselves. citizens. On the one hand, citizen involvement programmes citizens. On the one hand, citizen involvement envisaging people as semi-passive a shift from promise as ‘makers and ‘users and choosers’ to seeing them the same authorities may withdraw funding shapers’. Yet, particular identities – such as visible with groups from minorities experiencing oppression. An example from the UK was the threat by Ealing local council to withdraw funding the UK was the threat An example from Empowered participation, suppression or suppression participation, Empowered domestication? participation as stemming from of Overall we see the failures a combination of structural issues within powerful organisations, together with the misuse of participation techniques to advance particular agendas. in order many government departments, associated delivery agencies antithetical to successful partic- and private corporations are 'business as usual', such organi- avoid disrupting ipation. To strategies adopt one of two broad sations may therefore when dealing with participation processes: and then to devise a means a genuine process facilitate • To that manipulations of the process engage in a range of • To • has been a subtle change in how policy makers view There achieve their stated goal of engagement with citizens and achieve their stated goal of engagement that programme could even lead to a participatory citizenship to challenge the status quo. attempts undermines grassroots from the Southall Black Sisters, perhaps the UK’s best known group working on best known group the Southall Black Sisters, perhaps the UK’s from black and minority ethnic women from domestic violence and other issues affecting minorities in in Britain. The council said it did not want to privilege the ethnic groups the well over the majority white population. In doing so it ignored the local area documented particular dangers young black women face in their homes and in the , based vividly portrayed in the 2007 film Provoked These issues were local community. on a book of the same name by Kiranjit Ahluwalia and Rahila Gupta. 3 made by our predecessors.” “…if participation continues to be “…if participation or domesticated, suppressed ignored, fail to live up to the we will not only but will risk of participation, promise gains sacrificing some of the democratic 8 THEME SECTION 1 Tom Wakeford andJasber Singh • thetranscriptofayoutube.comfilmmadebypeoplewith • a citizens’juryonGMcrops where thequestionaskedof • agroup ofrandomlychosenUKresidents, someof whom byanunrecep-• an ethnicallydiversecommunity governed ent contexts: organisations todomesticatetheirparticipationinfourdiffer- of theinterfacebetweenpeopleandattemptsbylarge called Shorts(article8),fourbriefcontributionsgiveglimpses making inthehugestate-runUKhealthsystem.Inasection UK healthagencythatwasintendedtodemocratisedecision- explore adeliberativeprocess thatwascommissioned bya book byCeliaDavisandcolleaguesisreviewed. Itsauthors processes withlocalresidents. IntheTouch universities, andoneinparticular, toengageinparticipatory Pearson andCameron, article13)looksatefforts of UK engage largeinstitutionsinparticipation.Thefirst(Pearce, come togethertoempowerawholecommunity. participatory decision-makingandcommunityactivismhave under threat from developmentprogrammes. Inthiscontext, to reclaim indigenousknowledge,culture andlivelihoods control overfoodandfarming,inafar-reaching campaign has revived informalmeetings,Gotti,torevitalise community an indigenouspeople’s organisationcalled consultation’. InAndhraPradesh(Madhusudhan,article16), agency-led‘community tion ofcitizens’juriesorgovernment activism inBritainthe1970sand80swithtoday’s promo- the achievementsofsustained,grassroots community farmer jurors. movement, and,tothestatusandpoliticalactivismof find principlesofgoodpractice. would bemisguided.We do,however, believeitispossibleto such processes ineverycontext.Butwebelievethisexpectation of findingablueprintthatwillguaranteetheeffectiveness of commissioning participatoryprojects, mayread guidance standard forsocialresponsibility, ISO26000. Organisation (ISO)couldincorporategood practiceinparticipationavoluntary 4 There hasrecentlyStandards beenasuggestionthattheInternational a conference (Shorts8d). when amajorUKcharityaskedthemtogivetheirviewsat experience ofbeingthe‘citizens’inparticipatoryprocesses the policyprocess (Shorts8c); andfinally, agencyprejudicedthe jurybyagovernment itsimpacton power (Shorts8b); consultationonnuclear felt dupedbyaUKgovernment England(Shorts8a); tive towncouncilinnorthern Many people,particularlypolicymakersororganisations Two articlesandfourshortpapersfocusonattemptsto Two papers(Clay, article14andHaq, 15)contrast 4 Three themesrunthrough this section, arecent Girijan Deepika PLA in thehope debate –makingusseemalmost cult-liketosomecolleagues response tothishostility, critical wesometimes spurned • reflective practice. • longtimehorizons;and • theneedforcounter-balances; misunderstood andrejected bymainstream researchers. ing. Onceweconstitutedasmall group whoseapproach was capacity, asparticipatorypractitioners, forreflection andlearn- Finally, weare encouragedbytheincrease inourcollective Reflective practice opment, ifitcanbesustained. Chavez (article9)maybeapromising modelforglobaldevel- practice. ThePopularSovereignty Networkdescribedby with HIV/AIDS(article11)holdpowerfullessonsforfuture structures CommunityofWomen bytheInternational Living along withtheattemptstoforgenewglobalparticipatory nity activismdescribedbyClayandHaq(articles1415), space canbemaintained.Pastefforts atgrassroots commu- genuinely empoweringisthelengthoftimeparticipative The secondingredient thatmakesaparticipatoryprocess Long timehorizons to empowered participation. bodies, andthusovercome perhapsthesinglebiggestbarrier balance theweightofprincipalsponsoringbodyor mechanism isused,suchstructures canacttocounter- or settingupabroadly-based steeringcommittee.Whatever financing grassroots organisationstobecomeco-organisers can beenabledbythesettingupofmulti-stakeholderpanels, Archon Fung(2006)calls‘countervailingforces’. These forces or domestication,havebeenthosewhichincludedwhat that havefostered empowerment,ratherthansuppression The examplesofparticipatorypracticeinthisspecialissue The needforcounter-balances issue thatare particularlyrelevant forpractitioners: 5 that followedacritique ofparticipationbyantropologist PaulRichards (1995). already haveit.” who needit, rather thantothosewho to shiftpowerandknowledgethose significant challengesiftheyare tohelp “Future participatoryprocesses face This wasdisplayedinthefrankexchange betweenpractitionersandtheorists 5 In 9

1 THEME SECTION 6 (Kuruganti, Pimbert and Wakeford, REFERENCES Fung, A., (2006) Empowered Participation; Reinventing Urban Democracy, Princeton University Press (1995) ‘Participatory Rural P. Richards, Appraisal: A quick and dirty critique.’ PLA Notes 24, 1995. Online: www.iied.org/NR/ agbioliv/pla_notes/pla_backissues/24.html#AB2 Towards empowered participation: stories and reflections stories and participation: empowered Towards Prajateerpu Both The professional acceptance of participation within acceptance The professional we make – for recommendations Alongside the three This is a four-year pilot programme largely funded by the UK government. largely funded pilot programme See This is a four-year article 2) and the Nanojury (Singh, article 4) showed that article 2) and the Nanojury (Singh, article benefits in the blurring of bound- great potentially are there Those involved in the aries between people and professors. against a range of powerful also came up two processes recognised and other officially scientists, barriers that prevent the validity of and affirming acknowledging experts, from experience rather than knowledge that comes through formal training. participatory academia is a testament to the many successful justice and environmental designed to achieve social projects Struggling is a paradox here. But there at the grassroots. who contribute to the community organisations grassroots risk disempow- approaches of participatory mainstreaming legitimacy to academic ering themselves. In providing potentially helping organisations to win they are researchers, that they might wish to call on. funding sources grants from face significant challenges if participatory processes Future and knowledge to those who to help to shift power they are have it. need it, rather than to those who already and the establishment of long-term processes diverse control, acknowledgement of the need to learn our mistakes – from is a single overriding priority: that the capacity to chal- there comes to be acknowledged as funda- lenge power structures mental to a just society. the future – the use of participatory processes to make the – the use of participatory processes the future of co-produc- process questions a very formation of research putting people who have become tion. This will often involve on an equal footing with those who experts via experience have done so via formal training. 6 the web resources section for further information. the web resources Jasber Singh London Wildlife Trust Skyline House 200 Union Street London, SE1 0LX UK Email: [email protected] In 2008, six UK university-based Beacons for Public Now an increasing number of practitioners are dedicating practitioners are number of Now an increasing CONTACT DETAILS CONTACT Wakeford Tom Beacon for Public Engagement Newcastle University 6 Kensington Terrace NE1 7RU Newcastle upon Tyne UK Email: [email protected] http://beacon.ncl.ac.uk Website: Towards empowered participation? empowered Towards prac- is a general bias towards acknowledge that there We is also this issue of PLA. There in tice in the UK and Europe to participatory the danger of assuming that the answers rather than elsewhere. universities dilemmas will come from for International Centre University’s That said, both Bradford Policy Ethics Participation Studies and Newcastle University’s have made Centre and Life Sciences (PEALS) Research themes all three attempts to develop practice that addresses than of this special issue, though neither would claim more very partial success. a key additional challenge for Engagement began to address in our lack of reflection on both principles and practice. As on both principles and practice. in our lack of reflection flooded in, thanks to government for enthusiasm resources that critical so busy ‘doing’, we were participatory initiatives, Participation became attractive thinking was not prioritised. adopted the language of empower- who to entrepreneurs suited them, but ment and cherry-picked methodologies that in many examples resulting the underlying principles, ignored of the very of pseudo-participation and the disempowerment meant to deliver a voice. people to whom such initiatives are cycles of learning and reflection themselves to making regular Pearson and by Pearce, to their practice. The article core into to the inroads (article 13) is testament Cameron by participatory innovators being made academic culture with acceptance who can combine practical effectiveness This is aided by the increasing their fellow academics. from the global across sympathy for participatory approaches higher education system. Theme 1: Citizens’ juries and similar participatory processes: strengths and weaknesses

THEME SECTION 1 11 Photo: Sarojini Naidu School School Naidu Sarojini Photo: jury presenting their vision. presenting

Member of Prajateerpu 2 report launch, interviews with report process, through which Indian smallholder through process, Prajateerpu After the Prajateerpu Indian smallholder farmer representatives peppered UK news peppered Indian smallholder farmer representatives newspapers and websites. Soon, the director programmes, authors was one of the report’s of the UK institute where the vision of global elite’s farmers had critiqued the prevailing and rural development – Vision 2020 (see food, agriculture Box 2). (Telegu 1

Anjamma stated that she and her fellow jurors had Anjamma stated that she and her fellow jurors The report inspired a political cartoonist for the UK’s inspired The report ‘Endogenous’, meaning ‘rising from within’. See ‘Endogenous’, meaning ‘rising from 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endogenous At a meeting held at the UK Houses of Parliament on 18 the Indian state of Andhra 2002, a smallholder from March She gave a personal Pradesh stood up to launch a report. called Prajateerpu account of a participation process Introduction contro- see Box 1) that remains verdict’, – meaning ‘people’s versial even as we write, six years later. would have concluded that genetically modified (GM) crops malnutrition in Andhra impact on reducing little foreseeable concerns had expressed about the impact Pradesh. The jurors on artificial fertilisers and pesticides would that a reliance They called instead for have on smallholders in the region. and endogenous development in local self-sufficiency global movement for farming and food, joining a growing food sovereignty. by KAVITHA KURUGANTI, MICHEL PIMBERT and TOM WAKEFORD TOM and MICHEL PIMBERT KURUGANTI, by KAVITHA

Indian reflections on Prajateerpu Indian reflections The people’s vision – UK and vision – UK The people’s Guardian newspaper to depict the-then UK Secretary of State newspaper to depict the-then UK Secretary Guardian for International Short, as a combine Development, Clare the fields, tossing smallholder harvester rampaging through Beneath this, a columnist summarised farmers into the air. 2 12 THEME SECTION 1 Kavitha Kuruganti, MichelPimbertand Tom Wakeford captured byanyvestedinterests. credibility oftheentire process, ensuring inparticularthattheprocess wasnot 2 tors formallyapologised. against thetwoauthorsrevoked. Oneoftheinstitute’s direc- directors ofthetwoinstitutessawdisciplinaryaction together withinterventionsbyBoard membersandformer threats ofcollectiveaction indefenceofacademicfreedom, a popularcampaign,theUKinstitutelifteditsban.Union media coverageofthereport’s censorshiphelpedtomobilise groups inIndia,where andmainstream extensiveInternet by oneofthetwoUKinstitutesinvolved.Afteranoutcry jointly withIndianorganisations,thereport waswithdrawn was suspended,theotherdisciplined.Althoughpublished opment. Dayslater, oneofthereport’s twoprincipalauthors devel- based wascontactedbytheministerforinternational Box 1: What was The role and oftheoversightpanelwastomonitorandevaluatefairness modified citizens’juryknownas future offoodandfarmingintheirregion. This participatoryprocess, a took partinaparticipatoryexplorationofthreebroadscenariosforthe In 2001, agroupofsmallholderfarmersin Andhra Pradesh (AP), India, of thefuturescenariostowhichwitnesseshadreferred. scenario forsustainableandequitableagriculture, andinsertelements GM cropsintheabstract, thejurorswereabletobuildtheirown and developmentexperts. Ratherthansimplyacceptingorrejecting representatives ofbiotechnologycompanies, stategovernmentofficials farmers. Overfourdays, theycross-questioned13 witnesses, including local NGOs. Supreme Court, aseniorofficialfromdonoragencyandnumberof overseen byapanelthatincludedretiredchiefjudgefromtheIndian of thepotentialgeneticallymodified(GM)crops. The jurywas 2 The juryof19consistedmostly Prajateerpu Prajateerpu ? of thejury. to contactpotentialmembers of Hyderabad, India, planning colleagues from theUniversity Dr Vinod Pavarala and , includedanassessment Dalit or indigenous

Photo: Sarojini Naidu School Guardian a machineofdestruction. International Developmentas the UKSecretary ofStatefor cartoon depicting

Cartoon: The Guardian 13

2 THEME SECTION 1 4 Praja- Prajateerpu ’s conclu- ’s process Prajateerpu Prajateerpu process re-enforced the jurors’ critique of govern- critique the jurors’ re-enforced process The people’s vision – UK and Indian reflections on on Indian reflections – UK and vision people’s The Sitting in a large tent-like structure on the edge of a small Sitting in a large tent-like structure GM crops and industrial farming are high on the politi- and industrial farming are GM crops on the in the 2002 report The analysis presented

For full details on how jurors were selected, presentation of different visions, of different selected, presentation were For full details on how jurors

Kavitha Kuruganti, one of Kavitha Kuruganti, facilitators, three facilitating a discussion of women. between a group sions displeased senior DfID officials. They made an official sions displeased senior DfID officials. researchers at Hyderabad University, they heard three clearly three they heard University, at Hyderabad researchers The first depicted life under articulated visions of the future. Bank and UK-aid funded plan. The Vision World 2020 – the The third crops. second looked at the export of organic by Indian philoso- promoted a path of self-reliance, explored phers such as Mahatma Gandhi. people with officially-recognised from village, they heard visions. Aided by three expert knowledge on the different questioned speakers – jurors facilitators – all native Telegu these ‘witnesses’ and slowly formulated their own vision for food and farming in their native state of Andhra Pradesh. ment and corporate development policies, describing the to citizen participation in the approach UK government’s state as ill-conceived and inadequate. cal agenda in India and the UK. The jury’s decision to reject cal agenda in India and the UK. The jury’s of smallholder farmers GM as an answer to the problems global newspaper coverage. Members of Parlia- received the ment in both the UK and Andhra Pradesh considered issues serious enough to table questions to their governments, both formally and informally. teerpu 4 safeguards for quality and validity and design of the deliberative process see process for quality and validity and design of the deliberative safeguards (2003) ‘Prajateerpu, power and knowledge: The T. Pimbert, M. & Wakeford, in development. Part I: Context, process politics of participatory action research Action Research, 1(2), 184–207 and Andhra Pradesh Coalition and safeguards.’ lead by groups, 2003 (a coalition of over 140 grassroots in Defence of Diversity, the Deccan Development Society) Description of the and video (www.ddsindia.org.in/www/default.asp) Prajateerpu.wmv. www.ddsindia.org.in/www/videos/ Photo: Sarojini Naidu School School Naidu Sarojini Photo: . report, but report, Prajateerpu jurors, witnesses jurors, Prajateerpu process in an online forum process Prajateerpu Subsequently, the same authors Subsequently, 3 participants were women. All except participants were Prajateerpu Prajateerpu Most Another, smaller group of analysts associated with the smaller group Another, Over the following years, two distinct viewpoints on this Over the following years, two distinct viewpoints Pradesh, India, and in based in both Andhra One group, Released on India’s Republic Day in 1999, Vision 2020 sets out the future Vision Republic Day in 1999, Released on India’s as envisioned by its government – a Andhra Pradesh of the state of 2020 seeks to transform all Vision eradicated. future in which poverty is It aims to build human areas of social and economic life in the state. and focus on high-potential sectors as the engines of growth, resources, governmental UK The transform governance throughout the state. the major external Department for International Development (DfID) was AP at the time of support agency to the government of Working with the World Bank, the British government supported a Bank, World with the Working AP and in structural adjustment programme for poverty elimination the Both DfID and 2020. Vision funded elements of the government’s to refocus its spending priorities AP government Bank helped the World Specific support and divest functions and services in chosen areas. capacity to AP’s efforts were made to strengthen the government of 2020. Vision programme outlined in manage the privatisation Scoones, I. & Thompson, J. (Guest Editors) PLA Notes 46 Participatory processes Box 2: Vision 2020 2: Box 3 for policy change, February 2003, www.iied.org/NR/agbioliv/pla_notes/pla_ not, to the online forum were from backissues/46.html. These edited proceedings the authors’ knowledge, subject to anonymous peer review. Participation with policy impact Participation cannot be about the process Such enduring controversy conclu- of the jury’s nature the controversial from divorced sions about food and farming, and of the jury itself. one jury member also came from castes and indigenous one jury member also came from of the lowest social status in Indian society. ethnic groups Andhra Pradesh by throughout together from Brought have criticised the process in an online review article (Table in an online review have criticised the process 1). who were not involved in the hearings, expressed their not involved in the hearings, expressed who were of the disapproval sponsored by DfID in 2003. sponsored and analysts. Because of the level of controversy, the organ- and analysts. Because of the level of controversy, process of this reflection isers decided to submit the results in two articles published to an academic journal – resulting in 2003 and 2004. institute which attempted to ban the ‘participatory controversy’ have emerged: have ‘participatory controversy’ UK, began a partic- various universities and institutes in the It was funded by diverse of the process. ipatory review agency (DGIS) and including the Dutch development sources It involved many Charitable Trust. Joseph Rowntree the UK’s UK and Indian partners, four 2 14 THEME SECTION 1 Kavitha Kuruganti, MichelPimbertand Tom Wakeford subsequently suggests thatthestarkrecommendations of the reforms suggestedbythejurors. Theevidencegathered authors andIndiancoalitionmembers feltadutytopublish livelihoods from 2020 policies, the theDfID-backedVision smallholders, whowere underimmediatethreat ofloss commitment toopeninguppolitical spacewithmarginalised while thebadpracticetheyexposecontinues.Givenour have ahabitofdisappearingintobureaucratic ‘blackholes’, practice issue confirm,documentscriticalofgovernment tional outcome.However, asseveralarticles inthisspecial programme through privatechannels,foralessconfronta- ers shouldhavecriticisedDfID’s citizenparticipation independent observers. Arice’–cooperatedfully,‘Vitamin providing witnessesand andSyngenta–thebiotechfirmwhichcreatedgovernment began. TheWorld Bankdeclined totakepart.ButtheAP on theoversightpanel,butwithdrew before thehearings to ayearbefore and manyotherrelevant organisations,were contacted up AP andbiotechnologycorporationsintheprocess. Yet these, holders, suchasDfID,theWorldof Bank,theGovernment not makesufficient efforts toinvolvesomeofthekey stake- Critics havesuggestedthatthe Engaging withpower Five challengesanddilemmas by informalcontactfrom theSecretary ofState. complaint totheUKresearch institutesinvolved,backed up Some criticshavesuggestedthat Prajateerpu took place.DfIDagreed tobe into the Telegu language. with simultaneousinterpretation presenting tothejuryonGMcrops, Partha DasguptaofSyngenta, Prajateerpu Prajateerpu’s organisers did organis-

Photo: Sarojini Naidu School public debatetheyinitiated. Prajateerpu livelihoods. ent continentswhoexperiencesimilarthreats totheirrural groups ofsmallholderfarmers(includingjurors) from differ- between involved. Thishasallowedtransformativelearning issue) inwhichoneorotherauthorshere havebeen tical Action,Cooper made linksbetweensimilarprocesses inZimbabwe(viaPrac- scaling upofPrajateerpu hearings haveexpressed regret atthelackofmuch-needed authorities. jurors ofPrajateerpu undertake suchinclusiveparticipatoryprocesses, andthe biotechnologists havehadopportunityandtheresources to icant roll-out oftheprogramme. DfIDandcorporate human andfinancialresources availableprevented asignif- shops tothisendin2002and2003.However, thelimited highlighted bytheoriginaljurors. IIEDconvenedtwowork- further similareventsintheregion, drawingoutthemes suggested thatPrajateerpu Those workingwithmarginalisedsmallholdersinIndiahave A long-termstrategy such astherejection ofGMcrops, support fordiverse,low important andonwhichthere wascompleteagreement, have chosentofocusonthe topicstheyconsidered most facilitators (oneisaco-author ofthisarticle),thejurors may jurors framedtheirrecommendations. Assistedbythelocal obvious toallwhotookpartand mayhaveinfluencedhow publicity, andwastherefore potentiallyinfluential.Thiswas process. expressed andcompetenceofthe satisfactionatthe fairness quism, from accusingtheorganisers ofsuchparticipatoryventrilo- not seemanyevidencetosupportthisview(seeTable 1).Far thus avoiding‘contentionanddisagreement’. Yet there does dissenting viewsandaimingonlyforasingularconclusion’, organisers of‘imposingsimplisticconsensus’by‘editingout group ofcriticshavepersistently accused gence are familiartopractitionersinthisfield.Yet, asmall processes drivethoseinvolvedtowards consensusor diver- Dilemmas relating totheextentwhichparticipatory Deliberation inevitablyinvolvesdialogueandoftendissent. Consensus All thoseinvolvedinorganisingtheoriginal The eventhappenedintheglare ofconsiderablenational Prajateerpu’s broadly-based oversightpanel had impactbecause–notinspiteofthevery have soughtgreater inclusionfrom such et al.,2003)andMali(seeBryant,this in thestate.However, IIEDhas should havebeenfollowedup Prajateerpu’s Prajateerpu 15

2 THEME SECTION 1 . Prajateerpu Prajateerpu , government agencies Prajateerpu has led to at least three key areas of learn- key areas has led to at least three The people’s vision – UK and Indian reflections on on Indian reflections – UK and vision people’s The By publicly raising questions about the quality of the By publicly raising questions about the Prajateerpu processes can be organised by non-state actors, including processes those with legitimacy among some of the most margin- in such initiatives is that Inherent alised people in society. will threatened are powerful elites who feel their interests Organisers must such processes. usually seek to discredit be highly organised, committed and use a range of advocacy methods to enable the discussion of controversial issues with diverse communities. Defined by Via Campesina as: Via Defined by to define their own food and agriculture; ‘… the right of peoples to and trade in protect and regulate domestic agricultural production the to determine order to achieve sustainable development objectives; to restrict the dumping of to be self reliant; extent to which they want and to provide local fisheries-based products in their markets; and the rights to communities the priority in managing the use of but rather Sovereignty does not negate trade, Food aquatic resources. practices that serve it promotes the formulation of trade policies and healthy and ecologically the rights of peoples to food and to safe, sustainable production.’ Box 3: Food sovereignty Food sovereignty 3: Box It is no coincidence that the strongest attacks came from It is no coincidence that the strongest commitment to a vision for organisations with the strongest undermined by the conclu- that was food and agriculture smallholders and labourers. by nineteen rural sions reached in participatory process the emerging from temporarily sidelined the united message unequivocally on food sover- vision, which was based jurors’ the process eignty (see Box 3). In the long term, however, of technological fixes to has contributed to a re-assessment form a crucial of which GM crops agricultural production, element. The most politically significant of these is the Inter- national Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology concluded that ‘data for Development (IAASTD). The report indicate highly variable yield gains in on some GM crops some places and declines in others’. It did not rule out any but as Practical GM crops, benefit from potential future in April was released Action commented when the report 2008, ‘the IAASTD rightly concludes that small-scale farmers to avert the way forward and ecological methods provide food crisis’. the current participatory processes: ing around action and learning Potentially influential participatory, • But debates on immediate and key decisions being made in But debates on immediate and key decisions sidelined by an were futures and rural food, agriculture methodology of aspects of the assault on core included report chal- report was an exer- Prajateerpu research. To turn it into an To research. Prajateerpu was unprecedented in the history of policy- was unprecedented report imported the political agendas of Euro- report The authors exchanged numerous drafts of the report The authors exchanged numerous Critics who accused the organisers of manipulating the Critics who accused anticipate criticisms about the basis of their vision, the To making in India. And it continues to be a unique process. The significance of the ‘people’s verdict’ ‘people’s significance of the The Prajateerpu Reporting on The people involved in organising Prajateerpu representatives of various Indian social movements and of representatives international non-government organisations. They decided by the two organisers should be written that the report institutions who had the research based in well-resourced to analyse and write. Having two Euro- time and resources – as authors of a report one British peans – one French, in India can be seen as prob- about a participatory process the involved. Yet lematic, however much local people were practical alternative and for was to have no written report or its impact otherwise to be misrepresented, the process diminished. with their Indian collaborators so that the latter could vali- critics implied that the date its contents and style. However, Prajateerpu the pean-based authors. But this judgement misrepresents sophistication of debates on these issues in India, and is contradicted by a close analysis of the publicly accessible By contrast, critics of the process. complete video archive did so in the absence who passed judgement on the process of first-hand observation and without accessing the video Witharchive. much, perhaps most, of the critics’ funding DfID, the agency the coming from to analysts is open as disinterested lenged, their credibility doubt. external-input to land consolida- farming, and opposition tion and contract farming. had merely justification if the jurors jury would have more on for food and agriculture visions chosen one of the three they independent facilitators, Instead, assisted by three offer. eyes of the built a vision of their own, under the watchful oversight panel. after the hearings organisers could have interviewed jurors of the critics ‘delineate the differ- to, in the words in order ent strands of argumentation’. But Prajateerpu cise in participatory action own analysis overtook the juror’s academic where exercise would undermine the very prin- in public prominence words ciples of participatory learning and action. 2 16 THEME SECTION 1 Kavitha Kuruganti, MichelPimbertand Tom Wakeford • Broad transnationalcoalitionsofcivilsocietyorganisations, • • Manyexpertsandheadsoforganisationsprofess tohave Table 1: Two viewsofthesameparticipatoryprocess Witness complaint witness Biotechnology peer-reviewed been anonymously analysis thathas Reference to Area ofanalysis Prajateerpu Prajateerpu response to government’s Pradesh state UK and Andhra Organiser bias response to opinion-formers Civil societyand begins. strategy needstobefirmlyinplace wellbefore theprocess to beeffective, aclearadvocacyandpoliticalengagement become temporarilysuppressed ormarginalised.However, have beenmade,evenifthe initialconclusionsreached roots-based analysesofpolicies thatcouldnototherwise to positivesocialchange.Itisimportantvalidategrass- action-researchers andmarginalisedgroups cancontribute power. viduals andorganisationsresponsible forsuchabusesof explore more effective waysofbringingtoaccountindi- openly confronted andwidely publicised.We alsoneedto opment andpoliticalvalues.Suchpracticesneedtobe their organisationalstrategyorownvisionofdevel- if theconclusionsreached are contrarytotheirinterests, or sideliningperspectivesofmarginalisedpeople,both, find waystojustifycensoringuncomfortableinformation, ideals thatsupportsuchinclusiveprocesses. Butmanyalso . . peer-review. objective. This analysishasnotbeensubjecttoanonymous None, butauthorsimplythattheirownanalysisisthemost Not mentioned. about theprocess. Monsanto sentawitnesswho, itisimplied, complained governments ‘condemned’ it. governments ‘condemned’ Not analysed, beyondanimplicationthatboth 2007). researchers notpresent at Comments madeina2007report byagroup of Several witnessescomplainedoftheprocessbeing ‘rigged’. policies. farmers wouldbe ‘undermined’ bynewgovernment An ‘instrumental’ process, drivenbyaconcernthatpoorer Prajateerpu Prajateerpu (Stirling et al et ence politicaldecisions. themselves asexpertsbyexperience withtherighttoinflu- rant anddispensablepawns, andenablethemtore-cast begin toescapetheirportrayal bypowerfulelitesasigno- such asIAASTD.Participatory processes canallowpeople to scientificandpolicy-makingprocessesinput forinternational living andworkingatthegrassroots. Itprovided valuable aim ofallowingarigorous process ofco-inquirywiththose Yet itseemsclearthat between oppressed peoples andthosewhosubjugatethem. other thanaminorskirmishinlongertermstruggle cessor. We havefewillusionsthatPrajateerpu maintained thesamecentralthrustofpolicyasitsprede- jurors seemstohave –thenewlyelected state government on agriculturaldevelopmentcondemnedby in theelectionsof2003–partlybecauseverypolicies teerpu clear whothevictorsare, sevenyearsonfrom thePraja- the Britishwartimeleader, Churchill. We Winston are not The phrase‘historyiswrittenbythevictors’credited to Final reflections ., interest insupporting Vision 2020. Government criticsinUKand Andhra Pradeshhadvested record. Syngenta, notMonsanto, sentawitness. Nocomplaintison complained thatthereweretoomanypoorfarmersonthejury. Only onewitness, amulti-millionairecorporatefarmer, Agricultural Scienceand Technology forDevelopment. government. UsedtoinformtheInternational Assessment of Widely supportedbycivilsocietyorganisationsandsomein (Pimbert and Wakeford, 2002; 2004). Authors acknowledgethatallperspectivescanonlybepartial Three articlespublished, allsubjecttoanonymouspeer-review. hearings. AlthoughtheGoAPwasvotedoutofoffice (IIED, 2004). review whichincludedIndiangrassroots organisations Response oftheauthors ofthisarticle, drawing ona analyse differentperspectivesandpolicyfutures. balanced, whichallowedthosenormallyexcluded aspaceto A processviewedbyanindependentpanelasfairand Prajateerpu did succeedinitslimited Prajateerpu’s is anything 17

2 THEME SECTION 1 Prajateerpu , Volume 2(1): Action Research, Volume Prajateerpu, power and knowledge: The Stirling A., Leach M., Mehta L., Scoones I., Stirling A., Leach M., Mehta J. (2007) Smith A., Stagl S., Thompson towards more Empowering Designs: steps of sustainability. progressive social appraisal IDS, Sussex. Online: www.stepscentre.org/PDFs/final_steps_design.pdf and Pimbert, M. (2004) T. Wakeford, ‘ in politics of participatory action research and development. Part 2: Analysis, reflections implications.’ 25–46 PLA Notes Prajateerpu The people’s vision – UK and Indian reflections on on Indian reflections – UK and vision people’s The A Farmers’ Jury: The . ITDG Working Paper, Practical Paper, . ITDG Working Prajateerpu, power and knowledge: The REFERENCES in Defence of Andhra Pradesh Coalition of the Diversity (2003) Description process www.ddsindia.org.in/www/default.asp Video: www.ddsindia.org.in/www/videos/ Prajateerpu.wmv Coupe, S. et al. (2003) of on the Future Zimbabwean Poor's Verdict Agriculture Action: UK IIED (2004) Review of Prajateerpu process: Proceedings of workshops in Hyderabad and Medak District, (Unpublished) IIED: London (2003) T. Pimbert, M. & Wakeford, ‘ in politics of participatory action research and development. Part I: Context, process 1(2) Action Research, Volume safeguards.’ (2002) ‘Prajateerpu: T. Pimbert M. & Wakeford for Andhra Pradesh: Food and Farming Futures Economic A Citizens Jury/Scenario Workshop.’ and Political Weekly. www.epw.org.in/epw/uploads/articles/4324.pdf Scoones, I. & Thompson, J. (2003) 46: Participatory processes for policy change. Online: www.iied.org/NR/agbioliv/pla_notes/ pla_backissues/46.html CONTACT DETAILS CONTACT Kavitha Kuruganti for Sustainable Agriculture Centre No. 1 12-13-445, Street Tarnaka Secunderabad 500017 India. Email: [email protected] Michel Pimbert Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources Livelihoods Programme, Group International and Institute for Environment Development (IIED) 3 Endsleigh Street London, WC1H 0DD UK Email: [email protected] Wakeford Tom Email: [email protected] http://beacon.ncl.ac.uk Website: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Naidu Photos by kind permission of the Sarojini School of Performing Arts, Fine Arts and Communications, University of Hyderabad. 18 THEME SECTION 1 3 making onbiotechnology attempt todemocratisepolicy- Mali’s Farmers’Jury:an makers. and focusesonexaminingthejury’s impactonlocaldecision Mali carriedoutsomefivemonthsafterl’ECIDtookplace, istheresult ofavisitto cultural biotechnology. Thisarticle perspectives ofthepeoplemostprofoundly affected byagri- points, thevoicesofthoserarely askedforopinions,andthe L’ECID represented view- anattempttoamplify alternative attempt tochallengethehegemonyofpro-GM discourses. was anexperimentindeliberativedemocracy, andabrave recommendations andinfluence future policy-making.This tunity toshare knowledge andmakeaseriesof ously marginalisedfrom policy-making processes, theoppor- Deliberation). Itsetouttogivefarmers,whohavebeenprevi- pellation Démocratique farmers' jurywasknownasl’ECID( (GM) crops inthefuture ofthecountry’s agriculture. This ered inSikassotodeliberatetherole ofgeneticallymodified Towards theendofJanuary2006,45Malianfarmersgath- Introduction by PETERBRYANT (2007). ACTSPress: Nairobi, ISBN9966-41-148-8. Clark, N.G.,Mugabe,J.andSmith,with BryantP., HarshM.andHirvonen,M., 1 A longerversionofthisarticleispublished in 1 – Citizen’s SpaceforDemocratic Biotechnology PolicyinAfrica, Espace Citoyend’Inter- practice andsupportlocalfarmers’.” strengthen traditional agricultural package ofrecommendations to reject GMcrops andinstead ‘proposed a “The farmers agreed unanimouslyto • involving a numberofinformationproviders whooffer a • bringing togetheradiversegroup of20to30citizensfor of themhaveanumberfeatures incommon: they haveclaimedis)arepresentative sampleofcitizens.Most out opinionsonanissueofpublicsignificancefrom (what policy-making avoice.Othershaveuseditaswayoffinding as anattempttogivethosepreviously marginalisedfrom use ofthismodelintheUKandUS.Ithasbeenusedbysome model. Overthepast20yearsthere hasbeenwidespread deliberative process strongly influencedbythecitizens’jury Sikasso regionMalitookpartinl’ECID,aMalian insouthern Between 25th–29thJanuary2006,45farmersfrom the The Farmers’ Jury, Mali, January 2006 further rangeof perspectivestothegroup; an in-depthdeliberation; 19

3 THEME SECTION 1 Steering Group Paysannes (AOPP) Paysannes Radio Kene Switzerland (RIBios), UK Development (IIED), Lyegoli Assemblée Lyegoli Mamadou TEMBELE, Régionale Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER) TOGOLA, Mamadou Centre Djoliba Souleymane OUATTARA, Jubilee 2000 CAD/Sikasso Issiaka DEMBELE, Associations des Organisations Professionnelles Oumarou SANOGO, Textiles Compagnie Malienne de Développement des SIDIBE, Youssouf Télévisions (URTEL)/ Union Rurale des Radios et Daouda MARIKO, Conseils Kene Boukary BARRY, Reseau Interdisciplinaire Biosecurite Barbara Bordogna PETRICCIONE, International Institute for Environment and Michel PIMBERT, Table 1: Executive Committee members of the ECID Executive 1: Table Mali’s Farmers’ Jury: an attempt to democratise policy-making on biotechnology on policy-making democratise attempt to an Jury: Farmers’ Mali’s The women’s group at work during group The women’s The jury sessions. the deliberation emphasised the selection process of need for equal representation in particular farmers, different producers. women and small scale in Geneva. (RIBios) of the L’ECID was organised by the Regional Assembly of L’ECID check the rigour of the process. and advantages they carry; and the industrialisa- both in favour and against GM crops and tion of agriculture; of farming in Mali. future

• producing a set of recommendations; and finally a set of recommendations; producing • • of an oversight panel of key stakeholders who the presence In Mali l’ECID aimed to enable farmers: and the risks to have a better understanding of GM crops • • witnesses, expert viewpoints and cross-examine to confront • for policies on GM and the to formulate recommendations the International Sikasso, with methodological support from and Development (IIED) in London Institute for Environment and the Réseau Interdisciplinaire Biosécurité Institut Universitaire d’Etudes du Développement by the Swiss Development funding was provided Project Photo: Michel Pimbert Michel Photo: 3 20 THEME SECTION 1 Peter Bryant was senttoboth pro- andanti-GMexperts forcomments. tion before theprocess of deliberationcommenced.Theguide mation guideonGMfortheparticipants, toprovide informa- agree withthemtheirrole. Secondly, itcommissionedaninfor- Sikasso toexplaintheprocess tolocalactorsanddiscuss visited eachofthesevendistricts (cercles)intheregion of NGOs.Firstly,international in2005,thesteeringcommittee respected ex-Ministerand representatives from four strong oversightpanelwas established.Itconsistedofawell- providing methodological support (seeTable 1). NGOs bodies,inadditiontotheinternational government approximately 15members from variousNGOs,unionsand plan thecitizens’jury. Thissteeringgroup wasmadeof Affairs (DGIS). Cooperation (SDC)andtheNetherlandsMinistryofForeign In keepingwithusualcitizens’jurymethodology, aseven- A steeringgroup wassetup inJune2005todevelopand expert witnesses. jurors cross-examined the session, duringwhichthe The questionandanswer selection criteriahadbeensatisfied. approved bythesteeringcommitteewhocheckedallof the in eachdistrictproduced alistof45participants,which was back theinformationtoactorsindistricts’.Meetings needed tohaveacapacitylisten,communicateand‘report producers aswellawomen’s group). peasant organisationsandunions(large,smallmedium CMDT were represented, aswellthoseaffiliated to categories offarmer/producer usedbythecottoncompany at least30%ofparticipantswere women,andthatallfour regional districts.Theselection criteriaaimedtoensure that tion process toidentify45farmers/producers from theseven million inhabitants.Thesteeringcommitteeagreed aselec- 2 Compagnie MaliennedeDéveloppement desTextiles The Sikassoregion hasapopulation ofmore than1.6 2 . Jury membersalso

Photo: Michel Pimbert 21

3 THEME SECTION 1 This opinion was verified by the coordinator of an Inter- This opinion was verified by the coordinator for without This is a significant achievement for l’ECID, of l’ECID of the role was one very clear indication There Kokozié of the Sikasso Regional Assembly, The President The critics, drawing upon their own disciplines, …the delay has been because of the jury. It has been a …the delay has been because of the jury. great impact, this has caused a problem. Everyone is pointing at this Citizens Jury in Sikasso… The impact (of l’ECID) has been very Mali) negative… Here (in made things are stalling because of the misinformation worse by the jury. Because Sikasso is so important the government is scared to go forward. are under great pressure to accept the OGM (Genet- We ically Modified Organisms) – but if it is accepted, will the farmers be able to afford the seed? But who brings the who will own this? It will not be us. seed and the fertiliser, anti-GM campaigners and most convincingly from key pro- and most convincingly from anti-GM campaigners Commenting on his frustration over his GM decision makers. of Minis- to take legislation to the Council continuous efforts first crops of GM the introduction ters, which would allow servant revealed: field testing, one civil through national Biosafety project: to be for GM crops difficult it is very such legislative approval introduced. amongst politicians. It was of the issue in raising awareness the Sikasso Regional from to learninteresting of a request l’ECID follow-up work- of the Bamako Assembly for a repeat the Regional Assem- shop (held in July 2006) for members of made At this workshop, five of the farmer jurors bly. summing up their deliberations. This was presentations and lengthy discus- followed by an explanation of the process in the context of sion. This development must be considered (as the main agricul- the economic importance of the region and also in the context of the power of the tural producer) of a Regional Assembly after decentralisation. In the words senior civil servant: his knowledge confirmed that the jury had improved Traoré, is no GM, then so shall his opinion – and that if the jury’s opinion be. He finished the interview with the following: Mali’s Farmers’ Jury: an attempt to democratise policy-making on biotechnology on policy-making democratise attempt to an Jury: Farmers’ Mali’s 3 The oversight panel agreed a list of 25 ‘experts’ who were a The oversight panel agreed and GM crops to reject unanimously The farmers agreed passed on to the Sikasso were The recommendations recommendations. recommendations. A more detailed explanation of the methodology followed and the A more 3 recommendations produced is given in ARdS, 2006. produced recommendations jurors themselves.” jurors “The jury was not only a tool for “The jury was as a transformative it acted activism: The themselves. jurors element for the an impact on farmers, jury had farmers’ for and on people both on politicians, and finally on the against GM crops, It is too early to judge any long-term impact of the hosting some five months after the event, However, of this process. facilitators and a number of key decision makers, process impacts. It appears that identified some very real farmer jurors of legislation which needs to be in place before the approval had been indefinitely delayed can be introduced GM crops both of l’ECID. This suggestion came from result as a direct L’ECID: the impact L’ECID: invited to present to l’ECID. Ten refused or were unable to were or refused Ten to l’ECID. invited to present for four days to hear presen- take part. Participants gathered France, farmers from the ‘experts’, including tations from Burkina from South Africa and India, government researchers NGOs. After each Faso and Mali, scientists and various to pose questions and discuss able session, participants were After the final deliberative together what they had heard. to ask any of the experts to able session, participants were Eight experts were return and answer further questions. (based upon groups invited back. The participants worked in a set of final the CMDT farmer classification) to produce recommendations. to a package of recommendations instead ‘proposed traditional agricultural practice and support local strengthen included: farmers’. Such recommendations agenda for research; • a proposed to farmer learning;• approaches • a vision of organic farming; to tackle biodiversity; and • measures • the a suggested list of decision makers who should receive Regional Assembly on January 29th 2006. 3 22 THEME SECTION 1 Peter Bryant commented: to rubbishthemethodology. Oneseniorcivilservant complained aboutthelack‘ofscientificbasis’andattempted campaigner stated: introduction ofGMcrops toMali.OneMali-basedanti-GM that infactl’ECID’s mainimpactwillbeonlytodelaythe impacts listedabove.However, lesshearteningisthefeeling which challengespowerbases,maybeheartenedbythe discourse, andleadinginsteadtoatransformativeprocess pation thatiscapableofgoingbeyondtherhetoric representing MalianFarmers’Organisations)alsosaid: Organisations PaysannesduMali said: strategy togetGMlegislationpassed,oneseniorcivilservant farmers’ organisationcommented: around GMcrops amongst farmers.Oneofficial from amajor can beseen–thatofanincreased awareness oftheissues with thisinmindthatoneofthe othermainimpactsofl’ECID witnessed through thestrikesof1991,1996and2000. Itis cal activismandwillingnesstoflexcollectivemuscleas the farmerisstrengthened bythehistoryofpowerfulpoliti- based information. It’s easytoscarethemratherthangivethescience source. Fromascientificviewpointthisisnotfair. The anti-GMpeoplegaveinformationwithoutgivingthe can doisdelayit. OGM (GeneticallyModifiedOrganisms)willcome–allwe these people.Pleasebecareful. mind ortheresearcher’s, but,itis akindofwarningto The recommendationswillnotchangethepolitician’s forget about the recommendations and then try again. forget abouttherecommendationsandthentry anotherway.They aretrying Wait till they (thepublic) Those searching forevidenceofanapproach topartici- Another keypro-GM stakeholderstated: Ibrahim Coulibaly, CNOP(CoordinationNationaledes Outlining whathedescribedasthegovernment’s new The notionthatinMalioneofthekeydecisionmakersis – anumbrella organisation the jurors themselves: sands ofMalians. to beextendedfrom thel’ECID venuetothehomesofthou- commented ontherole ofthe mediainallowingthedebate as didthenationalTVchannel.Manyinterviewees live everyday. Three nationalnewspaperscovered theevent interest. Sevenlocalradiostationsbroadcast thedeliberations process wasundoubtedlyassistedbythehighlevelofmedia Assembly: regional branchofonefarmers’organisationcommented: representatives.and government ThePresident of the into thecountry.” delaying theintroduction ofGMcrops national debateandultimatelyin Mali, bothintermsofstimulatinga “L’ECID hashadaveryreal impactin us. Iamreadyto taketheserecommendations forward. strongbecausemanypeoplebackhomesupport I feelvery become powerful. recommendations youarepowerful, youyourselfcan We cameoutwithgreatstrength.Whenyouhavethe heart. I’mnotafraidofthis. one millionpeople.Iwillbeabletotalkthemwithmy and givetherecommendationstotenthousandpeopleor It hasgivenmeconfidencesoI’mnowpreparedtotalk the issue. We arehappyit(l’ECID)hasstartedtohelpusunderstand us makeupourmind. We helped werenotsurewhatOGMmeansbutthejury to others. us tounderstandtheproblem;wethenwentoutspeak then camebackandgaveusareport.Theirreporthelped Our associationhelpedchoosethemembersandthey The juryclearlyalsobuiltthecapacityandconfidenceof The increased awareness andnationalimpactofthe This wasreiterated bythePresident ofSikassoRegional This increased awareness alsoextendedtoNGO,union 23

3 THEME SECTION 1 This broadening of the debate has allowed alternative This broadening within economic fixes became embedded Technical genic crops; agendas. cultural research debate, but this was simplified to allow producers to make the decision. the point of encouraging us to increase yields with What’s GMOs when we can’t get a decent price for what we already produce? perspectives to be developed and articulated. Many impor- grappled with, including: tant issues were of trans- the production ethical and cultural issues around • of existing organic modes of production; • the role and of women in agriculture; • the role • of who should be involved in the setting of agri- questions contexts: Mali’s Farmers’ Jury: an attempt to democratise policy-making on biotechnology on policy-making democratise attempt to an Jury: Farmers’ Mali’s The process of citizen deliberation The process good media and inclusion enjoyed a with all hearings coverage, live by seven local broadcasted in the Sikasso region. stations radio A member of l’ECID steering committee said: Usually the debate is at the intellectual level. The jury was not only a tool for activism: it acted as a The jury people to understand the intellectual permits

L’ECID also presents an opportunity to examine the produc- an opportunity to examine also presents L’ECID tion of scientific knowledge in Mali. It clearly opened up the a farmers’ from debate to a wider audience. An official organisation commented: Science, knowledge and citizenship Science, transformative element for the jurors themselves. The farm- transformative element for the jurors ers’ jury had an impact on farmers, on politicians, on people and finally on the jurors both for and against GM crops, of debate and made themselves. The jury raised the profile It or lesser extent. of issues to a greater people aware momentum. and it created responses provoked Photo: Michel Pimbert Michel Photo: 3 24 THEME SECTION 1 Peter Bryant Panel, offers thefollowing: making processes. Ousmane Suy, ChairoftheOversight demonstrated theabilityofcitizenstocontributepolicy- process, hestated: anythingfromasked ifhehadlearnt hisinvolvementinthe producers’ organisationand awitnessatthejury. When to publicpolicydecisions. communities andproducersarecapableofcontributing The successoftheexerciseprovesthatdecentralised truth –Ilearnta lotfromthisprocessandIrealised Ididn’t the peoplewhodealwithfarming. Ithasbeenahumbling lectual andafarmer;butIrealised thatthetruthiswith intheruralworldbecauseIamanintel- knew everything One thingIdiscoveredwasthat beforegoingIthought Others talkedveryconvincinglyofhowl’ECIDclearly Such anopinionwasalsooffered bytheheadofa the first dayofhearings. coverage oftheeventafter jury reading thenewspaper Participants ofthecitizens’ remain anonymous summeduptheirfeelings asfollows: above otherknowledge.One key role playerwhowished to knowledge whichsawanordering ofscientificknowledge cultural research organisation) revealed anapproach to views withthree keyscientists(includingtwofrom astateagri- base thatusesknowledgeasa meansoflegitimisation.Inter- without havingahierarchy ofknowledge. forms andsources ofknowledge canbebrought together– the expertandlay, anacknowledgement thatdifferent is agoodseed. Maybe it’s notwritteninabookbutweunderstandwhat and they’veneverbeentoschool. know anything.Thepeoplewhoarethefarmers Inevitably forsome,l’ECIDrepresented athreat toapower These statementsrepresent aclosingofthegapbetween And from afarmerjuror himself:

Photo: Michel Pimbert 25

3 THEME SECTION 1 One scientist commented that the main learning point If the farmers were better educated they would ask them (the government) to sign the decree. Conclusion: from deficit to dialogue from Conclusion: in terms of impact in Mali, both has had a very real L’ECID stimulating a national debate and ultimately in delaying the an It presents into the country. of GM crops introduction example of decision-making in action and raises questions for scientists was to reinforce their communication strategy for scientists was to reinforce so that, using the deficit model, farmer knowledge could be In none of the interviews with scientists did a improved. single one of them admit to gaining new knowledge from the farmers. The final verdict, with farmers' recommendations, is delivered. Mali’s Farmers’ Jury: an attempt to democratise policy-making on biotechnology on policy-making democratise attempt to an Jury: Farmers’ Mali’s The same opinion also comes from a retired senior scien- a retired The same opinion also comes from In a classic example of the use of the ‘deficit model’, If they have the right information they can make the right choice. The decree has not been signed and the blockage is due to the lack of information. People are against it because they don’t have enough information.

tist who also wished to remain anonymous: tist who also wished to remain (which sees citizens possessing a knowledge deficit which needs to be filled with expert knowledge), one scien- merely of anonymous) sums up the role tist (who wished to remain process: farmers in the knowledge production Photo: Roger Gaillard Roger Photo: 3 26 THEME SECTION 1 Peter Bryant legitimacy totheprocess doesnotbodewell. follow-up workshoponthebasisthatitwouldpurely give refusal ofonekeyscientisttoattendtheBamakol’ECID deliberation overafewdaysonmore equalfooting.The 15 minutes–letaloneenterapotentiallymore threatening Monsanto andUSAIDtopresent theirownknowledgefor rendered mootwhenoneconsiderstherefusal ofSyngenta, • how doweavoidcontinuingtoprivilegeeliteorexpert • how dowebuilddialoguewhennoteveryoneseeks knowledge: regarding inclusionandexclusiontheprivilegingof Website: www.communityinvolvement.org.uk Email: [email protected] Peter Bryant CONTACT DETAILS forms ofexpertiseovercitizenorlayknowledge? dialogue? However, inthiscasestudy, manyofthesequestionsare verdict.html www.iied.org/NR/agbioliv/ag_liv_projects/ updates isavailableontheIIEDwebsite: The fullreport ofl’ECIDinadditiontoregular NOTES nologies forAfrica’s producers andconsumers. and howdialoguecanhelpusbuildbetteragriculturaltech- dialogue betweenscientistsandcitizenscanbepromoted, should beinvolvedindecision-makingofthissort,howreal does do,however, isallowustoaskquestionsaboutwho agricultural biotechnologiesinAfrica.WhatthecaseofMali participatory democracyintodecision-makingregarding edge. Citizens’juriesare nottheonlywayofintroducing perspectives, otherobjectivesandformsofknowl- thisrequireshappens. Internalising anacceptanceofother generation oflegitimacy–withoutit,theopposite process. Active,engageddialogueprovides atwo-way dialogueisawaytode-legitimise dialogue. Withholding One cannothelpbutfeelthatlegitimacyisbuiltthrough Régionale deSikasso:Mali et descollectivitéslocales,Assemblée Mali. Ministère del’administrationterritoriale en relationavecl’avenirdel’agricultureau Organismes GénétiquementModifiés(OGM) d’Interpellation Démocratique(ECID)sueles Rapport général.EspaceCitoyen ARdS (AssembleRegionaledeSikasso)(2006). REFERENCES

THEME SECTION 1 27 1

a technology has been 4 through public involvement (Willisthrough and See e.g. Genewatch’s report ‘GM Nation? The UK's public debate on GM report See e.g. Genewatch’s “The Nanojury was an attempt to allow “The Nanojury was an attempt open discussion of the policies and developments in nanotechnologies jury process.” a deliberative through 1 crops’. www.genewatch.org/sub-531175 crops’. much of what passed for participation in governance could best be understood as attempts by the powerful to co-opt the worldwide the public (Nelkin, 1975). Thirty years later, indicated that on genetically modified (GM) crops controversy occurring after consultation processes can be used by those released developed and commercially an illusion of public consent for the new in power to create This has led some people to question the wisdom technology. of UK public engagement initiatives such as GM Nation. Following the GM debate, some have suggested that all such the tech- – that is before engagement should occur upstream nology has been developed – as this would allow the technology to be shaped , In Citizens at the Centre

The crisis of confidence in scientific progress among the The crisis of confidence in scientific progress In the 1970s, sociologist Dorothy Nelkin reported that Nelkin reported In the 1970s, sociologist Dorothy In government and commercial circles, developments in In government circles, and commercial and nanotechnologies, science, particularly molecular-scale public Yet economic growth. seen as crucial for Britain’s are confidence in governance and scientific innovation is acknowledged to be low. public participation UK public, combined with calls for greater in governance, docu- has led to what Alan Irwin has recently He mented as a strategic shift in science-society relations. Commission document, which a European quotes from increasingly describes how supposedly ‘innocent’ citizens are their views about the possi- being actively sought to ‘express of science and its impacts on society’ (Irwin, ble directions commitment to engage the public in 2006). The increased policy- and decision-making has been widely science-related Policy makers welcomed as a step in the right direction. and consider that public engagement will bring transparency openness into decision-making on technological develop- public mistrust in science. ments, and will help to address Initiatives in the National Health Service since 1998 have also of (see review followed this trend Introduction this issue). Touch, by JASBER SINGH by JASBER

public engagement The UK NanojuryThe UK as ‘upstream’ 4 28 THEME SECTION 1 Jasber Singh other scientificinnovationsand istraditionallyscepticalof Centre. Greenpeace has ahistoryofprotest around GMand Mark Welland, ofCambridgeUniversity’s Nanoscience Parr ofGreenpeace UK,togetherwithmaterialsscientist The ideaoforganisingaNanojuryprocess camefrom Doug Initiators andorganisers The Nanojuryprocess available. was fullydevelopedor, inmostcases, widely commercially issues thatsurround nanotechnology before thetechnology nologies, theNanojuryprovided apublicspacetodebate public engagementprocesses whichfocusonnewtech- engagement inthepost-GMera.Alongwithmanyother of publicengagementinitiativesthatheraldedupstream public valueofscience’(Stilgoeetal.,2005). ment statethatit‘enablesasocietytodiscussandclarifythe 2004).Furthermore, advocatesofpublic engage- Wilsdon, 2 See onlineresources section,thisissue. The Nanojurywasinitiallyconceivedasoneofastring 2 communities inUganda. of newtechnologiesonrural information abouttheeffect Grace Maiso, whoprovided

Photo: PEALS Research Centre nanotechnologies through adeliberativejuryprocess. to allowopendiscussionofthe policiesanddevelopmentsin try (DTI)andresearch councils.TheNanojurywasanattempt funding bodiessuchastheDepartmentofTrade andIndus- the developmentofscienceisconcentrated–forinstance,in enable ananalysisthatcouldhighlightwhere thepowerin good casestudy. Inparticular, heexpectedtheprocess would opment. Hebelievedthatnanotechnologywouldmakea could highlightthepowerissuessurrounding scientificdevel- processes sincethelate1990s. tle University, whichhasbeenconvening publicengagement (Policy, EthicsandLifeSciencesResearch Centre) ofNewcas- media partner. ThisledtothecollaborationwithPEALS UK Guardian newspaperbecameinvolvedastheproject’s participation intheissuessurrounding nanotechnology. The approach thatstimulateddebateandencouragedpublic • Whatwillbetheeffect ontheenvironment? • Isitpro-poor? itimprove thelivesofmany? • Will • Whowillitbenefit? • Whoisshapingtheagendaonnanotechnology? nology, Greenpeace soughttoposequestionssuchas: (mostly Western)benefitsandcosts.Inassessingnanotech- andbigbusiness,toevaluate opments ledbygovernment developed sophisticatedcritiquesofcertainscientificdevel- simply takinganoppositionalstance,thepressure group has andbusiness-leddevelopment.Ratherthan new government ity ofcitizens’juries intheUKhavebeencommissioned by Whatever therhetoricthatsurrounds them,thevastmajor- The designof the Nanojury recommendations. drafting their the Nanojury Three members of Doug Parrwasparticularlykeentodevelopaprocess that Both DougParrandMarkWelland were keentoadopt an

Photo: PEALS Research Centre 29

4 THEME SECTION 1 4 The UK Nanojury as ‘upstream’ public engagement ‘upstream’ as UK Nanojury The Our reflection on the Nanojury is that the range of organ- Our reflection Reviewed in this issue, In Touch section, p.138. Reviewed in this issue, In Touch To recruit a diverse group of people – 25 in total – the PEALS team a diverse group of people – 25 in total – the PEALS recruit To and randomly from the electoral roll, selected some jury members Yorkshire. West of community organisations in others from a variety on issues relating to against or ambivalent ‘Expert’ witnesses – for, with the nanotechnologies – were invited to share their perspectives then jurors were and for up to 15 minutes, Each witness talked jury. When the free to ask for clarification on any of the points made. with a facilitator to groups of jurors worked witness left the room, The the witness. discuss the issues raised and produce questions for in an open then called back to answer their questions, witness was facilitated to ensure that everyone had space for dialogue and debate, the jurors developed a series After hearing all the witnesses, their say. of recommendations on the development of nanotechnologies. Box 1: The Nanojury process process The Nanojury 1: Box 4 Power relations between organisers and jury members pose between organisers Power relations of public engagement design a challenge to the future a link between the jury and Organisers do provide processes. dynamic between policy makers. But at the same time the interactive, less rigid organisers and the jury needs to be more her co-authors suggest in Citi- As Davies and and engineered. zens at the Centre, ‘in seeking to instate citizen deliberation of policy direction, in a context of handling strategic issues being asked the citizens are on which clarifying the grounds them, an expertise space… is jointly with to speak – creating fundamental’ (Davies et al., 2006). Critical reflections on upstream engagement on upstream Critical reflections engagement such as the Nanojury can open up Upstream the Through emerging technology. the discussion around and how deci- insights into where gained the jurors Nanojury, able to made, and were nanotechnology are sions regarding the Nanojury comment on the developments. In this respect on nanotechnology to the public. opened up the policy arena is the influence that the Nanojury however, What is unclear, has had on policy development. As it stands, it is up to the power holders in business and government to voluntarily is no direct the jury; there ‘take on’ the findings from and their recommendations accountability to respect made in September 2005, promise, perspectives. The DTI’s recom- provisional to the Nanojury’s a response to provide isers created a complex dynamic, with differing claims on a complex dynamic, with differing isers created should be conducted. How how the Nanojury process successfully these multiple agendas achieved the wider objec- further analysis by tive of democratising science requires facilitators and others. jurors, 3 The nanotechnology process gave the jurors little more gave the jurors The nanotechnology process The two-way street engagement process for the Nano- process engagement The two-way street Available online via www.nanojury.org.uk online via www.nanojury.org.uk Available 3 Reflections on the Nanojury style of engagement, with two separate The two-way street critical provided running consecutively, issues and processes and and quality of the jury process, insights into the nature of organisers in defining and influenc- in particular the role participation and outcomes. In the jury on ing the process, of a critical friend, youth issues, the organisers played the role witnesses in conjunction and facilitated finding appropriate During the nanotechnology component of with the jurors. powerful status, the organisers had a more the jury process, to take part and thereby choosing the witnesses who were the quality of the co-enquiry and the framing the process, types of questions asked. The organisers decided which expert than a passive role. This limited the range and should hear. witnesses the jurors substance of the knowledge to be debated, unlike the first on young people and exclusion. phase of the jury process decision makers primarily to provide social intelligence for social intelligence to provide decision makers primarily process or their power is ceded to jurors policy makers. So no consul- Haq, this issue). As a result, (see Kashefi and Keene, leaders the UK. Many community across tation fatigue is rife to take part, having experienced reluctant and workers are act on citizens’ recommenda- to decision makers’ reluctance it vital to organise the tions. The PEALS team considered for people and was resonated in such a way that it process in their prime concerns.rooted It involved a Yorkshire. West jury took place in Calderdale, members of the where first phase with a bottom-up process, jury identified the issues that concerned second, them. In the nanotechnology was specified top-down part of the process, as a focus of concern of the by the funders and organisers with six weeks process The Nanojury was a 12-week process. (see Box 1). The jurors’ dedicated to the bottom-up approach They heard chosen topic was young people and exclusion. detached community workers, youth workers, evidence from During senior police officers. workers and drug rehabilitation on to discuss the the second six weeks, participants went When the deliberations dictated topic of nanotechnology. recommen- collectively produced complete, the jurors were participant-led topic dations, including a short drama on the A separate film was also released and on nanotechnology. in recommendations by PEALS at a launch of the jury’s London in September 2005. 4 30 THEME SECTION 1 Jasber Singh development inthenanotechnologyfield. public involvementviatheNanojuryhasinfluencedpolicyand provisional recommendations –andtobeinformedhow the jury wouldwelcomearesponse bytheDTItoNanojury’s 6 5 its absenceexplained. mendations ‘intheshortterm’hasneitherbeenfulfilled,nor an area ofrecent economic declinehadanopportunityto The Nanojurysucceededinensuring thatpeoplelivingin Towards acommunitydevelopment model are notaddressed bythecurrentagenda. government reorient sciencetowards fulfillingoursocialandhumanneeds, the direction inwhichscience istakingsociety, andhowto oftechnology,public ingovernance about whilekeyconcerns Upstream engagementcan givetheveneerofinvolving significance tothejurors’ perspectives onsocialmatters. distinction betweenscientificandsocialissues,gavemore in commissioningtheNanojuryseemedtoperceive aneat thescience-societydivide.Someofthoseinvolved concerns urgent policychanges. people haddevelopedtheirownexpertiseandwanted processpart ofamutuallearning onissueswhichlocal spheres ofwork,theseexpertsmissedanopportunitytobe the process toencouragenon-specialistsengagewiththeir policy makers.Whilescientistsandmakerstookpartin aged bytheNanojuryfailedtomaterialiseonsideof science-policy agenda.Yet themutualengagementencour- developments, whichshouldbehelpingtoinformthe views andissues,notjustdebateabouthigh-techfuturistic among excludedyoungpeople.Inthiscontext,itisthese crime andthestateofeducationdruguse,especially problems? Jurors mentionedthattheywere about concerned the ground, howcantheydirect theirresearch tomeetthose needs ofsociety. However, iftheycannothearthevoicesfrom Science policymakersclaimtorespond totheproblems and Two ‘one-way streets’ –scienceandsociety http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/23208. processes.” the future designofpublicengagement and jurymembers poseachallengeto “Power relations betweenorganisers http://nanotechweb.org/articles/news/4/9/14, InstituteofPhysicsPublishing,London. See articleinNanotechweb.org,‘NanoJury givesitsverdict.’ 27thSeptember 2005: A majorlessonfrom this dualengagementprocess 5 The jurors andorganisersoftheNano- 6 the publicinthisway. Upstream publicengagementfailstoholisticallyengagewith of allthosewhoare participantsintheprocess (Dean, 1996). ers showthemselvestobeactinginsolidaritywiththelives that engagementisdonerespectfully andthatitspractition- suchintimacy,people theyseektoinvolve.With itiscrucial subtle andintimateprocesses thattouchthelivesof needs. Thejury, andparticipatoryinitiativesingeneral,are around technology, ratherthanhumanandenvironmental to highlightthepoliticaldangersofframingissuessolely engagement process. such aconclusionifitwere notforthetwo-waystreet believe thatthejurors wouldnothavebeenabletodraw grounded inthevaluesofcommunitydevelopment.We demanding thatfuture technologicalprogress shouldbe their locality. Somejurors certainlyseemedtousbe theyraisedwereurgent concerns more directly related to determine anissueonwhichtheywantedaction.The in part,adopted thisstrategy, ashaveparticipatory crop shops –particularlyintheNetherlands andDenmark–have, tify theneedsofcommunity. Pastattemptsatscience fromlearn thecommunitydevelopment modelandiden- are acceptedandofreal valuetothepublic,thenwemust these needs.Ifwewanttosee developmentsinsciencethat identifies theneedsofpeopleandattemptstorespond to adopting acommunitydevelopmentmodel,modelwhich science-society divide.Onewaywecoulddothisisby jury inorder tobuilddiverse strategiestoovercome the directly aboutnanotechnology. scientists andpolicymakersonlylistenedtothediscussions people needed,butmostnanotechnologyspecialists,social jury didmoveintothesecommunityspacesandheard what are andwhere theyhavecreated communities.TheNano- pitches, parent andtoddler groups –towhere thepeople centres, youthclubs,placesofworship,pubs,football tations ofgravity-driveninevitability. upstream-downstream thinking,withitsunfortunate conno- There isanurgentneedtomovebeyondsimplistic opment andcontinuetofosterpublicmistrustinscience? public engagementcontinuetobeaforce inpolicydevel- upstream people andifitisweakonissuesofjustice.Will is polluted–thatis,ifitunabletomeettheneedsof It doesn’t matterhowfaryoumoveupstream ifthestream Moving outofthepollutedstream It isimportantthattheNanojuryexperiencepresented We thisandotherlessonsfrom needtolearn theNano- Initiatives are neededthatmoveintocommunity 31

4 THEME SECTION 1 9 But the Nanojury did more than just But the Nanojury did more 8 The UK Nanojury as ‘upstream’ public engagement ‘upstream’ as UK Nanojury The was so impressed they commissioned their own they commissioned was so impressed As this journal we noticed that a was going to press, See: www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/politics/citizenjury_reading_ See e.g. http://practicalaction.org/?id=technology_democracy and open up a new area of science to public deliberation. Withopen up a new area it has highlighted the limitations of public its dual process, engagement as the developing technology is discussed in everyday lives the main concernsisolation from of people’s article 6, this Wakeford, Singh, Taylor-Gee, (see also Eady, issue). It appears that science development occurs in isola- concerns. everyday tion to people’s leading UK university was advertising for a public engage- whose job was to ‘undertake public relations ment officer With the growing on behalf of stem-cell researchers’. engagement, the experiences of momentum of upstream of the need the Nanojury should serve as a gentle reminder that public engagement is not a expensive public to ensure but a worthy or worse a marketing exercise, opinion survey, attempt to strive for democracy. Final thoughts as a pioneering The Nanojury gained media attention engagement. The BBC Today of upstream process Programme PEALS that focussed on the issue of youth citizens’ jury from crime and respect. Form of output decided jointly between, funder, facilitators and funder, of output decided jointly between, Form participants. 8 9 Community co-inquiry Community co-inquiry 20050908.shtml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_engagement Mixture of specialists and non-specialists begin by discussing what Mixture of specialists and non-specialists begin by to change, like issues matter to them in their lives and what they’d or facilitators. without any imposition of ideas from the organisers as equally, perspectives of non-specialists and specialists are valued The be debated by the they all draw on rich experience and are open to group. on an equal footing in Specialists and non-specialists work with citizens reaching conclusions. participants remain Open-ended process that continues for as long as interested. Participants chosen non-randomly to be fully inclusive of groups that Participants experience oppression or marginalisation. co-inquiry approach 7 The community development model we propose (see propose The community development model we community x-change experiment For instance, a recent Table 1: Differences between a standard model of upstream engagement and a community development or engagement and a model of upstream a standard between Differences 1: Table Form of output (usually a report) determined by funder and/or Form facilitator. Non-specialists asked to reach judgements, having been presented with to reach judgements, Non-specialists asked ‘facts’ from specialists. scientific Lay people (i.e. non-specialists) invited to discuss a potential scientific Lay people (i.e. the organisers via the or technological development pre-determined by facilitators. Process happens in facilitated sessions totalling around twenty to fifty Process happens in facilitated sessions totalling around usually spread over a few days or weeks. hours, Specialists act merely as informers of non-specialists. Participants intended to be a cross-section of a particular population or Participants often at random. region, Upstream engagement Upstream See www.scienceshops.org breeding programmes in India and elsewhere (Pimbert, in India and elsewhere programmes breeding 1994). Table 1) should ensure that proposed solutions are analysed are solutions that proposed 1) should ensure Table and that solutions are political reality to current in relation meant to shaped by a co-inquiry with the people they are benefit. It should be accountable and open to interroga- The tech- tion and the outcome should change if required. between be co-produced objectives should nology’s specialists and the non-specialist members of the public. people together to discuss and find solutions to brought article Wakeford, Singh, Taylor-Gee, climate change (Eady, was community and that there 6, this issue). It ensured expert analysis on climate change, but that these analyses exchanged. It emerged that of knowledge were and areas climate change could only be challenged if solutions were such integrated into solving community-defined problems, as feelings of powerlessness and a lack of collective A community co-inquiry model would use meeting centres. valuable tool in shaping solutions experiences as a people’s in isolated to development, not keep solutions to problems boxes labelled ‘science’ or ‘society’. 7 4 32 THEME SECTION 1 Jasber Singh Email: [email protected] UK London SE10LX 200 UnionStreet Skyline House TrustLondon Wildlife Jasber Singh CONTACT DETAILS New York: USA nical expertise.’SocialStudiesofScience Nelkin, D.(1975)‘Thepoliticalimpactoftech- Social StudiesofScience terms withthe“new”scientificgovernance.’ Irwin, A.(2006)‘ThePoliticsofTalk: comingto Presssity ofCalifornia Feminism afteridentitypolitics.London,Univer- Dean, J.(1996)Thesolidarityofstrangers: Press: London participation inhealthcaredecisions (2006) CitizensattheCentre:Deliberative Davies, C.,Wetherall,E. M.,andBarnett, REFERENCES 36: 2.NewYork: USA . Policy 5: 37. science.’ DEMOS:London J.(2004)‘ R.andWilsdon, Willis, publicvalueofscience Online: www.demos.co.uk/publications/ that sciencereallymatters The PublicValue ofScience.Orhowtoensure J.andWynne,B.(2005) Stilgoe, J.,Wilsdon, Online: www.grain.org/seedling/?id=390 research paradigm.’Seedling Pimbert, M.(1994)‘Theneedforanother . DEMOS:London 11: 20-26. See through

33 THEME SECTION 1 5 Figure 1: Map of UK showing Burnley 1: Figure 1

The majority of the funding for Jury One came from the research project that project the research The majority of the funding for Jury One came from 1 author Elham Kashefi was working on, which was itself funded by a national sustainable development organisation. Local residents chose the topic of most concern, the Local residents chaired development. Over three and had input into process process of drug-related months, the jury discussed the problem burglaries in their neighbourhoods. They made over 80 range of topics such as on a broad recommendations transport, parenting, prevention, housing, community safety, and support options for users. Although the service provision value for the community and profession- had great process led to no tangible report als who participated, the jury’s outcomes in terms of changes in policy or practice. Despite key agencies, the agencies took no from prior agreement the outset the action because they did not have to – from had been set up by us as an activist intervention in process but outside of local governance of power, the exercise processes. This article describes the experience of two innovative community-based citizens’ juries that took place in Burnley, in northernLancashire, England. Jury One was the first citizens’ jury to be commissioned and part-funded by a community organisation for the benefit of the local community. Introduction by ELHAM KASHEFI and CHRIS KEENE by ELHAM KASHEFI and CHRIS intervention from deliberation to from deliberation Citizens’ juries in Burnley, UK: Burnley, juries in Citizens’ 5 34 THEME SECTION 1 Elham KashefiandChrisKeene policies.” people experiencingtheeffectsoftheir professionals tocomeface-to-facewith local level, toopenuppossibilitiesfor tool thatcouldleadtochangeatthe “We wantedthejurytobeanactivist 2 local level. jury was networked into local governance processes.jury wasnetworkedintolocalgovernance reduction inhealthinequalities.Asaninsiderproject, this targetsfora importance tolocalpeopleandgovernment been becausethere wasamatchbetweentheissueof rested onmanyfactors,butmostimportantly, itmayhave community workasitscore values.Thesuccessofthisjury healthcare centre wasopenedinthearea, withoutreach and mendations were actedupon.Inparticular, aninnovative Contrary toexperiencewithJuryOne,manyoftheirrecom- diverse rangeoftopicsrelating tohealthandwell-being. one weekandmademore than100recommendations ona workers todevelopandsteertheprocess. Jurors met over agencies withlocalresidents andgrassroots community jury. Theybrought togetherprofessionals workinginkey working through amulti-agencysteeringgroup initiated this and well-beingofpeoplelivinginthearea. area, thistimeconsideringwhatwouldimprove thehealth habitation. recently, muchofthehousingstock wasconsidered unfitfor a quarterare saidtohave long-term limitingillness.Until half ofresidents inthearea livebelowthepovertylineand accommodation afewmilesfrom thetowncentre. About housing, privaterented terraced housesandowner-occupier covers asmallpartofinnerBurnley, andisamixture ofsocial neighbourhoods inEngland.SouthWest(SWB)itself Burnley liveinareasBurnley classifiedinthetop10%mostdeprived About aquarterofthepopulationandhouseholdsin some ofthemostdeprivedneighbourhoodsincountry. the sixsquareare milesthatform theurbanpartofBurnley of England,whichispopulatedby88,000people.Within isanindustrialtownsituatedinavalleythenorth Burnley About Burnley Jury Two wascommissioned byastate-fundedhealthagencyworkingatthe Two yearslater, asecondcitizens’jurywasheldinthe 2 Local activists and informed decisions. Also,inpursuance of‘objective’ with informationfrom expertsinorder tomakerational as uninformedlaypeoplewho neededtobepresented processes. Theconstructionofcitizenshere wasverymuch commissioners. Experttestimony wascentraltothese what peoplethoughtabout anissueofrelevance tothe their recommendations to the commissioners. jurors voteonthequestion andare giventimetopresent make presentations and answer questions.Attheend, authorities). Inthesejuries,expertwitnessesare invitedto jury commissioners(suchashealthagenciesandlocal tothe for 3-5daystodiscussaspecificissueofconcern process involvedrandomly recruiting 12-16peopletomeet They decidedtopilotthesejuriesintheUKandtheir ManagementBoard.Institute andtheLocalGovernment juries were pilotedintheUK byIPPR,theKingsFundPolicy could beobtainedinanobjectiveandscientificway. These It promoted themasprocesses bywhichthepublic view juries from theJefferson Centre inMinneapolistheUS. ipation. Inthemid-90sIPPRimportedaversionofcitizens’ citizens’ juriesasawayofreinvigorating democraticpartic- Institute forPublicPolicyResearch (IPPR),wasdeveloping quality, effect orcontent. makers aspartofatick-boxprocess withoutregard to package thatcouldbeusedbyservicemanagersandpolicy delivered thepublicviewinasanitisedandunproblematic tive price.Theproblem withtheseprocesses wasthat they started toappeardeliver‘the’publicviewatacompeti- methods, standardised toolkitsanddo-it-yourselfmanuals as aconsultationindustry. Aplethoraofconsultation responded tobythecreation ofwhatwecanonlydescribe for agencyaction.Thedemandconsultationworkwas sion andpublicconsultationbecameessentialrequirements years on,isstillfarfrom complete.Nevertheless,socialinclu- these agencies.Thiswasahugeculture shiftwhich,ten but theywere alsotobeaskedjudgetheperformanceof Not onlywasthepublictobeconsultedonserviceplanning inward lookingtobeingopen,transparent andaccountable. to changetheirwayofworkingfrom beinginsularand They were nowbeingaskedtoconsultthepublic.Theyhad ously beentrainedtousetheirexpertisemakedecisions. in serviceplanningandprovision. Professionals hadprevi- public agenciesbegantobemandatedinvolvethe a littleexplanation.WhenNewLabourwaselectedin1997, The contextwithinwhichwedevelopedthesejuriesneeds Context forourwork The IPPRmodelwasaresearch tool,usedtofindout During thisperiod,theLondon-basedthink-tank, 35

5 THEME SECTION 1 When we began developing the first jury, 3 Citizens’ juries in Burnley, UK: from deliberation to intervention to intervention deliberation from UK: Burnley, juries in Citizens’ We were keen to involve agencies with responsibility for keen to involve agencies with responsibility were We Elham Kashefi was the researcher evaluating this project; Chris Keene was the evaluating this project; Elham Kashefi was the researcher To question underlying assumptions behind pre-defined options To Facilitators state their position of alignment with jurors state their position of alignment Facilitators Process seen as means of engaging with local people as part of Process seen as means of engaging with local people ongoing community action Jurors seen as having expertise based on their life experience Jurors seen as having expertise based on their life to be held makers Citizens’ juries can act as a platform for decision oppressive ways directly accountable and be challenged to reconsider of working Deliberation involves being emotional and humorous as well as logical and practical. Experts invited as co-enquirers and informants Deliberative process to be ‘porous’ over time i.e. allow outside world to ‘porous’ over time i.e. Deliberative process to be and inside world to go out. come inside, To deliberate on questions of relevance to community deliberate on questions of relevance To To establish legitimacy of, and increase trust in, local/community-based and increase trust in, establish legitimacy of, To decision-making Process aimed at bringing about locally-defined action Process aimed at bringing about locally-defined action Underlying assumptions of SWB juries Underlying assumptions Deliberations to be guided by participants problematising their own Deliberations to be guided by participants problematising situation Recruitment to expressly include participation by marginalised Recruitment to expressly include participation by members of community 3 chair of the organisation. we had no pre-determined ideas about the topic for the jury, we had no pre-determined or how the jury itself would work. process the recruitment All we knew was that we wanted to find a way for local them. As far people to be involved in decisions that affected as we could see, millions of pounds of public money was to but this did not seem the area being spent ‘regenerating’ the lives of anyone living there. be improving the outset. Over the next 12 months we held from the area meetings with key agencies, councillors, and local authority in the jury interested explained why we were We officers. and what we planned to do. It was important to have process to the jury’s to respond these agencies’ support. Each agreed tion working on sustainable development issues within the neighbourhood. To increase trust in local and national government To To increase legitimacy of liberal democratic decision-making processes To Discussions must focus on a specific question set by Discussions must focus on a specific question set commissioners/steering group To promote dialogue about pre-defined options To Underlying assumptions of IPPR juries Underlying assumptions Process aimed at producing a report for consideration by policy Process aimed at producing a report for consideration committees Jurors need expert witnesses to inform them Experts invited to impart knowledge Recruitment aims to be broadly representative of community Recruitment aims to be broadly representative of Citizens’ juries can act as a platform for decision makers to makers Citizens’ juries can act as a platform for decision of working and hence increase public communicate their way understanding Facilitators’ role is to remain neutral and objective role is to remain neutral Facilitators’ To deliberate on questions of relevance to authority/commissioners deliberate on questions of relevance To Deliberations to be contained and temporally bounded. Deliberations to be contained and temporally bounded. Process seen as one-off piece of consultation to complement professional decision-making and un-emotive logical rational, Deliberation involves being serious,

Table 1: Contrasts in underlying assumptions of different models of citizens’ juries models of citizens’ assumptions of different in underlying Contrasts 1: Table

Jury One: community responses to drug-related crime to drug-related community responses One: Jury This jury was commissioned by a local community organisa- or ‘scientific’ claims by the Jefferson Centre and IPPR, facil- Centre or ‘scientific’ claims by the Jefferson chair the neutral and merely briefed to remain itators were fuelled by anger at the as facilitators, were debates. We, injustices we saw and felt passionate about doing some- to be neutral made no pretensions thing to intervene. We wanted the jury to be an activist tool that or objective. We could lead to change at the local level, to open up possi- to come face-to-face with people bilities for professionals of their policies, and to humanise experiencing the effects wanted the experts to be ‘policy’ and its implications. We In short, we wanted held accountable to the community. space to the juries we had read a totally different to create took the IPPR model and adapted it for our own about. We purpose. (Kashefi, 2006) 2006) (Kashefi, 5 36 THEME SECTION 1 Elham KashefiandChrisKeene justice, youthworkand thelocalcouncil. was abletorecruit enoughpeopletosatisfytheprofile. professional whotalkedwithresidents inthestreets andintheirhomesuntilshe census dataandlocalknowledge.Thisprofile wasthenusedbyamarket research 5 4 the jury. Six expertwitnesseswere invitedtomakepresentations to the atmosphere wasthatofaninformalcommunityproject. as acitizens’jury. report withinthree monthsofreceiving it. letter insupport.TheBorough Councilwrote afullresponse report, althoughthechair of thePoliceAuthoritywrote a community drugstestingfacilities).Thepoliceignored the ing cannabistobreak the linkwithharder drugsand angry atmanyjuryrecommendations (forexample,legalis- from moststatutorysector agencies. TheDrugsServicewas with agenciesbeforehand, we received anegativeresponse priority settingprioritiesforpublicexpenditure. be spent–thatis,juriescouldusedasvehiclesfor also manyrecommendations abouthowpublicmoneyshould discussed withresidents of SouthWest Burnley. There were entrapment ofdrugdealersshouldbepublishedandopenly dents toplanhowtheorders are used,orthattherules of orders shouldmeetwithcommunitygroups andlocal resi- that agenciesinvolvedinadministeringparenting andcurfew particular thepolice.So,forexample,juryrecommended ing democraticcontrol andaccountabilityofpublicservices,in prevention strategies. draw ontheexpertiseoflocalpeopleincreating drugs ities from impure drugsandthattheHealthAuthorityshould drugs-testing facilityintheneighbourhoodtoprevent fatal- mended thattheHealthAuthorityshouldfunda port andsupportforparents. Forexample,jurors recom- housing, communitysafety, prevention, youthwork,trans- jury mademore than80recommendations ontopicssuch as own recommendations. After11sessionsover3months,the of drug-related crimeamongstthemselves,todeveloptheir experts andsoleholders ofexpertise.” dominant paradigm ofprofessionals as power, especiallyinsubvertingthe made interventionsintheexercise of “In manysmallyetsignificantways, we These were seniorworkersfrom healthpromotion, probation, thepolice,youth The steeringgroup drew uparecruitment profile forthejurybased onlocal In September1998,10localpeoplemetforthefirsttime, Many ofJuryOne’s recommendations were aboutincreas- Even thoughwehaddonealotofdevelopmentwork 5 For therest ofthetime,jurors discussedtheissue 4 We metonenightaweekinlocalpub, and soleholdersofexpertise. subverting thedominantparadigmofprofessionals asexperts we madeinterventionsintheexercise ofpower, especiallyin place, withthosepeople.Inmanysmallyetsignificantways, that intervenedintheexercise ofpowerinthattime, similar experiences.Thirdly, JuryOnewasasituatedprocess the wrong thingfor20years.’Manyotherprofessionals had wish someonehadtoldmeallthisyearsago.I’vebeendoing contributed tothediscussion,hebecametearfulandsaid,‘I throughout thediscussionsandwhenaskedwhyhehadnot tions were beingpresented, oneseniorofficer remained silent community representatives where thejury’s recommenda- at thefinalfeedbackmeetingwithlocalagenciesand opened tonewwaysoflookingattheirwork.Forexample, recommendations andhowtheexpertswhowere there were storytelling andlisteningwaskeytothedevelopmentof process enabledstoriestobetoldandheard, andthis actof with allitscontradictionsandcomplexities.Secondly, the the organicunfoldingofknowledge,inallitsmessinessand successful inotherways.Firstandforemost, itallowedfor people involvedhasshownthattheprocess initselfwas analysis ofthetranscriptsandfollow-upwithsome fell ondeafears. ing upcommunity-basedresponses todrug-related crime one elseresponded. Alltheworkthathadgoneintobuild- again, wedidnothearofanythingchangingasaresult. No of itsresponse. AlocalNGOalsowrote aresponse but to thejury’s recommendations butnothingevercameout needs, butthe funding bidrequired evidence ofcommunity up aHealthyLivingCentre asawayofaddressing residents’ sions inthegrouptoexploring possibilitiesforsetting turned improve thehealthofpeoplelivinginSWB.In1999,discus- together byalocalcommunity developmentorganisationto (the HealthandSocialGroup) inSWBthatwasbrought second jurythatwasheldinthearea. comings andthesereflections informedouractiononthe spaces wesoughttoaffect. We were aware of these short- this positioningleftfew, ifany, direct avenues into‘official’ the process asanoutsiderproject inoppositionalmode,and behalf ofthejury. Anotherreason wasthatwehadsetup worker whocouldfollowupthereport andcampaignon Jury Onewasthatwedidnothavefundingforadedicated One ofthereasons forthe lackofactionfrom agenciesin being oflocalpeople? Jury Two: whatwouldimprove thehealthandwell- Although atthetimethisfeltlikealackofsuccess,later Jury Two wasinitiatedbyamulti-agencyworkinggroup 37

5 THEME SECTION 1 7 (and not for the for the benefit of the community Citizens’ juries in Burnley, UK: from deliberation to intervention to intervention deliberation from UK: Burnley, juries in Citizens’ Opening out the process in this way was crucial to the in Opening out the process The success of Jury Two, in the first instance, rested on in the first instance, rested The success of Jury Two, Elham Kashefi and Maggie Mort, based at the Institute for Health Research, “The Burnley juries were “The Burnley because community groundbreaking public sector than rather groups the benefit agencies initiated them for for the of the community (and not benefit of the agencies).” 7 Lancaster University developed Jury Two with the steering group, facilitated the with the steering group, Lancaster University developed Jury Two and participated in the follow-up process. sessions, compiled the report Conclusion because commu- The Burnley groundbreaking juries were rather than public sector agencies initiated nity groups them Thirdly, the jury process enabled jurors to hear from enabled jurors the jury process Thirdly, brought activists who were and community professionals in as co-inquirers. recommendations The jury’s success of the jury process. Group’s the Primary Care embedded within were the issue that was important of work because programme – directly access to health care to local people – improved health inequalities. target for reducing matched the Group’s on members could comment all H&SC group Furthermore, – for example, if they were any aspect of the jury process or recruitment profile not happy with the recruitment a not providing or if they felt witnesses were process, tried to prevent researchers In this way, balanced view. recommendations subsequent marginalisation of the jury’s was invalid because of who by agencies claiming the process or who provided recruited, how they were was recruited, also acted as a conduit to other evidence. This wider group Council or the Health Author- agencies (such as the Borough was published, and it was instru- ity) once the jury report findings. mental in the dissemination of the jury’s community interven- benefit of the agencies). They were ties for local children during school holidays in recognition of holidays in recognition during school ties for local children may health the fact that without adult supervision, children’s suffer. key agencies in the Health from having representatives then brought this group Secondly, Group. and Social Care develop the jury so that the outcome to in researchers the commissioners. would be seen as independent from The membership of this The membership of 6 Twelve local people were recruited to the jury and met recruited were local people Twelve about schemes recommendations made many Jury Two invited to participate in the follow-up were All jurors Primary Care Groups, at the time, were health service commissioners. Based at at the time, were Groups, Primary Care 6 the local level, they were seen to be effective mechanisms for responding to mechanisms for responding seen to be effective the local level, they were health needs at the local level. group would eventually prove to be a key factor in the would eventually prove group from representation success of the jury because it had senior i.e. the people key public sector agencies and local NGOs, recommendations. who would be able to act on the jury’s their participation over one week in 2000. Each was paid for the week the jury Throughout and for child- or elder-care. doctors, social ranging from 21 witnesses from heard workers workers, health visitors, community development service users and and senior policy makers to mental health jury was the reconstruction One key aspect of this residents. seen as the who were it was the residents of expertise. Here holding the profes- experts on their own lives, who were doing the problematising. sionals to account, and who were of the communities in South the fabric which could rebuild such as a community transport scheme, Burnley, West social/activity community arts festivals, inter-generational schemes, a community garden equipment share groups, co-operative. Some of these scheme and a community care developing with volunteers, but they already were projects than made more needed financial backing. In all, the jurors to the presented which the jurors 100 recommendations, commissioners on the last day. for and many joined the Health and Social Group process period of consider- After a prolonged some time as a result. developed ation and many funding applications, the group together many which brought an innovative health centre, A community development recommendations. of the jury’s now heads the worker rather than a medical professional made up of local which has a steering group health centre, its work plan. Two to direct and other professionals residents and one has become an inte- sit on the steering group jurors Rather than waiting for people gral actor within the centre. much of the work is done to visit them with health problems, factories, pubs, refuges, basis in women’s on an outreach people workplaces, schools and any other place where houses anti-bullying workers, anger The centre congregate. management workers, counsellors, health visitors, dentists activi- and nurse practitioners. Health workers also provide involvement in the development of the bid. So the Burnleyinvolvement in the development commis- of the group, acting on behalf Group, Primary Care health and the on what would improve sioned a citizens’ jury living in SWB. well-being of people 5 38 THEME SECTION 1 Elham KashefiandChrisKeene policy andmakers. of painandsocialinjusticecoulddirectly intersectwith stories couldbetoldandheard, andwhere thesestories sive practice.Theywere powerfulvehicleswhere untold that couldshapepolicyandpractice.Theynamedoppres- of theirownliveswithvaluableknowledgeandwisdom needed fillingupwithinformation,butinsteadasexperts longer constructedaslaypeopleemptyvesselsthat of expertisewassubverted,where localpeoplewere no jurors themselves.Theycreated aspacewhere thenotion tion ofresidents, localactivists,communityworkers,and tions becausetheforce forchangecamefrom thedirec- Email: [email protected] UK Lancashire, BB114BA Burnley Venice Street Community Centre Stoops andHargherCloughYouth & Chris Keene Email: [email protected] UK Lancaster, LA14YQ Lancaster University, Department ofGeography Elham Kashefi CONTACT DETAILS University Institute forHealthResearch, Lancaster . Doctoralthesis, Deliberation toIntervention Kashefi, E(2006)Citizens’Juries:From REFERENCES ing group member, JuryTwo). that onboard. that hadhappened.You’d havetobeinhumannottake were raisedupthere.Theyreallyheartbreakingthings from someofthoseissuesandstoriesthat and reallythinkaboutit.Idon’tyoucangetaway I’ll ringthembacklater. Theyhadtositthereandfaceit There wasnoexcuses,therebackdoorortell‘em face, therewasevidencethatthesethingsweren’tworking. couldn’t runawayandhidefromit.Itwasthereintheir meetings] itmadethemlookatthingsdifferently…They I thinkfortheprofessionalsthatwerethere[atjury (Anonymous communityworkerandSteer- follow upprocess. witness forJuryTwo andwasinvolvedinthe Jury chairperson.Hewasanadvisorandexpert the developmentofJuryOneandwasalso South West Burnley. Heplayedaleadrole in activist, workerandconsultantresident of Chris Keeneisacommunitydevelopment these juries. was theleadresearcher andfacilitatorforboth became thecommissionersforJuryOne.She local sustainabledevelopmentproject that Kashefi wasworkingonaproject toevaluatea University. Atthetimeofjuries,Elham Department ofGeography, Lancaster Elham Kashefiisaresearcher basedatthe NOTES

THEME SECTION 1 39

(BSE), to name but a few 6 “…the aim was to over-represent who might not be able to push groups in a public themselves to the fore meeting or consultation….” topics, it has become clear that a one-way knowledge exchange is not enough. It is in this context that the community x-change aims to involve scientists not as experts but as Origins In the mid-1980s in the UK, it began to be acknowledged that communication is an integral part of being a scientist. a one-way Initial attempts to communicate tended towards the ‘knowledgeable’ scientist to transfer of information from lack of public trust with both a perceived the public. However, over issues such as genetically in science and controversy modified organisms (GMOs), foot and mouth disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the UK, is that it provides opportunities for scientists to in the UK, is that it provides participants, as regular participate in an engagement process without being called upon to act as experts. However, it However, 1

Our project draws on elements of various methodologies Our project An unusual feature of the community x-change An unusual feature Institute for Public Policy Research (www.ippr.org) Institute for Public Policy Research 1 Our community x-change process aims to strengthen links aims to strengthen Our community x-change process between the public, scientists and decision makers, and to opportunities for discussion and debate that will help create of policy. to influence the directions for public participation, not least the IPPR citizens' jury model (see Kashefi and Keene, article 5, this issue). Introduction by NIGEL EADY, JASBER SINGH, ALICE TAYLOR-GEE and TOM WAKEFORD TOM and TAYLOR-GEE ALICE SINGH, JASBER by NIGEL EADY, seeks to incorporate learning experiences of bottom- from space for partic- of engagement, which provide up processes ipants to set and shape the agenda. A conventional IPPR-style citizens' jury would have a decision or question on which to as the name suggests, the commu- make a ruling. However, of citizens by which a group nity x-change is a process stakeholders in order exchange experiences with appropriate the boundaries knowledge. Therefore, to co-produce disrupted in order between experts and lay knowledge are and all knowledge is respected a safe space where to create without any form of knowledge being given recognised special attention on an elevated platform. to most science communication events compared approach, to policy makers connecting citizens and scientists Community x-change: 6 40 THEME SECTION 1 Nigel Eady, Jasber Singh, Alice Taylor-Gee and Tom Wakeford change meetingswasalsoshown. Norwich on6September2006,where avideoofthex- the x-changeprocess ata sessionheldattheFestivalin from thecommunityx-changeshared theirexperiences of the publicandpopularmedia.Asmallgroup ofparticipants highlighting recent scientificdevelopmentsandintendedfor Science, asix-dayseriesoftalks,discussionsanddebates in thesummermonthspreceding theBA’s annualFestivalof tle andDurhamuniversities.Thefirstx-changewasconvened and LifeSciencesResearch Centre (PEALS),basedatNewcas- ation fortheAdvancementofScience)andPolicy, Ethics change, toshare theirthoughts andideasonpossibleaction, and debateabouttheirlocalenvironment andclimate andalsotoreflectto discusslocalissuesofconcern, upon change, inthecityofNorwichEastAnglia,UK.Theymet ethnicity andbackground, took partinthefirstcommunityx- In thesummerof2006,agroup ofpeoplemixedage, The Norwichcommunityx-change normally thepreserve ofthe‘expert’. of expertise,andwhichvalueslayperspectivesonissues be involvedinanapproach whichdrawsonabroad range approach toaparticularquestionorproblem, itisunusual to citizens. Formostscientistsfamiliarwithareductionist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductionism be reduced toaccountsofindividualconstituents.’Source: complex systemisnothingbutthesumof itsparts,andthatanaccountofitcan simpler ormore fundamentalthingsor(b)aphilosophicalposition thata of complexthingsbyreducing themtotheinteractionsoftheirparts, orto 2 ‘ Reductionism The project isthejointinitiativeofBA(BritishAssoci- can eithermean(a)anapproach tounderstandingthenature 2 interpreter (left). were sometimesaidedbyan in thecommunityx-change Participants discussingissues participants hadresponded toaninvitationsentpeople participants from awiderangeofcommunities.Sixteen with communitygroups throughout theregion, to recruit participatory practitionershad spenttimebuildingcontacts Norwich, LowestoftandPeterborough –metinNorwich.Two project’s website. pated inacommunityvideoproject, are availableonthe recorded bysixyoungpeoplewhohadpreviously partici- presented inaseriesof short videosofthex-changes, to thefinalworkshop.Highlightsofdiscussions, makers, whomtheythemselveshadnominatedtobeinvited raised theseideasandaskedquestionsofthedecision and toframequestionsforfurtherexploration.Theythen 3 www.the-ba.net/communityxchange Over fourdaysinJuneandJuly, 39people –mostlyfrom 3

Photos: Community x-change camera volunteers 41

6 THEME SECTION 1 In discussion with the reviewers, the project team the project In discussion with the reviewers, an externally recommended facilitated The reviewers had been devoted to drawing up a list of potential informa- had been devoted to to say who they was able So the group tion providers. to gener- of information and sources deemed to be trusted specialists. Those who attended ate questions for these one who works with a experts, included two environment to on a project variety of stakeholders, including businesses, The other was an environ- carbon dioxide emissions. reduce a local officer, mental activist. A police community support councillor and the local MP also attended. Feedback from reviewers from Feedback Jenny Chapman and After Norwich, a team of reviewers, develop- Antonella Mancini, with expertise in community commissioned to were ment and participatory approaches, The intention of the process. undertake a mid-term review to be incorporated into was to draw out lessons learnt so far, These reviewers the next community x-change in Liverpool. and diaries, viewed the video and raw all the reports read team and project footage, interviewed 21 members of the discussion in the participants, and held a focus group the sample was Norwich with five participants. Although it was clear that the workshops small and unrepresentative, and that most had found enjoyed by most participants were engaging. Some participants, and the experience interesting clarity about the purpose would have liked more however, behind the workshops. Most expected that something would that the informa- and, in particular, come out of the process to decision makers. One tion generated would be presented team was that it became benefit of working with the review of assessment was needed realistic clear that a more – human and financial – available to make change resources take place. over optimistic in their expec- acknowledged that they were tations as to what they could achieve in a short period of and outside the region led by people from time, in a process with only temporary links to local communities. Another issue was too little team voiced was that there that the review attention paid to explaining to participants the overall purpose of what was being done. phase, to workshop to look at objectives for the next project objectives and to develop a and realistic shared clear, agree clear theory of change as to how those objectives might be of the inher- only too aware team were achieved. The project decision- around ent power imbalance within the project in seeking to making on issues of climate change. However, local issues of particularly around the power, redistribute Community x-change: connecting citizens and scientists to policy makers to policy makers scientists citizens and connecting x-change: Community Despite the large group, relationships quickly developed, relationships Despite the large group, campaigner, a local environment On the second day, delved deeper into the the participants day, On the third In the final workshop, participants had the opportunity on the electoral role, and eight scientists were recruited from recruited and eight scientists were on the electoral role, Park. It Anglia and Norwich Research the University of East to achieve was not trying the process should be noted that Rather the sample of the local population. a representative to who might not be able groups aim was to over-represent a public meeting or consulta- in push themselves to the fore the individuals from tion. For example, participants included who do not speak Bangladeshi and Portuguese communities a hostel. English, and young men from in the same local especially as participants met others living on issues about the local envi- Initial discussions focused area. and crime. How could public such as transport ronment, driving What factors are transport networks be improved? behaviour? As the group criminal young people towards discussions, and that began to feel they had ownership of the out of bounds, groups no questions or comments were began to gel. Connect (now called Suffolk a charity Maxine Narburgh from sessions along with six of helped to facilitate Bright Green), this volunteers. In particular, environmental the charity’s the issues they had raised to helped the participants to relate climate change climate change. For many of the participants, for governments to be a global issue to discuss and appeared global warming to the amount we relating tackle. However, the modes of transport we consume, whether we recycle, choose – or have – to use, started to open up debate. issues they had begun to discuss over the first weekend. were to climate change, the group Alongside issues related and keen to include social issues of community breakdown the lack of public meeting places. Of significant concern were quite often, isolated meeting places for, specific issues around enabled ethnic minority women. The participatory process attention to gender inequalities to be drawn out and drew voices in climate change the importance of women’s at looking involved the group discourse. Part of the process team, to present various scenarios, written by the project climate change. Partic- some of the tensions emerging from and two ipants talked about the issues in small groups, decided to dramatise their discussions. One drama groups flooding in Norfolk, and the other issues of exclu- addressed a real sion and isolation. In both cases, the dramas brought depth and richness to the process. with to discuss issues raised during the x-change process workshop One session in a previous ‘information providers’. 6 42 THEME SECTION 1 Nigel Eady, Jasber Singh, Alice Taylor-Gee and Tom Wakeford decision-making process. project teamtoenableatransparent andmutuallyagreed terms ofreference neededtobenegotiatedwithin the Where anumberofproject partnersworktogether, clear feedback from participantsandfrom project teammembers. that thex-changeprocess wouldbenefitbothfrom ongoing clear write-upofmethodologybefore theworkshopsand phase ofwork.Thereviewers specificallyrecommended a monitoringandevaluationinthenext to prioritiselearning, model andmethodologyemployedatNorwich.We needed had beeninsufficient feedbackandjointreflection about the what ishappeningandwhy. Thereviewers judgedthatthere within theproject team.Allteammembersshouldknow ers takecollectiveresponsibility toimprove group dynamics a plantocreate abetterfuture. participants toworkwithstakeholdersformulateandown might affect change.Future workshopswouldneedtoallow thereconcern, wasnowaclearplanforhowparticipants Czerski asks: ences, from whichthefollowingquotationsare drawn. Helen Four ofthescientistparticipantskeptadiarytheirexperi- Feedback fromparticipants valued bypolicymakers.” these ‘experts byexperience’israrely “..this sortofknowledge, derivedfrom exposed tothe opinionsofothersinsociety inanenvi- more cross-linkedasaresult. Themorepeoplewhoare of thesehappenandthatit makes localcommunities bit toolargeforthatsortofinteraction. Ihopethatmore valuabletothem,butthewholeofEastAngliaisa very each otheronthestreetsofNorwich orColchesterwillbe between peoplewholivecloseenoughtogethertosee discovered moregenerally?Ithinkthatthelinksmade usefulforallofus,buthowcouldweapplywhat very use asetofopinionsexpressedbysuchgroup?Itwas that decision,eveniftheydidn’tlikeit.Buthowdoyou the groupasawholewouldbefarmorelikelytorespect a cross-sectionofopinionsandthereasonsforthem,then group hadadiscussionandmadedecision,afterhearing ent pointsofview. Therewasagenuinefeelingthatifthis explore theproblemsinsocietyandtohearmanydiffer- So whatwillcomeofallthis?Itwasafantasticwayto The review teamalsoadvocatedthatthekeystakehold- forefront of people’s minds, especiallysomeofthewomen that feelingsofdisempowerment andisolationwere at the change. Thekeymessagewe tookfrom thex-changewas times–climate to oneofthebiggestchallenges ofmodern recognising communityperspectivesindevelopingsolutions The communityx-changehas highlighted theimportanceof Reflections alienation thatpeoplefeelinBritishsocietytoday. steps thatwouldstarttobreakdowntheisolationand community centresthatareinclusiveandwelcoming where peoplewanttopassthetimeaswelltownand these links.Itwasfeltthathavinggreen,pleasantspaces and wherewelivecanmakeahugedifferencetocreating age groups.We noticedthat ourimmediateenvironment people fromotherbackgrounds,beliefs,and through thebarriers[…]andformwiderlinkswithother in thesecommunitieswantedtofindwaysbreak amazing thingthatIdiscoveredwasalmosteveryone different communitiesormembersofsociety[…]Thereally community butthatwehavehardlyanycontactwith individuals whohavesomecontactwithourimmediate each other. Itmademeseethatintoday’s societyweare under normalcircumstanceswouldnevereverinteractwith people frommanycommunitiesandwalksoflifewho brought togetheragreatbigmeltingpotofdifferent The wonderfulthingaboutthex-changewasthatit are alltoorare. discussing theirthoughtsinanunpressuredenvironment local press,asopportunitiestohearpeoplefrankly up onbylocalgovernment,andattractsinterestfromthe of othersimilarexercises.Iparticularlyhopeitisfollowed at the[BA]Festival,andhowitcompareswithresults of theoutcome–whatthoughtsitprovokeswhenshown Like mostofus,I’llbeinterestedinseeingwhatbecomes enthusiasm fordealingwithproblemswithinlocalareas. for thought,aswellalotofoptimismaboutpeople’s I certainlycameawayfromthex-changewithalotoffood hesitate tovolunteer! if youeverhearofonethesehappeningnearyou,don’t the BAforgivingmeopportunitytoparticipate.And ronment likethis,thebetter–orsoIthink.Thankyouto Laura Bowaterwrites: Peter McKeownwrites: 43

6 THEME SECTION 1 Tom Wakeford Tom Beacon for Public Engagement Newcastle University 6 Kensington Terrace NE1 7RU Newcastle upon Tyne UK Email: [email protected] http://beacon.ncl.ac.uk Website: For institutions, such as the BA and universities like For institutions, such as the BA and impacts on These questions could also have profound begins in Liverpool, As our community x-change process evaluation before, during and after the process? after the process? during and evaluation before, solution? a creative which could be utilised to produce “The true legacy of this project in the of this project “The true legacy be significant changes long term could ‘do’ science.” in the way we Newcastle and Durham, the key challenge from this project from Newcastle and Durham, the key challenge within the organisa- is to embed participatory approaches communication of tional fabric and move beyond one-way careful be achieved through amount can science. A great at the outset about planning. Key questions must be asked chosen: the thinking behind the approach timescales for this project? realistic • What are the barriers to engagement? • What are critical monitoring and with to ensure Who can we work • of knowledge all the various sources Have we considered • government, learned societies and universities. in the funding model a drawback so we have recognised team to allow our project It does not behind our project. which it works. We become integrated into the community in employed a Community Engagement Worker have therefore of Liverpool in which we will be working. The the area from and we want ends in the near future funding for this process interactions between to maximise the possibility of future working closely with a number of participants. So we are within which we have the area from community groups seeking to share drawn our participants. In parallel, we are our learning and encourage others to implement it more widely within our organisations. The true legacy of this project in the long term could be significant changes in the way we ‘do’ science. This would be the most significant demonstration of long-term success of the community x-change. Community x-change: connecting citizens and scientists to policy makers to policy makers scientists citizens and connecting x-change: Community Jasber Singh London Wildlife Trust Skyline House 200 Union Street London SE1 0LX UK Email: [email protected] Alice Taylor-Gee, British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA) Email: [email protected] Perhaps the enormous threat of climate change provides Perhaps the enormous threat x-change high- The other challenge that the community the UK science Over the last 25 years, the focus of and younger participants. A conclusion we have reached and younger participants. in Norwich is that changing the following our experiences is inher- disempowers and isolates these people that culture of climate change solutions. ently linked to the development this issue), climate Like nanotechnology (see Singh, article 4, fit into the ‘science’ change does not perhaps fit as neatly box as some suppose. democracy and collective an opportunity to reinvigorate the key ingredients action. These, no doubt, will be among a rapidly changing climate. The x-change to adapt to required behavioural change highlighted the limitations of top-down very little in allow- initiatives that target the individual and do young people, to ing communities, especially women and of issues of primary develop safe spaces for collective analysis concern social in their locality – which, no doubt, will be both and climate-related. change. culture lights again and again is one of institutional moved away from communication community has gradually methods of infor- dealing with complex issues using simplistic is now a glut of initiatives in the There mation provision. known as public engagement. of what has become sphere same way as any Scientists will act as citizens in much the the sort of However, of individuals in such processes. group innovative and flexible thinking that allows knowledge to be is much less readily as we attempted here, co-produced, of knowledge appreciation is now increasing found. There experts, for those other than professional gained from or example within the farming community about ecology, and procedures about treatment within patient groups these But this sort of knowledge, derived from regimes. valued by policy makers. Few ‘experts by experience’ is rarely of them, in the UK at least, behave as if the expertise, values, can yield creative and regulation hopes and fears for research solutions to complex problems. CONTACT DETAILS CONTACT Nigel Eady British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA) Building Wolfson Wellcome Gate 165 Queen’s London SW7 5HD, UK Email: [email protected] www.the-ba.net Website: 44 THEME SECTION 1 7 European Citizens’Panel exploring theexperiencesof Hearing therealvoices: asked torespond toprecise topics,participants were askedto makers efficiently andwithconfidence.Ratherthanbeing ensure thattheywere in apositiontointeractwithpolicy facilitatorstoincreaseof external theirconfidenceandto phases. Randomlyrecruited participantsworkedwithateam forward inathree yearongoingproject. mendations onruralissues,whichare currently beingtaken providers. Attheend, panel generatedasetofrecom- discussed issueswithkeydecisionmakersandinformation They shared personalexperiences oflifeinruralareas and of thecitizens’jury, thepanelmetfour times oversixmonths. England.Drawingonthemethodology Cumbria innorthern via arandomselectionprocess from ruralDurhamand young peopleagedbetween13and83.Theywere involved The Englishregional panel consistedof15adultsand The EnglishandIrishpanels made upof86citizensfrom tenregions ofEurope. in Brussels,Belgium.TheseEuropean Citizens’Panelswere representatives toalargerpanelattheEuropean Parliament to discussthefuture ofruralareas. In2006,thesepanels sent Citizens’ panelswere setupinregions ofEnglandand Ireland Introduction by NIALLFITZDUFF, PETERBRYANT, GWENLANIGANandCATHERINE PURVIS The process intheIrishborder region involvedtwodistinct mapping exercise. change undertakea Community X- English Rural Members ofthe

Photo: Swingbridge Video 45

7 THEME SECTION 1 How real is all this in terms of participation and change? How real in an auditorium with fixed seating. Upon speaking into an in an auditorium with fixed seating. Upon speaker was simultaneously each illuminated microphone, languages and his or her translated into seven different desk. on each person’s screens onto television image relayed out, and copies of the report read Recommendations were to key decision makers, followed by an open presented were of the citizens to question-and-answer session. The reaction poised to walk out the meeting was mixed, with one group and Rural Commissioner for Agriculture if the European to discuss the Development, Mariann Fischer Boel, refused happy with the bland Others seemed relatively report. some decision makers to use the report commitment from policy’. regional for ‘the design and the vision of future The Irish experience of Brussels The intense experience of spending four days together with languages, meeting highly participants interacting in different their own in the EU institutions and producing placed officials was an amazing achievement. At this level the expe- report for the most part the policy rience was fulfilling. However, makers defended their policies, missing the opportunity to was a sense of engage in a new type of dialogue. There taking the status quo to task. An optimistic view would be that citizens’ panels can influ- change, given that perhaps 5% of policy is up ence regional for negotiation. At EU level, it may be 1% that can be influenced. Then pitch that against 87 ‘citizens’ and their legiti- Members of the Members Cross-border Irish Citizens’ Panel. Hearing the real voices: exploring the experiences of the European Citizens’ Panel European of the the experiences exploring voices: the real Hearing The interaction with European decision makers took place The interaction with European The purpose of this format was to allow the participants

Seven young people and three adults from the English panel adults from Seven young people and three event in Brussels, together with a took part in a three-day Each citizen partici- Europe. across further 76 citizens from pated in a series of workshops focused on concerns, themes a set of European- and visions, until finally the panel agreed culmination, the At the gathering’s wide recommendations. a in the form of their recommendations citizens presented politicians and European to a number of high-profile report Parliament buildings. civil servants in the European The English experience of Brussels come up with the topics on which they felt they needed to come up with the topics on which they involved invit- be consulted. The second phase of this process confident and ener- ing policy makers to meet with the now to hear what the gised participants, giving them the chance participants had to say. rather than them being to lead the consultation process, itself raised to topics or issues. The process asked to respond points, not least that despite some of the some interesting issues being actively out for consultation at the time, policy to engage in the process. generally reluctant makers were the policy makers who did take part did so in an However, very positive in rela- They were manner. open and transparent the comments and feelings of the tion to taking on board to be commended for their bravery, participants. They are their open-mindedness and their contribution to this process. Photo: Niall Fitzduff Niall Photo: 7 46 THEME SECTION 1 Niall Fitzduff, PeterBryant, GwenLaniganandCatherinePurvis approaches such ascitizens’panelsorjuries astoolsfor with theprocess andinsteadcallsforarethink oftherole of platitudes andnocommitment toaction. a meetingcoulddiscourage politicians from offering only account theneedfortranslators. Assertivefacilitationofsuch makers couldbeinamore informalsetting,takinginto strategies forpushingaction).Interactionwithdecision processes, role playingthefuture interactionandrehearsing gaining abetterunderstandingofEuropean decision-making ical capabilities(forinstance,byundertakingpoweranalyses, preparing themfortheinteraction andimproving theirpolit- couldbespentwithcitizens erations inmore depth).Time meeting withtencitizensfrom thepaneltodiscussdelib- commit tofollowup(forexample,byoffering topayfora explain theprocess andits outcomes andpushforthemto could bemadetomeeteachofthedecisionmakers methodology. Inadvanceofsuchameeting,anattempt to improve theprocess bymakingminoradaptations tothe could probably beattwolevels.Firstly, itwouldbepossible how couldwehavechangedourpractices?Ourresponses fromSo whatcanwelearn thisunsatisfactoryinteractionand Final reflections, byPeter Bryant it istooearlytosay. other professional elites?Aswithotherarticlesinthisissue, more thanjustanewtoyforacademics,policymakersand democracies. Couldsuchprocesses havethepotentialtobe whether itcanachievereal changeandaddvaluetoflagging dence throughout theprocess. Butitisanothermatter asto visibly seentohavebeenempowered andtogrow in confi- those inpower–ispalpableandtangible.Citizenscouldbe rienced bythosewhotakepart–intermsofspeakingto it iscostly. Handledwell,thefeelingsofempowermentexpe- Europe. Asaneducationalexercise, theprocess hasmeritbut macy inrepresentative termsagainstthepopulation of and tangible.” in powerispalpable of speakingtothose who take partinterms experienced bythose empowerment the feelingsof “Handled well, The secondoptionrecognises thelimitationsoftinkering discuss theirreport. Fischer Boel, whorefused to Development, Mariann for Agriculture andRural the European Commissioner Europe present theircaseto People from nineregions of be reshaped astoolsforactivism: or usewhateverstrategytheyseefittotryandaffect change. then supportedbytheTUCastheylobbydecisionmakers, increased theirpoliticalcapabilities,thepanelmembersare undertaken aprocess ofdeliberation,whichhasalso members ofthepopulationwhohavelittlevoice.Having random toapoint,butwithbiastowards marginalised of theTrades UnionCongress (TUC).Theselectionmaybe zens fortheEnglishpanelare selectedfrom themembership directly witharelevant socialmovementormovements. such aproject. Thiscouldbeachievedbylinkingtheprocess mendations, upontheconclusionofdeliberativephase take actionandpushfortheimplementationofrecom- important isthatcitizensare selectedwhoare more ableto tive’ ofawidersetcommunities.Instead,whatismost random samplingaselectionofcitizenscanbe‘representa- activism. Thisapproach challengestheideathatthrough cratic andlegal legitimacy).‘Taking action’isnotwithin who isthecommissioningbody andhasitsowndemo- certain purpose/topic(whichis definedbytheinstitution citizenselectedatrandomforsometimeanda nary’ the participantsgettheirlegitimacy frombeingan‘ordi- process]pointofviewthat nal designersofaCitizens’Jury It wasalwaysPeterDienel’s [creditedasoneoftheorigi- sented groups. combined withtargetedpeoplecomingfromunder-repre- should probablybecombined:randomselection process bybeing‘politically’active.Two approaches those randomlyselectedpersonsaccepttotakepartinthe select citizens.However, itisabiased method because For merandomselectionisthemostdemocraticwayto Betty Nguyen,aFrench project facilitator. However, noteveryoneagrees thatcitizens’juriesshould Such anapproach couldlooksomethinglikethis.Theciti- discussions. on hisgroup’s in Brusselsreports Young participant

Photos: Peter Bryant 47

7 THEME SECTION 1 After listening to a presentation on the European project, on the European After listening to a presentation sees them as little more than sophisticated extractive market than sophisticated extractive sees them as little more tools. research political Bolivia commented on the a friend of mine from – and he may held in Europe when naivety of such processes Article 3, this issue) be right. In Mali l’ECID – a citizens’ jury (see examining the issue of GM of small farmers and producers impact. Organised directly cotton – has had a tremendous assembly and in conjunction with local a regional through to the decision to delay farmers’ movements, it has led directly The govern- crops. the trialling of genetically modified (GM) in action fresh farmers’ direct has the memory of ment there of such a powerful, their minds and cannot risk the alienation a depoliticised, glorified organised movement. In Europe, the such an impact. However, will never have focus group They direction. English panel may be moving in a positive after the Brussels continue to meet some eight months Parliament’s meeting. On hearing the news that the European and Rural Development has Committee on Agriculture hearing in favour of meeting for a public declined their request to return to the with ‘technical experts’, they have decided in Brussels in 2008. Parliament building European Hearing the real voices: exploring the experiences of the European Citizens’ Panel European of the the experiences exploring voices: the real Hearing Gwen Lanigan Carraig Bheic Golf Links Road Bettystown County Meath Northern Ireland UK Email: [email protected] Catherine Purvis Beacon for Public Engagement Newcastle University 6 Kensington Terrace NE1 7RU Newcastle upon Tyne UK Email: [email protected] http://beacon.ncl.ac.uk Website: The adoption of a strategy, which links so closely with a The adoption of a strategy, Hilmar Sturm, facilitator. their legitimacy. Of course, it is their natural right to take their legitimacy. with action. But then they act as only themselves, For me, it is important and gives the mandate. nobody’s are selected at recommendations weight that the citizens we choose them random from the whole population. If of society we from trade union members or special groups the process. inject our bias and political objectives into in this issue, it is too early to say.” it is too early to in this issue, “Could such processes have the potential have “Could such processes for than just a new toy to be more and other makers policy academics, As with other articles elites? professional CONTACT DETAILS CONTACT Niall Fitzduff 10 The Esplanade Holywood County Down, BT18 9JP Northern Ireland UK Email: [email protected] Peter Bryant Email: [email protected] www.communityinvolvement.org.uk Website: social movement, is a call for the repoliticisation of ‘partici- social movement, is a call for the repoliticisation such as citizens’ juries, patory’ and deliberative processes which approach, a technocratic instrumentalist away from 48 THEME SECTION 1 8 participatory processes citizens’ juriesandsimilar Shorts: fourbriefanalysesof 49

8 THEME SECTION 1 1 Though the jury presented their report in person to the their report Though the jury presented We suggest that the re-building of democratic engage- We ment in northern England, as in many other parts of the UK, will be greatly enhanced by an increase of face-to- face meetings such as those that form the essence of a such exercises are However, do-it-yourself citizens’ jury. only likely to be successful when they involve a broad range of local community groups and are not controlled by any one stakeholder or funder. Our final report suggested that some Asian and other Our final report suggested that some minority communities might welcome a re-direction of resources towards initiatives that allow them to join together with white community members and bring pressure for change, especially since many of the most pressing social and economic problems affect all the local population regardless of their background. See online resources section for links to the full version of the report. section for links to the full version of the report. See online resources council leader, a member of the European Parliament and a member of the European council leader, the opposition politicians, the council studiously ignored and after the election. As organisers and both before process, fundraised for ongoing activities facilitators we and the jurors 1 Ignoring and suppressing grassroots participation in a northern English town English in a northern participation grassroots and suppressing Ignoring

At the end of a day-long workshop, the jurors settled on At the end of a day-long workshop, the jurors a diverse a wide range of perspectives from Having heard We observedWe that white residents living in areas of diverse ethno-heritage often feel patronised by conventional anti- racism campaigns. Such messages are promoted by the same authorities who seem to have failed to address some of the most urgent problems facing their communities. In the spring of 2004 we began work on a citizens’ jury In the spring of 2004 we began work in of a town that we co-designed with the residents process northern of its population is minority One third England. ethno-cultural heritage communities. The subject of this ‘do- it-yourself jury’ was to be decided by the twenty volunteers, community organisations and the drawn at random from electoral roll. to drink and illegal drug use of the police relating the role among young people. This topic made local politicians nervous, they asked that we postpone the jury until after the to provide local elections in a few months’ time. They refused or cooperate with it. information to the process a number of set of ‘witnesses’ the jury sought to recommend The highlighted during the process. solutions to the problems jury at no point divided along ethnic lines. The following is an about the process: our 2004 report extract from by TOM WAKEFORD, BANO MURTUJA and PETER BRYANT and PETER MURTUJA BANO WAKEFORD, TOM by northern English town northern English grassroots participation in a grassroots 8a: Ignoring and suppressing and 8a: Ignoring 8 50 THEME SECTION 1 Tom Wakeford, BanoMurtujaandPeterBryant marginalise theprocess. Byparachutingintoacomplexlocal Firstly, weunderestimated thepoweroflocalcouncilto the juryprocess, eventhoughitwasindependentofthem. mistakes wemadethatallowedthecounciltodomesticate that thecouncilhasanyintentionofworkingwiththem. had nocontactfrom thecouncilandhavebecomesceptical est inworkingwiththejurors. Butfouryearslater, jurors have attended meetingsatwhichcouncilofficials expressed inter- make theirlocalcouncilmore accountable.Theyeven foundation, wasextremely sympathetictothejury’s desire to population wasminimal. impact onthewayinwhichlocalcouncilconsultedits the backingofastrong campaigningorganisation,our by ourselves,includingastallatthelocalmarket.Butwithout Website: http://beacon.ncl.ac.uk Email: [email protected] UK Newcastle uponTyne NE1 7RU 6 KensingtonTerrace Newcastle University Beacon forPublicEngagement Tom Wakeford CONTACT DETAILS On reflection, weasorganisersrecognise atleasttwo The funderofthejury, awellknownUKgrant-making Website: www.communityinvolvement.org.uk Email: [email protected] Peter Bryant Website: www.vis-a-vis.org.uk Email: [email protected] UK BB26AE Blackburn, 47 Preston NewRoad Apex House ResearchVis-a-Vis ConsultancyLtd Bano Murtuja with reference togiftsofsaltpork inabarrel byslave-owners totheirslaves. constituents orcampaigncontributors.This usageoriginatedinAmerican-English spending forprojectsgovernment thatare intendedprimarilytobenefit particular 2 ically deprivedtown. ofaneconom- that dominatesthedysfunctionalgovernment the suppressionto‘porkbarrel’ ofouralternative politics we havenotyetfoundaformulathatallowsustoovercome modest ongoingsupportfrom anextremely patientfunder long-term investmentingrassroots communitywork.Despite community empowermentourproject envisagedrequired be organisedremotely from outsidetheregion. Inreality, the own right,supportedbyaninfrastructure thatcouldeasily would beempowered enoughtobecomeactivistsintheir group ofindividualsthatemergedfrom thejuryprocess ers. Secondly, wewrongly expectedthatthemulti-racial senior localpolicymakerstoportraythejuryastroublemak- tions thathadlegitimacywiththecouncil,itwaseasyfor owned andplannedbyaccountablecommunityorganisa- community andorganisingaprocess withoutitbeingjointly ‘Pork barrel’ iscommonlyusedasapoliticalmetaphorfortheappropriation of 2 51

8 THEME SECTION 1 3 40, PLA They say the consultations were deliber- government with similar reservations. dialogue carried a pro-nuclear bias], you could argue, but independently 20 senior academics too have come forward and will be writing to ately skewed by linking nuclear to fears about climate change, because the government knew past [market] the only way to get people to research had shown it’s albeit reluctantly. accept nuclear, Similar concerns have come from some members of the public who attended – on websites and in unsolicited emails to Greenpeace. [The emails read] ‘In the video, alternative viewpoints had doom-ridden music in the view was then given background. The government’s against calm, relaxing music,’ [said one participant]. ‘I feel I have been mugged,’ [said another participant]. A previous UK Government consensus conference on radioactive waste was UK Government on radioactive A previous consensus conference pages 61-63. critiqued by Helen Wallace, then Science Director at Greenpece UK, in at Greenpece then Science Director critiqued by Helen Wallace, 3 A facilitator from Opinion Leader A facilitator from a leads participants through Research nuclear power dialogue session. The art of facipulation? The UK government’s nuclear power dialogue nuclear UK government’s The art of facipulation? The 1 In nine day- 2 into trouble and a complaint to a professional body. Transcript of UK TV’s Transcript Channel 4 News, 19th 2007: September, With just three weeks left to run, the government’s public consultation into nuclear power has run

… now Greenpeace would [be bound to] say that [the long meetings across Britain two weekends ago, nearly a thousand people were shown videos, presentations, and handouts, and their opinion on building new nuclear power stations canvassed […] www.channel4.com/player/v2/player.jsp?showId=9237

This refers to the UK Market Research Society, which is meant to regulate Society, to the UK Market Research This refers

power dialogue The UK government’s nuclear The UK government’s 8b: The art of facipulation? art of facipulation? 8b: The practice among its members, including ensuring that public consultations, for [and] objectively’. carried out ’transparently example, are 1 2 ‘Facipulation’ is a recently coined word for the process coined word ‘Facipulation’ is a recently convenors of participatory facilitators and other whereby that the the result produce get participants to processes think they facilitators want, whilst making the participants their own ideas. expressing are Jon Snow presents a Channel 4 News Snow presents Jon nuclear item on the government’s power dialogue. © Channel 4 Channel © 8 52 THEME SECTION 1 The artoffacipulation? The UKgovernment’s nuclearpowerdialogue © youtube.com Dialogue. of theNuclear youtube film Involve’s the government]wasn’tevertakenon dialogue process].ButIknowthattheadviceweoffered[to practical forustobeinvolvedinthecommissioning[of titioners, academicsetc…Becauseofthetimescaleitwasn’t our advice.Sciencewiseconsistsofapanelexperts–prac- Research Societyinvestigation. Opinion Leaderwillco-operatefullywiththeMarket was carriedouttothehighestprofessionalstandards. in thecomplaint[fromGreenpeace].We believeourwork See www.channel4.com/player/v2/player.jsp?showId=9237 on SaturdayhereinLondon. Chair ofSciencewise]andI’mhereattheNuclearDialogue includes OpinionLeader Research. Market Research Society, whichhasacodeofconduct foritsmembers,which the dialogue. improper conductofaconsultationprocess. Greenpeace UKmadeaformalcomplainttotheMarketResearch Societyalleging can taketheseintoaccountwhenmaking nationalpolicydecisions.’ find outpeople’s viewsonemerging areas ofscience and technologysothatthey leading marketresearch company, IpsosMORI. former headoftheUKPrimeMinister’s StrategyUnitandincludesmembersofa Involve hasitsofficesbyaboard inLondonandisgoverned chaired bythe forms ofpublicparticipationcanstrengthen democracyinBritainandelsewhere’. 8 7 6 5 4 The newsstoryfollowedanofficial complaintmadebyGreenpeace UKtothe Opinion LeaderResearch toundertake wascommissionedbytheGovernment Though neitherSciencewisenorInvolvecomplained abouttheprocess, Sciencewise is‘aprogrammetohelppolicymakers fundedbytheGovernment Involve, according toitswebsite’wasfoundedin2004determinehownew Opinion LeaderResearch said: toreporter]:[Richard Wilson Youtube clip: I’m Richard Wilson fromInvolve[Deputy I’m RichardWilson 4 5 7 8 We [Sciencewise]didoffer We refutethepointsmade . 6 53

8 THEME SECTION 1 Norfolk Genetic Information Network (NGIN) and Friends two of the Earth, who challenged organisations the legitimacy of the FSA’s jury process. Alongside many other quality control issues surrounding Alongside many other quality control it is likely to have severely limited the scope the jurors had to had limited the scope the jurors it is likely to have severely to the links between GM discuss a range of issues relating technologies, the food system and farming that they – rather pertinent. Citing than the FSA – might have thought were that it is good the FSA ‘disagreed Bell Pottinger, advice from to set their own agenda’. practice to allow jurors that their organisers the use of ‘off-the-shelf’ processes decide to call citizens’ juries, the FSA initiative leads us to believe that the practice of giving such juries a one-line question, such as the one given to the FSA citizens' jury should be discouraged and that it is misguided for any organisation to believe itself so independent that organising a jury process oversight mechanism that a it can forgo the transparent multi-stakeholder panel provides. Genetically modified meetings: the Food Standards Agency’s citizens’ jury citizens’ Agency’s Standards Food the meetings: modified Genetically

Newcastle University: UK.

During April 2003, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) During April 2003, the UK Food Standards A major disadvantage of not having drawn on a broad Agency’s citizens’ jury citizens’ Agency’s meetings: the Food Standards meetings: the 8c: Genetically modified 8c: Genetically REFERENCES Report on GM PEALS (2003) The People’s Crops. Extract from a report from the Policy Ethics and Life Sciences from a report Extract from Newcastle University (PEALS, 2003). Centre, (PEALS) Research Opinion commissioned what it called a ‘citizens’ jury’ from which is a division of the public relations Leader Research, firm Bell Pottinger (also known as Chime Communications). practice for citizens’ juries, no In contravention of standard panel of stakeholders was assembled to oversee balance and at the FSA stated that fairness Senior staff jury process. in the it was itself an independent agency and had been advised by OLR/Bell Pottinger that no such oversight panel would be necessary. for oversight of the jury process groups range of interest when the question was set for the jury to became apparent This was announced by the FSA as: ‘Should GM consider. food be available to buy in the UK?’ One of the witnesses to the jury immediately objected to this question, commenting a “yes” verdict that ‘with a question like that I can predict without even needing to give evidence’. Not only was this question open to the accusation of being skewed, like some but getting a particular answer, opinion poll surveys, towards 8 54 THEME SECTION 1 by theRIGHT2BHEARDCOLLECTIVEandSWINGBRIDGE VIDEO Narrator: type processes. experience ofbeingparticipantsinoneormore citizens’jury- dation conference onparticipation,November2007. The scriptofavideocontributiontoJosephRowntree Foun- teering stuff. Simon: people thatwearesupposed to berepresenting? what we’retalkingaboutatmeetings tothepublic, we’ve done?Whendoweget timetogobackandexplain Jackie: community tofindoutwhatisneededbedone? Janet: going toseetheresultsfrom. moment, letalonegivinguptimeforsomethingthatI’mnot Trisha: Thereisnotenoughhoursintheday. Simon: Time? authority andpower? does thatmeanwegain and resourcestoparticipate, 8d: Ifwehavetime,motivation By theRIGHT2BHEARDCOLLECTIVEandSWINGBRIDGE VIDEO All thevoicesinvideoare from peoplewithdirect How doIfindtimeasasingleparenttogooutintothe Time? Wheredowegetthetimetoreflectonwhat I don’thaveenoughtimeformyselfasitisatthe Time? IonlydothingsifI’mpaid, noneofthisvolun- If wehave time … Narrator: me. Foodmotivates arts andcraftswhenI’mabsolutelystarving? Yeah, alrightmate,whydoIwanttocomeasessionabout Simon: action andthere’s £3.50left. for themenattop,itgets downtomeforcommunity time you’veworkedoutwhat thetablecentres[flowers]are Trisha: Whydoyoustartoffwithahuge budgetandbythe is intheircontrol. how todistributewhat’s justpeanuts,whileallthebigmoney Anonymous: drinks. tion. Givethetopguy£100andhe’lluseitforaroundof Trisha: Simon: Narrator: Give me£100andI’llgetsomecommunityparticipa- Please sir, canwehavesomemore? Motivation? What’s mymotivation forthisscene? If wehavetime,motivation,and If wehavetime, They’ll getustoorganiseparticipationdecide motivation … resources … 55

8 THEME SECTION 1 ! On screen appearances: Peter Bryant, Janet On screen Jackie Haq, Madhusudhan, Davies, Si Donnelly, White. Also taking part Joe Thomas and Trisha Assad Afzal, Farmeen Aktar but not pictured: and Jasber Singh. of Caffrey Facilitated by Hugh Kelly and Lynne Swingbridge Video. Assistance and support Emma Stone (Joseph Rowntree from (Newcastle Wakeford Foundation) and Tom University). Power Power. People go on about power but the decisions Power. Power? Empower, isn’t that the guy that sends me the Power? Empower, Power. If the powers that be see this we’re out of a job Power. That and the big stick make me work every day (laughs).

Right 2B Heard and member Janet Adam. her son Simon: (Shouting) Joe: bill every month for the electric? Trisha: it. already been taken, we’re just rubber stamping Simon: Power mad. Joe: want more! Simon: We Joe: in the morning. Swingbridge Video Swingbridge ? ? power NOTES a is made up of people from Right 2B Heard who have participated variety of backgrounds of participatory democracy since in processes communities 2001 – particularly those from that have undergone marginalisation in the past. can watch the video online on YouTube: You www.youtube.com/watch?v=eurmFan_a-A authority Why take part in anything? If we have time, motivation and resources to participate, does that mean we gain authority and power? power? and we gain authority mean does that to participate, resources and motivation have time, If we (laughing) (laughs) Participation? Yes! … If we have time, motivation, and resources to If we have time, motivation, If we have time, motivation, and resources to If we have time, motivation, and resources If we have time, motivation and resources to partic- I hate it! We need to facilitate the empowerment of citizens need to facilitate the empowerment We They are telling me I have to participate, but I haven’t They are telling me I We’ve been asked, and we’ve been asked. We’ve been we’ve been asked. We’ve been asked, and We’ve What’s the point? the What’s CONTACT DETAILS CONTACT Swingbridge Video House Norden 41 Stowell St Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4YB and Wear, Tyne UK Email: [email protected] www.swingbridgevideo.co.uk Website: ipate, does that mean we gain authority and Narrator: Simon: I don’t know who’s in charge. Anon: I don’t know who’s All: (shouting) Rubbish! Peter: through deliberative democracy. Narrator: participate Yeah, right! Janet: Yeah, Joe: Madhusudhan: Participation? Participation? invited to meetings, we’ve been invited to participate, but invited to meetings, we’ve been invited what happens? Joe: Janet: been told what to do since I was 15. Narrator: Madhusudhan: participate, does that mean we gain Nothing ever happens, it just doesn’t work. Nothing ever happens, it just doesn’t work. Theme 2: Participatory budgeting: lessons from Latin America and the UK

57 THEME SECTION 2 9 Figure 1: Map showing Porto Alegre Alegre Map showing Porto 1: Figure and Coca-Cola. Partido dos Trabal- (local solidarity gover- (participatory budget) contributed to 1 version of participatory budgeting by rather lite (PT, Workers’ Party) governed the city, the citizens Party) governed the city, Workers’ (PT,

is a reference to diet versions of soft drinks such as Pepsi to diet is a reference

Between 1988 and 2004, when the Lite 1 In the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, previously famous as the previously In the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, Social Forum and the global capital birthplace of the World coalition that the centre-right of participatory democracy, after the electoral defeat of the left in 2004 has took office It implemented a new institutional scheme in Porte Alegre. is known as governança solidária local Introduction civic nance), which allegedly will deepen and broaden engagement. The scheme has been praised by mainstream international to be discussed organisations but – for reasons criticised by local NGOs, engaged below – also strongly leftwing political parties, and civil society organ- researchers, changes is consistent with broader isations. This process taking place at the international the sustained level through export of a by DANIEL CHAVEZ by DANIEL Brazil people power in Portopeople power Alegre, participatory budgeting and The watering down of down The watering hadores developed an exemplary model of demo- of Porto Alegre cratic local planning and management. The idea of the orça- mento participativo non-democratic and non-participatory institutions such as Bank. the World 9 58 THEME SECTION 2 Daniel Chavez responsibility agreements’ (betweenprivate, government non-deliberative forum;anetwork created tofosterjoint isconceivedas‘anexecutive, scheme forlocalgovernance conservative partyfoundedby formercommunists).Thenew Popular Socialista vaguely outlinedinabooklet publishedbythePartido reform. Thebasicfeatures ofthenewapproach were confirming thelaunchofamore comprehensive institutional to preserve anddevelop participatorybudgeting,while Alegre in2005,themayor publicly declared hiscommitment inally foundinBrazil. cities underpoliticalconditionsverydifferent tothoseorig- ‘neutral’ versionofparticipatorybudgetingincountriesand World Bankhasbeenbusy exportinganideologically Across theglobalSouth,during thepastfiveyears, pursue unpopularmarket-drivenpolicies(Shah,2007). the hopeofitoffering themdemocraticlegitimacyasthey are implementingwhattheycall‘participatorybudgeting’,in even conservativeandneo-liberalmunicipalgovernments Nowadays, inmanypartsofLatinAmericaandEurope, managerial technologyforefficient ‘goodgovernance’. eting, bypromoting itsglobalexpansionasjustanother neutralising theemancipatorypoliticsofparticipatorybudg- other mainstream ‘development’institutionsaimedat Brazil, there havebeenstrong efforts bytheWorld Bankand across LatinAmericaandtherest oftheworld.Beyond Alegre. Butitalsohasawidersignificanceforurbanpolitics moreing, andparticipatorygovernance generally. practical conflictoverthemeaningofparticipatorybudget- popular decision-makingpowerthatisnowatstakeinavery innovation indemocraticpolitics(Menegat,2002).Itisthis it arealandmarkedgenuine influenceovergovernment and error, thepopularroots ofparticipatorybudgetinggave shaping theirdailylives.Through almosttwodecadesoftrial active subjectswithincreasing powertoinfluencedecisions under theruleofauthoritarianandcorruptelites–into transforming urbanresidents –whohadbeenpowerless rest oftheworld.” politics across Latin America andthe has awidersignificanceforurban inhabitants ofPorto Alegre. Butitalso “This conflictisimportantforthe When the new government assumedofficeWhen thenewgovernment inPorto This conflictisimportantfortheinhabitantsofPorto (PPS, SocialistPeople’s Party–aneo- current administrationistherecentralisation ofdecision- of theparticipatorybudgetis notsafeinthehandsof declined. has level ofaccountabilitythemunicipalgovernment cials nolongerattendthelocalassemblies,andoverall patory budgetingparticipants.Electedandappointedoffi- adequate financialandinstitutionalinformationforpartici- nolongerprovidesbeen decaying:thegovernment processes andstructures ofparticipatorybudgetinghave getting ridofdirect citizens’ participation’. watchdog, saysitall:‘Institutionalformalitymaintained,but in thefieldofurbanpoliticsandaparticipatorybudgeting Assessoria eEstudosUrbanos (‘Watching theBudget’),abulletinpublishedby the December2005issueof matter ofgreatamongsocialactivists.Thetitle concern hassincebeenthebeginninga conservative government Silva tookoffice asPresident ofBrazilnevermaterialised. after theradicalchangesthatwere expectedwhenLulada vative sectorsconvergedwithfallingexpectationsandhope the setback,asanti-PTfeelingpromoted bytheconser- alsocontributedto chantment withthefederalgovernment of thecityinallocationmunicipalresources). Disen- (prioritising thepoorer neighbourhoodsandsocialsectors investmentprioritiesupsidedown’ strategy of‘turning among thosewhohadbeenthemainbeneficiariesof local hegemony, firstamongthemiddleclassandthen growing administrativeproblems. ThePTbegantolose its had notpaidenoughattentiontofinancialsustainabilityand the socialandpoliticaldimensionsofmunicipalrule,PT is workingandlet’s changewhateverisnot’. of Fogaçawassimplisticbuteffective: ‘let’s keepwhatever nising theleft’s record Thecatchphrase ofgoodgovernment. of continuousleftwingadministration,whileexplicitlyrecog- that playedonadesire forchangeafteralmosttwodecades coalition narrowly wonthemayoralelectionwithastrategy tical supportfortheWorld SocialForum.ThePPS-led patory budgetingprogramme, andalsotopoliticallogis- Fogaça, hadcommittedhimselftomaintainingthepartici- (Busatto andZalewskiVargas, 2005). tional space‘there isnoconflict,elections,delegates’ and voluntarycommunitysectors).Inthisnewinstitu- 2 See www.ongcidade.org Another signthattheoriginal democraticisingpurpose The fateofparticipatorybudgetingunderthenew After more thanadecadeinpower, mainlyfocusedon During theelectoralcampaign,incomingmayor, José (CIDADE), alocalNGOactive De OlhoNoOrçamento 2 Since then,the Centro de 59

9 THEME SECTION 2 – the mensalão After the local defeat of the left in 2004, Porto Alegre Local community organisers are increasingly divided. increasingly Local community organisers are too, the situation does not look On the political front, “Only by debating the promises and the promises “Only by debating in experiments real-world limitations of such as that of citizens’ participation able to will we be Alegre Porto politics and build the urban radicalise stronger foundations for deeper and democracies.” scandal triggered by revelations of systemic political corrup- by revelations scandal triggered and Bran- tion by elements of the PT leadership (Wainwright 2006). ford, has become the scene of a sharp conflict between opposed budgeting process, referring to private companies, founda- referring budgeting process, and state and federal agencies. tions, universities, churches, just one actor In this context, popular organisations become to Sergio Baierle (2005), this would According among many. the principle of popular sover- be tantamount to rejecting budgeting. eignty that always characterised participatory aim of the new governance seems to be The real scheme the state through away from the shift of responsibilities a new form of privatisa- ‘partnerships’ that, in practice, are of the subordination This requires tion of public policy. of the most popular organisations to the rules and interests powerful – large private business, in particular. have lost their Many of the most experienced activists This has contributed to the connections with the grassroots. NGO-isation of the urban movement and the parallel loss of the original radically popular identity of the participatory the outset, the new from Moreover, budgeting programme. administration has attempted (rather successfully) to assim- ilate and ‘neutralise’ social leaders and technical staff them new jobs in offering with the PT, formerly affiliated local government By the late 1990s, the left had become increas- promising. to Party had tried The Workers’ ingly bureaucratised. compensate for the loss of its social base by co-opting social leaders, starting a cycle that weakened both the party and the PT has not been fundamentally, the movement. More strategy to deal with the changed able to develop a coherent framework of local politics. It has been weakened and atom- and the wider ised by the electoral defeat in Porto Alegre Brazil caused by the crisis of the party across (10 million The watering down of participatory budgeting and people power in Porto Alegre, Brazil Alegre, in Porto power and people budgeting participatory down of watering The reais included in the annual municipal investment included in the annual originally planned). plan (in % of the total Government officials retort that the new commitment Government retort officials More recently, the municipal government has been criti- recently, More

Before, the multi-year investment plan was discussed by Before, the multi-year investment plan already written the citizens, but in 2005 that plan came Office and the City by the government. The Mayor’s Council are beginning to take back the power that previous governments had granted to the people. Figure 1: Execution of public works and social projects of public works Execution 1: Figure

dollars) on publicity. Meanwhile, only 21 of the 219 public dollars) on publicity. included in the annual investment works and social projects of the partic- plan (which is supposed to be the main product executed as planned. The chart ipatory budgeting cycle) were above shows a marked decline in the accountability and efficiency of the municipal government 1). (see Figure to local solidarity governance means that deliberation is no to the municipal budget. It should also longer restricted include the ‘social budget’ to which civil society organisa- invited to tions and the business community of the city are contribute. They also insist that the new strategy aims to the participatory ‘excluded’ from include those previously cised for investing more in propaganda and public relations in propaganda cised for investing more – including the organisation, in February 2008, of a mammoth international focused on the ‘radical- conference to citizens’ isation of local democracy’ – than in responses just published by CIDADE, to research demands. According in 2007 the municipality spent 15 million making power. Felisberto Luisi, a social activist with over a making power. of participatory budg- decade of engagement in the process him in 2006: eting, gave me an example when I interviewed (CIDADE, 2008). (CIDADE, 9 60 THEME SECTION 2 Daniel Chavez • to evaluatethelimitsandpossibilitiesofparticipatory to analyseanddebatetheplaceofstateurban • eignty? Democracy:TechnicalParticipatory FixorPopularSover- Porto Alegre, inOctober2007,underthetitle conferencecampaigns jointlyorganisedaninternational in pean organisationsactivein‘reclaiming democracy’ for deeperandstronger democracies. able toradicaliseurbanpoliticsandbuildthefoundations zens’ participationsuchasthatofPortoAlegre willwebe promises andlimitationsofreal-world experimentsin citi- and ‘communityempowerment’.Onlybydebatingthe the latestglobalwaveof‘partnerships’,‘newgovernance’ in thecitycanhelptodecoderhetoricandrealities of political strategies.Furtheranalysisoftheconflictunfolding Website: www.tni.org Email: [email protected] The Netherlands 1001 LDAmsterdam PO Box14656 Transnational Institute Daniel Chavez CONTACT DETAILS party politics.” institutional alterations produced by democracy couldbehighlyaffectedby processes oflocalparticipatory “...even supposedlywell-developed budgeting andotherformsofcommunity-baseddirect 21st century; popular classesintheemergingurbanlandscapeof Faced withthisscenario,agroup ofBrazilianandEuro- The activityhadfourinterrelated objectives: (CIDADE) Centro deAssessoriaeEstudosUrbanos No Orçamento12(23),April.PortoAlegre: no OPcaidrasticamentedesde2005.’DeOlho CIDADE (2008)‘Execuçãodeobraseserviços Partido PopularSocialista the changeinPortoAlegre.Alegre: Governance:Politicalgrounds of Local Solidary Busatto, C.andZalewskiVargas, P. (2005) Ibase Relatório doprojecto MAPAS.’ RiodeJaneiro: a revolução políticaeotransformismo Baierle, S.(2005)‘LutasemPortoAlegre: entre REFERENCES The Futureof a participatory‘method’hasbeenmainstreamed. againstcomplacencyonce tion. Italsoconstitutesawarning on theobjectivequalityandsocialroots ofcitizenparticipa- its ‘irreversibility’ –highlightstheneedforfurtherresearch contradicts previous assumptionsaboutitsstrength and even case, thewateringdownofparticipatorybudgeting–which tence ofavastacademicliterature publishedontheBrazilian tional alterationsproduced bypartypolitics.Despitetheexis- participatory democracycouldbehighlyaffected byinstitu- show thatevensupposedlywell-developedprocesses oflocal power. strategies fortheinvigorationoflocalsources ofpopular space forinterchanging experiencesanddevelopingjoint Popular Sovereignty Network,conceivedasaninternational main result oftheconference wasthecreation ofthe United Kingdom,theNetherlandsandStates.The Argentina, Chile,Colombia,Philippines,Canada,Spain,the of PortoAlegre. Ithad194participantsfrom Brazil, tional Institute,Oxfam-Novib,andtheMethodistUniversity • to raisesuggestionsandguidelinesforbuildinganinter- • to provide aspaceforanalysesanddiscussionofexisting racy activists. national networkofgrassroots-based participatorydemoc- as socialemancipationandtransformation; aroundalternatives thethemeofparticipatorydemocracy management ofsocialpolicies; In short,therecent changesobservedinPortoAlegre The conference wasconvenedbyCIDADE,theTransna- Transnational Institute (TNI) the politicalcrisisinBrazil.Amsterdam: Eye oftheStorm:Left-wingactivistsdiscuss Wainwright, H.andBranford, S.(2006) Washington, DC:World BankInstitute Budgeting. Shah (ed.)(2007)Participatory 2002, IIED:London in PortoAlegre, Brazil.’InPLANotes Menegat, R.(2002)‘Participatorydemocracy 44, June In the THEME SECTION 2 61

2 Since the change in local government in Porto Alegre in 2005, there has been Since the change in local government in 2005, there in Porto Alegre 2 “PB is a source of inspiration for many of inspiration “PB is a source in interested the world who are around The question is: justice and democracy. can it work here?” an increasing de-politicisation of active participation (International Centre for de-politicisation of active participation (Internationalan increasing Centre Participation Studies – political history more it is PB’s ICPS, 2008, p.10). However, interviews to ICPS that has served as inspiration for pilots in the UK (according with organisers and practitioners in the UK, 2007-8).

radical alternative to representative democracy. Through the Through democracy. radical alternative to representative participation and deliberation of individuals (at public direct meetings) in setting budget priorities for the municipal invest- is seen to ment plan, participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre of living for its poorest have led to a shift in standards communities (Hall, 2005). Although it was originally the which came to power in 1989, Party, of the Workers’ project the budget went on to control the people of Porto Alegre as well as the budget itself – with budget delegates process that it is a fair and to ensure each year, the process refining participatory process. 10

A way of involving communities in real decisions, it is a A way of involving communities in real

1 In the UK, Hazel Blears, the Minister for Communities and In its native context of Latin America, PB is seen as a The Department of Local Government and Communities has been hosting a 1 national reference group on participatory budgeting since 2006, and funds the group national reference Participatory Budgeting Unit to support local authorities in developing PB pilots. technique learnt nearly 20 years’ experience of popular from communities in Porto mobilisation in Latin America, where regen- Brazil have been involved in spending the city’s Alegre, eration budget since 1989 (see Chavez, article 9, this issue). Latin America, and is now across It is an idea that has spread countries. by several European being explored Local Government, announced that she hopes to see every of its funds via PB-style local council distributing a proportion pilots already ‘community kitties’ by 2012 (DCLG, 2008). Ten existed when she first made this announcement in July 2007, into being by committed local government mostly brought support of a government the minister However, officials. clearly took the development of participatory budgeting in the UK to a new level. Participatory budgeting (PB) is currently generating a lot of Participatory budgeting (PB) is currently amongst policy makers and local authorities in the interest UK. Introduction by HEATHER BLAKEY by HEATHER

UK: a challenge to the system? UK: a challenge Participatory in the budgeting 10

62 THEME SECTION 2 Heather Blakey PB. priorities. Equally, direct participationisacrucialfeature of tion. PBshouldnotbesimplyareferendum onspending so thatdecisionsare takenonthebasisofconsidered reflec- ipants are abletodeliberate,share anddefendtheir ideas, of powerandresources. Therefore, itisimportantthatpartic- ably verydifferent settings,andthesamepoliticalsystemmay same wayintheUK?LatinAmericaandUKare undeni- political methodfrom Brazil andexpectittodeliverinthe question is:canitworkhere? Isitpossibletotransplanta the worldwhoare interested injusticeanddemocracy. The the process itself. to participateincreases asa resultgainedthrough oflearning also actsasa‘citizenshipschool’forparticipants–theirability making decisions. ipation withinpoorneighbourhoods. ing, andithasreversed ahistoricaltrend ofdeclining partic- and neighbourhoodsreceive greater levelsofpublicspend- This isinlinewithitsintendedgoalofhelpingpoorer citizens terms ofthelivedrealities ofthecity’s poorer communities. • accountability (shared andtransparent managementof social contract(through theirparticipation,citizensbecome • • deliberation(i.e.informeddecision-makingratherthanan • direct participationofindividualsinsettingbudgetpriori- 1989 tomore than20,000 in 1999. the budgetprocess rose from alittleover1,500peoplein outcome. InPortoAlegre, injusttenyears,participation that there isanunequivocallinkbetweeninvolvementand 5 4 3 information, seeHall (2005),Wampler (2000)andChavez(thisissue). the longerversionofthispaper. a detaileddescriptionofthedecision-making process inonepilot theUK,see distinction betweenconsultationanddecision-making whichcharacterisesPB.For can localpeoplereally beinvolved?” happen havealready beenmade, how “If thedecisionsaboutwhatmust There isnotspacehere tofullyexplaintheprocess inPortoAlegre. Formore The process fordecision-makingvariesfrom process toprocess, but itisthe ICPS (2008),p.8. resources). co-responsible forproject implementation);and opinion poll); ties; 4 Accordingly, PBisasource ofinspirationformanyaround Few woulddisputethatithasgeneratedreal changesin Essentially, itrests onfourprinciples: Participants are notbeing‘consulted’butare themselves Each personhasavoteandtherighttospeak,meaning 3 Put verysimply, PBinvolvesareal transfer 5 Participatory budgeting 7 6 shift from activiststopaidworkers. influences thenature ofactorsinvolvedin‘communitywork’–for example,a of experienceandskillsinthesectorisnecessarily problematic, but it clearly followed avoluntarysector‘career path’.Thisisnottosaythatthe development important factor, characterisedbyseniorvoluntarysectorofficials whohave People Decide’? processes. Thisresearch isoutlinedbriefly inourresearch briefing efforts toinvolvethevoluntaryandcommunitysectorsindecision-making could –transplanttotheUK,andwithwhatresults. take acloserlookathoweffectively ideassuchasparticipatorybudgetingdo–or World Bankpromoting participatorybudgeting(World Bank,2007),itistimeto democracy orlocalpoliticalcontexts(Avritzer, 2002).Perhaps,witheventhe America itself,withoutsufficient reference tolocalconceptualisationsof democracy around theworld–toimplantit,asinIraqand,lessrecently, Latin awarding grantstocommunity groups) ratherthaninvolve- making’ intheUK(participatorydecision-makingabout • Or, isitthesystemitselfwhichcouldbeseenasexcluding • Is PBmeantto‘fix’thepeoplewhoare disengagedfrom UK seetheproblem. extent towhichthepeopledevelopingsystemsofPBin system andhowtoimprove it’.Thequestionhere is the them’ (inthesystemasitstands)ratherthanfocusingon‘the focus cantoooftenbeon‘thepeopleandhowtoinvolve encourage participation(HomeOffice, 2004). generating averydifferent politicalculture inwhichto increasingly divorced from theformaldemocraticsystem, and socialactivismintheUKremain healthybutthisis seek inclusionwithinthestate(Pearce, 2004).Volunteering mobilised manyexcludedandmarginalisedpeople,whonow there isastrong traditionofcollectiveactionwhichhas sioned withanddistantfrom thestate,inLatinAmerica, problems. WhileintheUKactivistsare increasingly disillu- likely toparticipateinthatsystemorder tosolvesocial who havemore recently struggledfordemocracy, are more of representative democracy, itappearsthatLatinAmericans, intheUK,anddespite theUK’sgovernment longerhistory inBrazilhas greaterLocal government powerthanlocal partnership ofpoliticiansand‘thepeople’). processes suchasPB(asopposedtoamore overtlypolitical professionalised voluntarysectordevelopparticipatory down: apartnershipofstateofficials andanincreasingly demanding avoice.IntheUK,motivationismore top- social movements,backedbypoliticalpartiesoftheLeft Broadly speaking,inLatinAmerica,PBhasarisenthrough Fixing thesystem? not transplanteasilytoadifferent politicalandsocialcontext. The ICPSresearch intoPBintheUKthatthisarticleisbasedonalsolookedat For example,there areefforts manycriticsofmodern to‘spread’ representative and hierarchical? the politicalsystem? Accordingly, PBhasemergedmore as‘participatorygrant- , 2008.Theissueofthe‘professionalised sector’emergedasan 7 As aresult, the ‘Here, the 6

10 THEME SECTION 2 Photo: Heather Blakely Heather Photo: 10 Approximately 300 Approximately 9 Participatory budgeting in the UK: a challenge to the system? to a challenge in the UK: budgeting Participatory Residents of all neighbourhoods eligible for Neighbourhood Renewal Funding Neighbourhood Renewal is a UK government which focuses on programme community involvement in generating social outcomes for deprived communities. were invited to attend the Decision Day, to vote on grant applications by local to vote on grant applications by invited to attend the Decision Day, were was allocated by and schools. £130,000 organisations such as community groups in which The Decision Day followed a consultation process on that day. residents This information was priorities for the area. to name three asked were residents on the given to grant applicants as a guide, but the money was allocated by area to the Neighbourhood Renewal rules. day according 9 10 pilots, this was a small-scale experiment, but the over- and whelming message was that PB in the UK can inspire, to get involved that it can help people to see how and where number in local decision-making. PB involved a much greater of people in decision-making than any other local neigh- planning process. bourhood renewal people attended the PB Decision Day, with perhaps half people attended the PB Decision Day, just one neighbourhood following a public coming from meeting encouraging people to support the local school. Residents voting at participatory Keighley’s budgeting Decision Day, 25th November 2006. As with all the UK 8 Of course, these differences do not mean that PB has no Of course, these differences The longer paper that this article summarises is based on this research. 8 PB in practice: lessons learnt PB in practice: translates into practice, the Inter- see how the inspiration To for Participation Studies (ICPS) at Bradford national Centre University followed one PB pilot in the north of England 2006 and April 2007. between March ment in Council budgeting and expenditure. The danger is ment in Council budgeting and expenditure. that PB is seen as the means to deliver the involvement of people – a technique that can be taught (usually by more consultants for a fee) rather than as a radical overhaul of how we understand our place in the democratic system. exactly because it PB inspires On the contrary, place here. needed alternative a sorely to ‘business as does seem to offer usual’ politics. 10

64 THEME SECTION 2 Heather Blakey tary sectorandthecouncil,butnotlocalresidents. the pilotinvolvedLocalStrategicPartnership,volun- version ofthispaper. 12 11 out inconsiderablenumbers. difference tooutcomesthattheycared about,theyturned people understoodthattheiractionwouldmakeatangible but alackoffaithinourabilitytomakedifference – when Thisclearlysuggeststhatourproblemturnout. isnotapathy, on outcomesintheirneighbourhoodmotivatedalarge The suddenunderstandingthatattendanceimpacteddirectly priorities shouldbe. of meetingthetargets,ratherthandecidingjustwhat Their participationisreduced tohelpingfindthebestways already beenmade,howcan localpeoplereally beinvolved? is more, ifthedecisionsabout whatmusthappenhave who willbeheldresponsible ifthetargetsare notmet.What tion encouragesorganisationalcontrol –itistheorganisers than anydiscussionofwhat focus onhowtoachievethesepreordained targets, rather achievement ofsettargets.Deliberationstheninevitably is NewLabour’s ‘deliveryculture’, whichprioritisesthe commitment togenuineparticipation.Primeamongstthese The reality isthatmanynationalconstraintsconflictwitha deliberation, ortoinvolveresidents intheplanningprocess? organisers. Sowhywere theystillunabletocreate space for commitment totheradicalpotentialofPBonpart the evidencefrom thispilotsuggestsaveryhighlevelof two importantelementsofaradicalPBprocess. However, rather thanbetweencommunitiesandindividuals,missing result, allthedeliberationtookplacebetweenpaidworkers, planning. community andprivatesectorstoaddress localissuesandcontribute tostrategic and Wales. Theybringtogetherrepresentatives from thelocalstatutory, voluntary, with eachprocess.” genuinely empowering, engagement creating opportunitiesforlocal, and and participantsistobealive “The importantpointforallorganisers For more informationonthisparticularUKprocess, pleaseseethelonger Local StrategicPartnershipsexistinnearly alllocalauthorityareas in England Yet there aresignstoo.Theplanninggroup warning for should beachieved.Thissitua- 11 12 As a tory processes suchasPB, this isaninteresting time. who believeintheradicalpotentialofgenuinelyparticipa- engagement witheachprocess. ForthoseofusintheUK ing opportunitiesforlocal,andgenuinelyempowering, point forallorganisersandparticipantsistobealivecreat- keeps openthesespacesforlocalinnovation.Theimportant tant opportunity, solongasthestrategic nationaldirection each process.interest UKgovernment inPBoffers animpor- a nationallevel,butmustbeexplored bytheparticipantsin the piebigger!’ decide howtoshare thepie,weshouldbeaskingwhyisn’t local tothepilotwefollowed:‘weshouldn’t justbehelping ‘grant-making’ from afixedpot?Inthewords ofanactivist ally settingprioritiesforspending–inbudgeting,notjust making processes. Howcanparticipantsgetinvolvedinactu- they are partoffitswithbiggerlocalauthoritydecision- need tohavetheopportunityconsiderhowPBprocess with thewiderpoliticalsystem.Inotherwords, participants locally. We alsoneedtoaskhowparticipatorybudgetingfits allowed tohavetheflexibilitydevelop,andbeowned, bourhood ofeachindividualprocess. Eachprocess must be should notmean‘intheUK’butmustrefer totheneigh- here? Andofcourse,whenweaskthatquestion,‘here’ ment workaround budgetliteracy. for deliberation,andacommitmenttocommunitydevelop- in whatprojects are funded),theconsciouscreation ofspace include localownershipoftheprocess (notjustinvolvement move inthedirection ofthosemore radicaloutcomes.These genuine participation,andthosewhichhelptheprocess must bealivetothefactorswhichunderminepromise of eting. Butwemustnottakeitspotentialforgranted.We activists withanuancedunderstandingofparticipatorybudg- is anincreasing constituencyofcommittedpractitionersand We areintheUK.There justatthebeginningofthisjourney to engage,andcruciallybringaboutreal socialchange. So, itseemsthatPBdoeshavearadicalpotential,toinspire, What works the nationalreference group. 13 Based inpartondetailedobservationof one UKprocess, andinvolvement in The answerstothesequestionscannotbedeterminedat We toasktherightquestions.Whatworks mustlearn here ? Developinglocalprocesses 13 65

10 THEME SECTION 2 . Democracy and the public . Available online: . Available REFERENCES (2002) Avritzer . Princeton University sphere in Latin America Press DCLG (2008) Participatory Budgeting: a draft national strategy. Department of Local Government UK and Communities. London: Hall, J. (2005) Breathing life into democracy: the power of participatory budgeting Manchester: Community Pride Initiative (2004) Home Office citizenship Home Office survey:. people, families and communities Study 289, London: Research Home Office Home Office ICPS (2008) ‘Here, the People Decide’? briefing. International for Research Centre UK Participation Studies: Bradford, collective action or (2004) ‘Debate: J.V. Pearce, public participation? Complementary or contradictory democratisation strategies in Latin America?’ Bulletin of Latin American Research 23:4 A guide to participatory B. (2000) Wampler, online: budgeting. Available www.internationalbudget.org/resources/ library/GPB.pdf Bank (2007) ParticipatoryWorld budget formulation http://go.worldbank.org/S9ZD1PNII0 Participatory budgeting in the UK: a challenge to the system? to a challenge in the UK: budgeting Participatory NOTES NOTES focuses on research Heather Blakey’s research participatory practice, participatory community methods, identities in Bradford, engagement and outreach. This article is a shortened version of a paper entitled ‘Radical innovation or technical fix? Participatory budgeting in the UK.’ Please contact Heather for the full version of this paper. CONTACT DETAILS CONTACT Heather Blakey Participation Studies International for Centre University Bradford Bradford UK Email: [email protected] www.bradford.ac.uk/acad/icps Website: Theme 3: Gender issues and challenges of representation

67 THEME SECTION 3 11 Both the technical and personal experiences of our “While the GIPA principle is widely the GIPA “While our experience is accepted in theory, that the views and voices of HIV- positive people still tend to be or ignored.” overlooked simply about seating HIV-positive women at decision-making simply about seating HIV-positive it is also a mandatory space has been created; tables where about us setting the agenda. It is not only vital that HIV-positive women with the skills and capacity to make decisions are involved as equal partners – but that those in positions of power learn inclusive and to engage with us in ways that are or else our involvement becomes tokenistic. respectful, members demand that they be involved at every level of the development, design and delivery of sexual and reproductive women services for HIV-positive and care health, treatment ‘services to fit women’ ensure the world. To and girls around and individuals (rather than ‘women to fit services’), groups concerned interac- with these issues must work in creative, women, as well tive and participatory ways with HIV-positive with community members as with others who work directly

In 1994, at the Paris AIDS Summit, 42 national govern- is not principle Meaningful implementation of the GIPA The International Living with Community of Women HIV/AIDS (ICW) is the only international network of HIV-posi- HIV-positive tive women. ICW envisions a world where and meaningfully involved at all polit- respected women are made. Our our lives are decisions that affect ical levels where hope is that with your experience of participatory ways of to this paper with advice, support working, you will respond and engagement on these issues. of Involvement that the principle of Greater ments declared by HIV and AIDS (the ‘GIPA People Living with or Affected national responses principle’) is critical to ethical and effective widely accepted principle is to the pandemic. While the GIPA our experience is that the views and voices of HIV- in theory, GIPA positive people still tend to be overlooked or ignored. but no strategy is a useful mobilising device to rally around involvement. Further- effective was put in place to secure hard It has proved the principle was never gendered. more, and women to have their voices heard, for HIV-positive and others who women still for young HIV-positive harder marginalised, such as sex workers, positive women more are prisoners and injecting drug users. Introduction by the INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS LIVING WOMEN COMMUNITY OF by the INTERNATIONAL from principle to practice?from principle People Living with HIV/AIDS: People Living The Greater Involvement of Involvement The Greater 11 68 THEME SECTION 3 The InternationalCommunityof Women Living withHIV/AIDS and ininformalexchangesbetweenmembers. during ouradvocacydevelopmentandtrainingworkshops, experiences through ournewsletter, members’e-forum, involvement inmanyprocesses overtheyears.We share such 1 tion. their experienceduringdesign,planning,andimplementa- programme andpolicyinitiativesillustratetheexclusionof quotes from HIV-positive womenwhohavetakenpartin regional andlocalmainstream dialogues.Thefollowing HIV-positive women’s issuesare oftenexcludedinnational, Our issuesdon’tgetdiscussed • the resulting tendencyfororganisations,institutionsand • the gendered barrierstogreater involvement;and • our struggletoensure thatallourmembers’voicesare women andgirlsfrom accessingtheseservices. efforts canweadequatelyaddress thebarriersthatprevent and otherrelevant groups. Onlythrough suchcollaborative society groups workingon HIVseethemselvesascaretakers and AIDSare dominatedby men.Too manyNGOsandcivil tional organisationsandnetworksofpeoplelivingwithHIV support groups, wefindthat national,regional andinterna- societies atlarge.Despitewomen’s strong leadershipin perspectives ofwomenandreflect thepatriarchal normsof organisations donotadequatelytakeintoaccountthe not onlyafeature ofmainstream policyarenas. HIV/AIDS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatekeeping_(communication) which ideasandinformationare filtered forpublication.Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_picking. or datathatmaycontradictposition. Source: confirm aparticularposition,whileignoring asignificantportionofrelated cases Cherry-picking vant toourlives–wearenotpartoftheprocess. Policy makerssitinboardroomsanddecidewhatisrele- don’t getdiscussed. We haveorganisations,butmenleadthem,andourissues into consideration. Our inputisnotimplemented,andourideasaretaken when itcomestoinvolvement. networks (includingours)to‘cherry-pick’and‘gatekeep’ heard inouradvocacyefforts; This articledrawsonexperiencesfrom ourmembers’ Here, wediscuss: This ongoingmarginalisationofHIV-positive womenis is theactofpointingatindividualcasesor datathatseemto Gatekeeping 1 is theprocess through type andquality. Yet policiesand guidancepapersonHIV drug usersorHIV-positive maleinjectingdrugusers. get theirvoicesheard eitherbyHIV-positive non-injecting Similarly, ICW memberswhoinjectdrugshavestruggledto arefeel theirconcerns taken seriouslybyoldermembers. voices. Evenwithinactivistcircles ouryoungmembersdonot marginalisation oftheirHIV-positive statuscansilencetheir injecting drugusersandyoungwomen,theadditional alised suchassexworkers,mobilepopulations,prisoners, positive maleprisoners.Forwomenwhoare already margin- example, havethesameexperiencesandprioritiesasHIV- people. ThisimpliesthatHIV-positive womenprisoners,for from, forinstance,injecting drugusers,prisoners,oryoung ‘gender’) isgenerallyseenasonecategory, differentiated However, outsideICWafrustrationfor usisthat‘women’(or positive womenwhoare orwere injectingdrugusers. oped specificprojects withyoungpositivewomen,andHIV- or withdifferent experiencesandlifestyles.We havedevel- by andforHIV-positive womenfrom different backgrounds research andadvocacydevelopmentprojects specificallyrun representing abodyof‘expertisebyexperience’. sent positivewomen’s networksismissingavitalperspective on HIVthatdoesnotinvolveHIV-positive womenwhorepre- and understandourissues.Butanydecision-makingforum HIV-negative orwhomaynotknow theirstatustosupportus around HIVandAIDS.Itisnotimpossibleforpeoplewhoare may wellreduce thepositivecontentandimpactofwork riences cangiveusinsightsandknowledgewhich,ifignored, women andaspeoplelivingwithHIVAIDS.Theseexpe- starkly reveal thebarrierstoachievingourrightsbothas people notdirectly affected byHIV. Ourdailyexperiences enough tothinkoradvocateforourselves. that theydonotthinkweare empowered orresponsible and advocatesforHIV-positive women,leavingustoassume in them.’(ICWmember) in ourmeetingsbecausetheydon’tknowhowtobehave involve representativesofHIV-positive women’s networks One World Bankofficeroncesaidatameeting,‘We can’t nia) professionals todecideonthings. educatedthey thinkthattheyneed woman isnotvery Women areusedfortheirexperience,butbecausethe ICW hasidentifiedareal needforsafespaces,and Issues importanttousare oftennotseenasimportantby Increased involvementneedstobequalifiedintermsof (ICW member, Tanza- 69

11 THEME SECTION 3 Cartoon: Kate Charlesworth Kate Cartoon: The Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS: from principle to practice? from principle with HIV/AIDS: Living of People Greater Involvement The 11 70 THEME SECTION 3 The InternationalCommunityof Women Living withHIV/AIDS again. powerful andICWmakesreference totheseoverand rights (SRHR)(seeBox1).Theinequalityargumentsare the importanceoftheirsexualandreproductive healthand than adirect rights-based argument togainrecognition of activists oftenusethegenderinequalityargumentrather our messageacross. For example, HIV-positive women as research respondents orservicerecipients. satisfy themselveswiththeinclusionofHIV-positive women rarely qualifyGIPA. Thesepoliciesremain rhetoricalandoften tionship withpolicymakerswouldlooklike. the rightsofHIV-positive women andwhatahealthyrela- ments toaccountintermsofwhattheyare doingtouphold ical viewofGIPA whereby HIV-positive womenholdgovern- 1). However, wenowrealise ourpostermissesamore polit- the settingupofnetworksbyHIV-positive women(seeFigure considered tobemore meaningfulformsofinvolvement, e.g. moving from manipulationandtokenismtowhatwethen produced aposterdepictingcontinuumofinvolvement to legitimiseexclusiveprocesses ofengagement.ICW what wemeanby‘meaningful’willcontinuetobeused organisations workingonHIVdonothaveaclearideaof women HIV andAIDS,evenMIWA –meaningfulinvolvementof about MIPA –meaningful made. Regular review meetingsare heldtomonitorprogress towards thecommitments HIV/AIDS, 2001atwhichaDeclarationof CommitmentonHIV/AIDSwasmade. 2 UNGASS refers totheUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblySpecialSession on Women oftencannotnegotiatesafesex. Many HIV-positive womengetHIVintheirmarriagebeds. the government. put asideformakingabignoiseandbeingcriticalabout the delegateswhattheyshouldsay[…]Iwascriticisedand organised ameetingforallthedelegatesfromxandtold GIPA –theydoittogetfunding. People signuptoGIPA withoutknowingthemeaningof and discriminationatUNGASS. Last yearIwasinvitedtospeakaboutGIPA andstigma We havealsonotedhowwe shapeourargumenttoget Such experienceswithGIPA haveledpeopletospeak living withHIVandAIDS.Yet whateveritiscalled,if (ICW member) involvement ofpeoplelivingwith 2 (ICW member) The governmentofx rights. the languageofrights,particularly sexualandreproductive hat’, andanHIV/AIDSpolicycontext whichprefers toavoid that genderinequalityarguments are somehowseenas‘old women respected. However, weare caughtbetweenfeeling to seethesexualandreproductive rightsofallHIV-positive have unprotected sex,orget pregnant bychoice.ICWwants women alsohavesexoutsideofmarriage,canchooseto women’s victimhood. Theydonotaddress thefactthat the story. Someofthesemessagescan over-emphasise nised andaddressed. Yet, significantastheyare, itisonlyhalf Box 1: Sexualandreproductive healthandrights Population Development(ICPD), 1994. programme foractionresultingfromtheInternationalConferenceon Source: ICWfactsheet, adaptedfromdefinitionsofSRRthe • Reproductive care: Includes, ataminimumfamilyplanningservices, • Reproductive rights: The rightsofcouplesandindividualstodecide • Reproductive health: The completephysical, mental andsocialwell- • Sexual rights: therightsofallpeopletodecidefreelyand • Sexual health: Includeshealthysexualdevelopment, equitableand reproductive choices. Women aredependentonmensotheycannot asserttheir provide referralsforsuchcare. cancers andHIV/AIDSarenotoffered, asystemshouldbeinplaceto services, suchasthetreatmentofbreastandreproductivesystem parenting anddiscouragementofharmfulpractices. Ifadditional counselling onhumansexuality, reproductivehealthandresponsible appropriate treatmentforinfertility, information, education and and managementofabortion-relatedcomplications, preventionand and sexuallytransmitteddiseases, safeabortionserviceswherelegal health careforinfants, treatmentforreproductivetractinfections counselling andinformation, antenatal, postnatalanddeliverycare, violence. decisions aboutreproductionfreeofdiscrimination, coercionand highest standardsofsexualandreproductivehealthand, make have theinformation, educationandmeanstodoso, attainthe freely andresponsiblythenumberspacingoftheirchildren, to decide if, whenandhowoftentodoso. satisfying andsafesexlife, capacitytohavechildrenand, freedomto being inallmattersrelatedtothereproductivesystemincludinga ‘no’ tosexifwedonotwant it. responsibility insexualrelationships. We alsohavetherighttosay and demandequality, fullconsent, mutualrespectandshared or violenceintheirsexuallivesandalldecisions, expect promoting theirsexualhealth, befreefromdiscrimination, coercion responsibly onallaspectsoftheirsexuality, includingprotectingand sexuality. disease, disability, violenceandotherharmfulpracticesrelatedto responsible relationshipsandsexualfulfilment, freedom fromillness, We haveahard timesimplygettingthesefactsrecog- 71

11 THEME SECTION 3 (ICW member) Organisations for people living with HIV/AIDS are under- Organisations for people living with HIV/AIDS are with HIV need to have a voice in the process – and this needs to be confidential – not just being put on display for the donor to see. If GIPA is a conditionality of funding, then people living is a conditionality of funding, then If GIPA “ICW has identified a real need for safe need a real “ICW has identified and advocacy research and for spaces, run by specifically projects development women from and for HIV-positive or with different backgrounds different experiences and lifestyles.” funded and their input undervalued. Positive representatives as volunteers. Our atten- usually there at the policy table are dance is dependent on funding by policy makers and often This makes it difficult covered. only out-of-pocket costs are an It also creates for anyone in work to take on such a role. a table with around uncomfortable imbalance when we are on full-time other bodies who are people representing heavily on the per diems they get salaries. Many activists rely attending events and workshops run by other organi- from other activists when from resentment sations. This can create they see the same people going to events again and again. committed to ensuring that HIV really If organisations are successful then adequate funding should be are programmes accountable. How do we, and they, ensure that their indi- ensure accountable. How do we, and they, those vidual experiences, perspectives and concerns represent women? Should we even expect them of other HIV-positive others? And how do they the views of to put forward back to other communicate their advocacy experience is asked to identify a person ICW women? In situations where being policies or strategies are to be part of a forum where ICW’s that they speak from devised, we need to ensure we have yet to articulate perspective, aims and politics. Yet what this would clearly how this could happen, or even a membership with involve, given that ICW is a network with women repre- such diversity of individual experience. Positive fora at the sentatives tend to be invited to decision-making the scope for advance last minute and this further reduces women. Such consulta- consultation with other HIV-positive because it enables women to get tion is vital, however, involved without publicly declaring their status – which many to do. reluctant women are (ICW The Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS: from principle to practice? from principle with HIV/AIDS: Living of People Greater Involvement The We have not sufficiently challenged definitions of ‘posi- have not sufficiently We One way ICW is trying to address this is through a this is through One way ICW is trying to address not just foster- that we are we need to ensure However, are that our representatives also need to ensure We to take on advocacy roles at international levels, and avoid to take on advocacy roles only a select few have access to a situation where creating the policy-making arena? their experience as present able to feel supported and are a clear agenda well as the collective ICW perspective and for change? attend such meetings as to ‘go it alone’ rather than prefer of a network of HIV-positive a linked ‘representative’ women? which only open their doors engaging with policy processes to a select few? member, Tanzania) Tanzania) member, They call their friends or people that they know. Who represents who and what? who and what? represents Who women advocates ICW asked to provide ICW is frequently or to speak at international with the aim of feeding meetings raise a These invitations into policies and programmes. discussed further below. number of questions, which are women • How can we train up less experienced HIV-positive effective, are • that ICW representatives How can we ensure often skilled and experienced activists Why do already • is, do we even want to continue The bigger question • a select tive leadership’, which contribute to empowering in an individual few as global advocates and leading lights, therefore are We and at the expense of the many. capacity, (a global HIV elite), cherry- an ‘aidserati’ complicit in creating picking and gate-keeping so that the same faces and names to the exclusion of others. on the circuit remain programme working with young HIV-positive women to working with young HIV-positive programme develop their advocacy and policy-influencing skills, knowl- dialogues have run young women’s edge and plans. We (YWD) in Southern Africa, South Africa, Swaziland and Namibia. Originally using a training workshop format, we now build in ongoing support for up to a year to allow the women to develop their skills and implement their plans after also encourage seasoned activists the initial workshop. We to mentor less experienced activists. challenging the way that policy ing a new elite without really used to making is done and the way that positive people are Do policy processes. legitimise largely exclusive and restrictive at all if our involvement is purely we want to be present about legitimising others’ agendas? 11 72 THEME SECTION 3 The InternationalCommunityof Women Living withHIV/AIDS feel solidarity with otherHIV-positive peoplearound the encouragement, relay theirexperiencesoflivingwithHIV and women’s livesingeneral.AllHIV-positive womencan,with networks ontheirexperiences. would welcomeideasfrom otherorganisationsand experiment withmore inclusive formsofrepresentation. We At ICWweare continually tryingtoadapt,developand little accesstoinformationcommunicationtechnology(ICT). members are spread broadly across theglobe,many with nuity andtwo-waydialogue.Ourchallengeisthatour meetings. Thismustnotoccurasaone-off, butinvolveconti- represented, evenwhentheyare notphysicallypresent at accountability sothatgroups ofpeoplefeeltheirvoicesare ing, sharing,buildingnetworks,andcreating dialoguesand lead topositivechangeinourlives.Theymayinvolvementor- women. and weoftenfindourselvesthe‘lonevoice’ofHIV-positive sated for. available tomakesure thatourtimeandenergyiscompen- to thinkabouttheir us, wheninfactthosethatcurrently makethepoliciesneed often, ourlackofcapacityisusedasanexcusenottoinclude they some timewithourmembersintheenvironments where which weare invited.Perhapspolicymakersshouldspend is doneinthe‘corridorsofpower’ratherthanmeetingsto that havealready beendetermined.Muchdecision-making chance thatwecanhavesomeinfluencewithinparameters given aspecificslotforspeaking.We dothisontheoff- example, weare designatedasobserversonlyorare not sitting around bigtables,ourinputstrictlylimitedwhen,for suffers andtheirimpactislessened.” quality ofprogrammes andpolicies that are respectful andmeaningfulthe when theydonotinvolveusinways “Organisations needtorecognise that high-level forum. I sometimesfindamtheonlyHIV-positive womanata ICW’s membershipreflects inmanywaysthediversityof We needtolookatwaysof engaginginprocesses that Policy makingenvironments canbequiteintimidating We spendweeksawayfrom lovedones,oftenunpaid, live, and learn fromlive, andlearn themhowtobemore inclusive.Too (ICW member) capacity toengagewithus. years (ICWNews25, 2004). 3 HIV-positive (12ofthe13)young women. Namibia Women’s HealthNetwork.Itismadeupofmainly recognised andrespected. political sophisticationofagrowing numberofustobe application oftheGIPA principle.We wanttheexpertiseand political sophisticationwhichare neededinanymeaningful the personalissuesitmayraise. – whenitisnotexploitative,andusedwithfullsensitivityto which demandsasmuchrespect andattentionasanyother virus. ThiscanbeoneimportantelementofGIPA andone understand andtakeonboard thereality oflivingwiththe can bepowerful.Ithelpinfluencepolicymakersto to sexualandreproductive healththrough personalstories world. Theimpactof‘telling’truthsandillustratingbarriers involved. ways thatare equitable,respectful, andproductive forall positions ofpowertoengagewithHIV-positive peoplein parliamentarians, wehopetobuildthecapacityofthosein cies, thatimpactontheirlives.Through training ingfully involvedinmakingdecisions,includingnationalpoli- project wantstoensure thatHIV-positive womenare mean- members tobringimportantissuesthepolicymakers.The region), whowillmonitorservicesandtalktocommunity (two women–oneolderandyoungwomanfrom each of 26women,whoare beingselectedfrom the13regions reproductive healthandrights. Parliament through aseriesoftrainings,whichincludesexual empowering thesewomenandfourfemaleMembersof A similarapproach hasbeenappliedregionally byICWLatinaforthepastfour Namibia) reaching them. distant anditwasdifficultfor acommunitytoimagine concerns. BeforewhenyouspokeaboutMPstheywere see thatwehaveapointwherecanchannelour Now theyhavethecommitteetoworkwith.wecan stressed andoppressed.(ICWmemberfrom Namibia) inner personandpsychologicallyIamnolongerthat and thereareotherpeoplelikeme.Ithasreleasedthat tive women–ithasmademerealisethatIamnotalone Being partofthenetworkandworkingwithotherposi- In Namibia,forexample,wehavesetupthe13-member However, there are additionallevelsofskill,capacityand The 13womenwillbelinkedwithMPsandacommittee (Member ofFamilyHopeSanctuary in 3 The project is 73

11 THEME SECTION 3 tokenistic to meaningful behaviour may make us unpopular tokenistic to meaningful seek to work with us so that (particularly when organisations boxes). This is partly because it involves they can tick the right in questioning their own role women and men HIV-negative often we are tackling this pandemic and partially because and power resources working with organisations with more not just asking others to think about are than we have. We to ask themselves: What asking everyone this issue – we are doing, to meaning- am I doing, and what is my organisation women?’ fully involve HIV-positive The Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS: from principle to practice? from principle with HIV/AIDS: Living of People Greater Involvement The This example from Namibia does not entirely do away Namibia does not entirely This example from with the problems of selection and representation. But it does of selection and representation. with the problems a commitment to consult and liaise build into its workings that Organisations need to recognise with communities. and respectful are when they do not involve us in ways that and policies suffers meaningful the quality of programmes we wait to involve and their impact is lessened. The longer time is wasted in addressing women, the more HIV-positive by countries and commu- HIV faced the challenges around to move organisations from our efforts that realise nities. We CONTACT DETAILS CONTACT Collective authorship by the International Living Community of Women with HIV/AIDS International Support Office Unit 6 Building 1 Canonbury Yard 190a New North Road London, N1 7BJ UK Email: [email protected] www.icw.org Website: 74 THEME SECTION 3 with ecologicalresilience. Itis: ment organisations.IIED’s missionstatementlinks livelihoods Poverty reduction isanoverarching goalofmostdevelop- Why difference? organisations. for intermediaryratherthangrassroots ormembership Itisparticularlyrelevanttions, producedlearning. forinternal • Provide abasictoolforthinkingaboutdifference inthe • Illustrate whyandhowitisimportantto‘disaggregate’ gender differences. We wanttodotwothings. mental organisations(NGOs),particularly, butnotonly, recognised localdifference intheworkwedoasnon-govern- This articleaimstopromote amore consistentanalysis of Introduction by NAZNEENKANJIandSUFEI TAN 12 gender (plus)mattersforNGOs Understanding localdifference: (IIED). InstituteforEnvironmentInternational andDevelopment analysis. We useexamplesof selectedpublicationsfrom the sis –goingbeyond‘thelocal’andcommunity’inour populations –toseparateoutdifferent subgroups foranaly- resources forsustainabledevelopment. work wedo,focusingonthemanagementofnatural The articleisbasedonalongerreview ofIIEDpublica- Natural Resources Group strategyputsit: countries andbetweengroups withincountries.AsIIED’s opment haveincreased socio-economic inequalities,between reforms (structuraladjustment policies)andmarket-leddevel- ests’ are differentiated? incorporate anunderstandingofhow‘lesspowerfulinter- www.iied.org/aboutiied/strategydocument.html 1 and globallevels. building theircapacitytoactandspeak,bylinkinglocal … supportagreatervoiceforlesspowerfulinterestsby fair andsoundmanagementoftheworld’s resources. … toshapeafuturethatendsglobalpovertyandensures are marginalised. inequalities andlargesegments oftheworld’s population The importanceofgeography is beingovertakenbysocial From theIIEDStrategyDocument2005-2008.See One keyprincipleunderlyingthewayweworkisto It isnowmore widelyacknowledged thateconomic But doesIIED’s work andthatofsimilarorganisations 1 75

12 THEME SECTION 3 4 often While situations obvi- 3 and between generations men and women Understanding local difference: gender (plus) matters for NGOs matters for (plus) gender difference: local Understanding Women’s roles and activities tend to make them less roles Women’s See e.g. the 2006 IIED Briefing paper ‘Innovation in Securing Land Rights in For further explanation see Elson et al. (1997). Box 1: Assets in the livelihoods framework Assets in the 1: Box ence policies, institutions and processes. Increasing scarcity Increasing ence policies, institutions and processes. leads to increased and competition over natural resources Household level vulnerability for disadvantaged groups. context, competition studies indicate that, in the current between The care economy is under-valued and yet represents an yet represents and economy is under-valued The care essential underpinning of human and societal well-being. ously vary, there is concern there that women systematically lack ously vary, income, education and information access to land, credit, in the as carers, to men, while bearing heavier roles relative context of HIV and AIDS and often declining health and provision. welfare active in markets than men. When they do participate, the struc- way markets (financial, goods and labour markets) are is often deny women equal access. Similarly there tured access to state institutions and political parties. differentiated Much of what women do contributes to the unpaid ‘care’ cooking meals) as opposed to the economy (e.g. childcare, interdependent. ‘commodity’ economy although they are leads to the edging out of women and young men from is that ‘family property’ so resources, over productive control privatised by older men. effectively Africa: lessons from experience’ (www.iied.org/pubs/display.php?o=12531IIED) Africa: lessons from by Christian Lund ‘Securing Land specifically the paper presented and more the issue.’ on approaching Rights: some reflections 3 4 no. 100 rural and 28: 7 (2000) and IIED Gatekeeper One example is the expansion of 2 We argue that international NGOs could We and national If we examine the sustainable livelihoods framework, Existing assets (material and social, e.g. networks and The trend is one of greater inequalities within is one of greater The trend World Development See for example: World the management of natural resources.” the management of natural “Gender is a key dimension of social dimension “Gender is a key which affects people’s difference, and capabilities in concerns experience, ‘Global Restructuring, Agri-Food Systems and Livelihoods’ (2001) – www.iied.org/pubs/display.php?o=9166IIED industrialised, commercial and often export-oriented agricul- and industrialised, commercial natural It tends to concentrate land and and forestry. ture for marginalising production of a few, in the hands resources tends to local and subsistence use. Market liberalisation between them benefit larger farmers and widens inequalities farmers. and small, resource-poor under- with a greater and results their approach strengthen takes which policy, standing of the need for a differentiated Gender is a key into account local context and dynamics. experi- people’s which affects dimension of social difference, ence, concerns of natural and capabilities in the management fairly disaggregate many NGOs already While resources. a stronger systematically on assets and income differences, focus on gender perspective, and an understanding of other such as race, caste and age would give us a firmer differences groups. different basis for understanding how policies affect 2 Gender and difference rights lack of secure and women’s Unequal gender relations tends to exclude them from to land and natural resources use in many decision-making over land and natural resource women often bear the main parts of the world. However, heavily for ‘putting food on the table’ and are responsibility involved in the day-to-day management of natural resources. which is used by a number of agencies involved in develop- in the differences are it is clear that there ment programmes, level of assets, or what is sometimes termed capital, of differ- contexts, caste, race and (see Box 1). In different ent groups age may be very important. In almost all contexts, gender tends to be important. the power to access and influ- access to information) affect urban areas. Those with greater assets and power are much assets and power are Those with greater urban areas. better able to participate in and harness of the benefits market-led development. 12 76 THEME SECTION 3 Nazneen KanjiandSuFei Tan • Do weseewomen’s• rightsashuman–oristhere an • Are there timeswhenlocaldifference matterslessand • Do weprivilegeformalpolicyprocesses andnotgive • Do weneedtolookathowidentitiesandpower atthe systems. to theiruseofparticularnaturalresources and/orproduction resource management,wetendtodefinegroups according Whitehead andTsikata, 2003).WhenNGOsworkonnatural romanticising orhomogenising‘localcommunities’(seee.g. gation difficult attimes,butweshould,aminimum,avoid • Thirdly, gender-based inequalitiesare usedtoundermine • Secondly, women’s workinthesurvival,ongoingrepro- • Firstly, womenconstitutethemajorityofeconomically environment anddevelopmentstrategies: unique andpowerfulvantagepointfrom whichtoexamine imately halfthepopulationinmostsocieties,provides a Box 2: Examples ofdifferences inpowerandaccessto • In southernNiger, therestrictionsthatyoungwomenfaceontheir • In Ghana, chiefswhoarewellinformedandconnectedableto • Within lowincome/resourcepoorcommunities, womenhaveless pins ouranalysis? implicit hierarchy ofrights(andoppression) whichunder- effects alwaysdifferentiated? when wholecommunitiesare equallyaffected, orare influence outcomes? and toeverydayinformalstruggleswhichcanalso enough importancetotheinfluenceofcustomarysystems access to–andbenefitsfrom –resources. from them?Theseare thefactorswhichactuallydetermine local levelintersectwithsuchsystemsandwhobenefits are acaseinpoint. led industries(suchastextiles,electronics andgarments) women’s labourusedinfuellingeconomicgrowth. Export- the wagesandworkingconditionsofanincreasing poolof critical andyetcontinuestobeundervalued. duction andcare ofhumanbeingsandtheenvironment is the subordination ofwomen. tional burdens imposedbygender-based hierarchies and and sociallydisadvantagedinmostsocieties,withaddi- such astherighttovote. mobility, alsorestrictstheirknowledgeofbasicpoliticalprocesses sell offlandwithouttheknowledgeorconsentoftheircommunities. community ‘representatives’. women wereunaware thattheirlandhadbeenregisteredby knowledge oflandregistrationprocessesandrules. InMozambique, The scopeofworkmanyNGOsmaymakedisaggre- The perspectiveofpoorwomen,whoconstituteapprox- information • What are theconsequences?Doesitmatter, whenand • Do theconclusionsandrecommendations/policy implica- • Does theanalysisrecognise difference inthepopulation In ouranalysisweaskedthree questions: to feedintopolicyprocesses andprovide recommendations. ests ofsmallfarmersandruralcommunitiesbothseek farms. Theywere selectedastheyaimtorepresent theinter- two papersbyIIED,whichdealwithagriculture andsmall In order toexplore thesecomplexquestions,weexamine Review ofIIEDpapers • thethird group haslimited accesstoproductive resources • the secondislocallyorientedwithaccesstoandcontrol • the firstcategoryisgloballycompetitiveandlinkedto using the‘three ruralworlds’ typology: there isacleardisaggregation betweenfarmhouseholds In analysingtransformationinagriculture andfamilyfarms, discussed inthepaper? Does theanalysisrecognisedifferenceinpopulation work. desk review ofrelevant materialanddidnotinvolvefield holder production systems.Thestudywascarriedoutasa West Africanagriculture andthechallengesfacedby small- longer-term programme toexaminethetransformationsin Club Secretariat. Itprovided thebasisfordeveloping a prepared asascopingstudyfortheSahelandWest Africa This paperbyCamillaToulmin andBaraGueye(2003)was of Family Farms Transformations in West African Agriculture andtheRole underpins ouranalysis?” of rights(andoppression) which rights –oristhere animplicithierarchy “Do weseewomen’s rightsashuman how? tions buildonadisaggregated analysis? positioning anddecision-makingpower); access toandcontrol overlivelihoodassetsandb)social which isdiscussedinthepaper?(Difference refers toa) survival. and hasdiversifiedlivelihoods, includingmigration,for before; and they are abletoexchangewhattheyproduce forlessthan over landbutfacingdecliningterms oftrade,whichmeans agribusiness; 77

12 THEME SECTION 3 be controlled and used be controlled 5 Understanding local difference: gender (plus) matters for NGOs matters for (plus) gender difference: local Understanding In assessing the rise of producer organisations (e.g. In assessing the rise of producer See e.g. Dey (1980) and Wold (1997). See e.g. Dey (1980) and Wold Do the conclusions and recommendations build on a disaggregated analysis? The analysis then moves to the drivers of change and the on family farms to use their the pressure challenges. Here, cheap labour to adapt is not analysed in terms of the results on her own and the (and effects work burden of women’s which has been a health and well-being), household’s common finding in wider poverty analysis of farm house- on the intensification of cash holds. In addition, research and that may suffer has shown that food crops cropping may cash crops from income received by men in ways that lead to a decline in household nutrition and welfare. cotton producers) there is little attention to the composition there cotton producers) 5 Women working in Niger. rural The size and composition of households and how the

availability of labour affects household productivity is also household productivity availability of labour affects cited describing the migration of discussed. Case studies are younger men to earn is cash outside family farming. There For example, much less emphasis on gender disaggregation. is also an assumed to be male. There household heads are assumption that family farms have links with communities, based on solidarity and mutual help. This is which are is often there where agriculture contrasted with commercial and local no social connection between entrepreneur at vari- of family farming is this picture However, community. labour in ance with much of the empirical work on women’s is often struggle over time, resources there where agriculture, often are there and benefits at the household level. Equally, struggles e.g. over land and water within communities that operate family farms. Photo: Marie Monimart Marie Photo: 12 78 THEME SECTION 3 Nazneen KanjiandSuFei Tan farming futuresfor Andhra Pradesh, India food andfarminginAndhraPradesh, Indiatoshapeavision allowing thosepeoplemostaffected 2020’for bythe‘Vision Wakeford (2002).Prajateerpu This report wasco-authored byMichelPimbertandTom Prajateerpu ent groups inthefarmingpopulation. can beattheriskofinequitablecostsandbenefitstodiffer- The meaningof‘efficiency’ alsoneedstobeunpacked,asit sustainability sometimescompeteandcontaincontradictions. developmentgoalsofequity,international efficiency and to socialpositioning.Itisalsoachanceexplore whether and benefitsofdifferent kindsoffamilyfarmsvaryaccording inefficient. Butwealsoneedtomakeitclearthatthecosts be aresponseideathatfamilyfarmsare tothe‘international’ systems, whichseemstobethemainfocus.Thisfocusmay ability issuesaswellthe‘productivity’ offamilyfarming above. of ignoringtheinterests oflesspowerfulgroups asdescribed suchananalysisthere isarisk empirically supported.Without harmonious householdsandcommunities,whichare not members, womenandmen.There are assumptions of ofyoungerandolder – whichgivesvoicetotheconcerns deeper understandingoftheunitanalysis–familyfarms family farming,more canbedonetohaveaclearer and Since theobjectiveistosetoutaprogramme ofworkon What aretheconsequences?Doesitmatter, whenandhow? farmers’ views. producteurs del’Afriquel’Ouest such asROPPA (Réseaudesorganisationspaysanneset power dynamics.Forexample,whetheranorganisation However, there islessattentiontoorawareness oflocal signalled intheconclusionsandsuggestionsforfuture work. effects ofpowerrelations atthegloballevelare clearly a programme ofworkare notanalysed.Thedetrimental provide hugeinputsintoagriculture. Buttheimplicationsfor access tocredit, inputsandextension,thatwomen Similarly, thepaperrecognises thatwomenrarely havedirect the interests ofmore marginalfarmers,youthandwomen. heard inpolicyforums,andwhetherthesevoicesrepresent or age.Thequestionarisesaboutwhosevoicesare being of themembershipintermssizefamilyfarm,gender 6 Network ofFarmers’andAgriculturalProducers’ Organisations ofWest Africa. It wouldalsoseemvitaltoincludepovertyandsustain- : A citizensjury/scenarioworkshoponfoodand 6 was devisedasameansof ) reflects marginalised contention.” importance inrelation tootherareas of for rightsasaluxuryorofsecondary cannot afford toviewthesestruggles achieve sustainabledevelopment. We “Women’s rightsare criticalifweare to tising knowledge. knowledge underpublicscrutinywiththeaimofdemocra- the actionresearch process andtheaimwastoputexpert public hearings.AnIIEDresearcher wasanactivemember of nation, includingthecitizens’jury, scenarioworkshopand were activeparticipants.Ituseddifferent methodsincombi- social, politicalandscientificcontroversy inwhichresearchers action research thattookplaceagainstabackground of policy analysisandreview. Thereports describeparticipatory sought tofacilitatedeliberativeandinclusionaryprocesses for 2020.Prajateerpu making duringthedevelopmentofVision culture, hadbeenalmostentirely excludedfrom decision- marginalised ruralcommunitieswhoselivesdependonagri- awareness thattheviewsofsmallfarmers,andthoseother group ofIndianandUK-basedco-inquirers beganfrom an of theirown(seealsoKuruganti society fedtheir viewsintotheprocess. and academics,ensured thatarangeofdifferent groups in officials,witnesses, includinggovernment agriculture experts urban consumer. Inaddition,thediversecompositionof sented smallandmarginalfarmers, foodprocessors and an backgrounds (different agro-ecological zones).Theyrepre- • likely to bearticulateindiscussions. • open-minded, withnocloseconnectiontoNGOsor polit- • smallormarginalfarmerslivingnearbelowthepoverty included: adivasi farmers andlandless.Emphasiswasputonrecruiting tively discriminatedinfavourofthepoorandmarginalised tation from allsocialgroups. Instead,itpurposefullyandposi- The juryselectionprocess didnotseektoachieverepresen- discussed inthepaper? Does theanalysisrecognisedifferenceinpopulation ical parties;and line; Jurors were chosenfrom awidevarietyofagricultural and womenfarmers.Theselectioncriteriaforjurors et al,thisissue).Acore dalit, 79

12 THEME SECTION 3 Both men 7 process. Understanding local difference: gender (plus) matters for NGOs matters for (plus) gender difference: local Understanding One way we can deepen our understanding of local At a very minimum, if we are unable to be in the field At a very minimum, if we are The principle that each culture must be analysed on its own terms and the The principle that each culture

7 behaviour of others should not be judged by one’s own culture. own culture. behaviour of others should not be judged by one’s for rights as a luxury or of secondary importance in relation for rights as a luxury or of secondary importance a gender perspective Rather, of contention. to other areas that inequalities of should be integrated into the analysis, in race and ethnicity interact in particu- class, income, gender, some parts of the lar contexts to determine outcomes. In that recognised world, for example in South Asia, it is widely will not be met without reduc- targets for poverty reduction we understand that ing gender inequalities. Having said this, have good relation- these can be sensitive issues. But if we we should be able to ships with partners on the ground, usually many NGOs are there these issues. In any case broach working already and community-based organisations (CBOs) to include them in our be careful should We on gender. easier for staff Discussions on gender are choice of partner. open about based in the North if we understand and are in our own societies and cultures. difference contexts is to spend time in the field, as opposed to meetings and workshops in national capitals. When this is difficult, we should engage in discussion with community-based and inequality organisations on their views about difference does not mean we kinds. Respecting culture of different cannot speak with partners about issues of equality and how in their and our soci- groups by different interpreted they are such debate can even be seen as patronising. eties. Avoiding does not mean undermining hard-won Respecting culture is universal declarations of human rights. For example, there is time that cultural relativism danger at the current a real basic human rights in of women’s used to excuse breaches of Islam and Catholicism. interpretations extremist and women within these societies are contesting these views. and women within these societies are at the local level or take part in policy processes regularly Jurors, two thirds of two thirds Jurors, women, whom were vision their present during the Prajateerpu Photo: Sarojini Naidu School School Naidu Sarojini Photo: ‘supports a greater voice for less powerful voice for ‘supports a greater directly Women’s rights are critical if we are to achieve sustain- critical if we are rights are Women’s This methodology is challenging. Conflicts which occur This methodology is challenging. Conflicts Intermediary NGOs, particularly those such as IIED working at international the level, tend to have some distance from partners. They work primarily with and through grassroots. understanding of specific This almost inevitably weakens staff of change and their contexts and dynamic processes have argued that a perspective which disag- outcomes. We is important and that we cannot see the local (or gregates need to communities, farmers etc.) as homogenous. We and clearly acknowledge that differ- avoid over-simplification ences in power operate at all levels. Gender analysis provides an important lens which interacts with class, ethnicity and them. So for example, gender analy- age but also cuts across that young men face in accessing the problems sis can reveal scarce. when these are land and natural resources to view these struggles cannot afford able development. We Lessons learnt What are the consequences? Does it matter, when and how? What are the consequences? Does it matter, that IIED and/or other The methodology employed ensures not level are intermediary organisations at the national this Rather, of marginalised groups. the views representing project interests by building their capacity to act and speak, by by building their capacity interests strat- part of IIED’s linking local and global levels’. This is a build capac- egy and principles. Such participatory methods rather than representative, direct, ity for much more democratic processes. have to be managed. Even in such a process between groups may be contested – for example, of selecting jurors the process to participate those who do not feel it is important for women As with many methodologies based on ‘stakeholder directly. dialogue’, much depends on the facilitation. If facilitators inclusive then a more to be aired, encourage such differences than in forums where consensus may be reached and real or where in power, unacknowledged differences are there missing. are some of the most marginalised groups Do the conclusions and recommendations build on a Do the conclusions and disaggregated analysis? the jurors come from recommendations The conclusions and The and interests. their views themselves and represent of delib- the process emphasis in this initiative was placed on who are groups erative and informed debate. It enabled of wealth, caste, discriminated against on the grounds interact with ethnicity and gender to use their knowledge, their opinions. ‘experts’ and express 12 80 THEME SECTION 3 Nazneen KanjiandSuFei Tan ing ontheground andthekindsofaction thatwillresult in where wecanreflect better theprocesses thatare happen- ners onaspecificproject orresearch programme. Thisis researchersInternational worktogetherwithnationalpart- Collaborative policyresearch with partners Do awidersearch forinformationonwebsites.Afewuseful • out • Find entiation atthelocallevel. as nuancedaviewpossibleofcontextandfactorsdiffer- work. Asthisworklaysthefoundationitisimportanttohave as ascopingexercise, toinformthedevelopmentoffurther This kindofresearch isoftencarriedoutbystaff, sometimes Desk studies/secondaryresearch related todifferent categories ofNGOwork. entiation (Box3).Whatfollowsare somesimpleguidelines point istothinkaboutthekeyfactorswhichleaddiffer- context andlevelsofourwork.Ingeneral,agoodstarting difficult toprovide atoolwhichisadequateforallthesectors, Given thebreadth ofworkatIIEDandinmanyNGOs,itis Basic toolsforaddressing difference inNGOwork women’s rightsashumanrights. taking agenderperspectiveinourworkandviewing power inequalitiesatthelocallevelmuchmore systematically, but thatwecanimprove ouroutputsbyacknowledging understanding oflocalcontext,difference andinequality – writing donebyNGOstaff mustreach thesamedepth of analysis orsubstance.We are notarguingthateachpieceof women’ syndrome where thewords are addedwithoutany tions’ empiricalwork.Whatwemustavoidisthe‘add ourselves, thenwemustrefer toorbuildonotherorganisa- Box 3: Somefactorsofdifferentiation • Distributionofbenefitsandincentives • Participation indecision-making • Access toandcontroloverresourcesservices, e.g. land • Divisionsoflabour ones are includedattheend ofthisarticle. groups. filtered andtorepresent bettertheinterests ofmarginalised through participatoryprocesses astheseare likelytobeless is alsoimportanttoidentifyanduseinformationgathered defines stronger orweaker accesstonaturalresources). It the typeofproduction system, suchaspastoralism,which Indian context.IntheSahelimportantfactormaybe caste isaveryimportantfactorofdifferentiation inthe which differences are importantandwhy (e.g. national andregional. debate andinformationsharing atvariouslevels,local, NGOs,facilitateprocessesIIED, andotherinternational of Convening actorstodiscussspecific issuesandpolicies • How are leaders chosenandhoware different interests • Howare theseorganisations governed? • What kindsoffarmersare membersoftheseproducer tions suchas: • Ensure thatthemethodsallowimportantdifferences to • Specify thatlocaldifference isaddressed inthetermsof specific informationforaprogramme. improve knowledgeofanissueforpolicy, ortoprovide organisations. Oftenworkofthiskindiscommissionedto andnationalNGOscommissionconsultantsor International Commissioned research has sincebeenusedwidely. was commissionedonwomen’s landrightsinAmharawhich dures whichcouldprotect theirrights;soapieceof work that there wasalsosomeinnovationinregistration proce- women were particularlyvulnerabletolosinglandrights,but • Are womenabletoregister theirlandaswellmen, are • What are thedifferences formen/women/incomersin included: land registration affects poorgroups’ theresearch questions • Wherever possible,participatorytoolsandapproaches Make sure thisisreflected• inthetermsofreference, research • Discuss withpartnerswhichaspectsofdifference are objectives weare tryingtoachieve. particular differences atlocallevelhaveabearingonthe natural resources, andsoon.We canalsoreflect which more equitableandinclusivedevelopment,managementof questions andplan,themethodologytobeused. represented? organisations? approaches are used. emerge, andspecificallythatparticipatorytools reference. incomers excluded? terms ofregistering claimsoverland? debate. communities canvoicetheirinterests andframethe should beusedtoensure thatdifferent groups within important andwhy. Work onproducer organisationsshouldincludeques- In Ethiopia,thefirstphaseofresearch showedthat For example,intheIIEDresearch programme on‘How 81

12 THEME SECTION 3 Drylands Issue Journal of Journal of Agrarian 17:3 IIED: London 3 (1-2) 123. IIED: London REFERENCES unequal J. (1980) ‘Gambian women: Dey, partners in rice development.’ Development Studies Elson, D., B. Evers, and J. Gideon (1997) Economic Reports: Concepts ‘Gender Aware Genecon Unit, University of and Sources.’ Manchester (2002) Wakeford Pimbert, M. and T. Prajateerpu: A citizens jury/scenario workshop on food and farming futures for Andhra Pradesh, India. C. and B. Gueye (2003) Toulmin, African Agriculture in West ‘Transformations and the Role of Family Farms.’ Paper (2003) ‘Policy Whitehead, A. and D. Tsikata Land Rights in Discourses on Women’s Sub–Saharan Africa: the implications of the re–turn to the customary.’ Change B.K. (1997) ‘Supply Response in a Wold, Gender Perspective: the case of Structural Adjustment in Zambia.’ Statistics Norway: Oslo Understanding local difference: gender (plus) matters for NGOs matters for (plus) gender difference: local Understanding But as soon as you get into programmatic advice, the way But as soon as you get into programmatic Advice to donors (policy and programmes) Advice to donors (policy all affect major policy choices that will In arguments around large (that is, the debate between promoting poor groups or giving rights to or smallholder agriculture commercial it may be necessary to simplify as a whole) indigenous groups nuanced view of the different a more messages and forego at local level. interests e.g. smallholder in which you advise donors to support at the local level. of difference must take account production, and make state- Since all donors tend to have written policies gender equity, ments which support inclusion, equity including of following sustainability and human rights – it is a question principles and policy state- the implications of broad through and context-specific policy and ments for differentiated support these principles. which may actually processes ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Photo on page 79 by kind permission of the Naidu School of Performing Arts, Sarojini Fine Arts and Communications, University of Hyderabad. (including groups that may not be organised/vocal). A that may not be organised/vocal). (including groups work on citizens’ juries. This actively good example is the groups marginalised voices of more sought to support the debate on a within the context of a facilitated informed and other UK organisations’ work specific issue. In IIED’s on the other hand, to support pastoral civil society, involved. organisations are no pastoral women’s currently organisations, or identify need to look for other We involved with the women within the organisations already women’s to represent who could be supported project interests. make their voices heard, e.g. organising time for women e.g. make their voices heard, to wider audi- to meet and discuss their views to present ences. CONTACT DETAILS CONTACT Nazneen Kanji Quality of Life Assessment Programme Aga Khan Development Network c/o Aga Khan Foundation UK Gardens 3 Cromwell London SW7 2HB UK Email: [email protected] Su Fei Tan Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture, (SABL) Livelihoods Programme International and Institute for Environment Development (IIED) 3 Endsleigh Street London WC1H 0DD UK Email: [email protected] • Make sure that a range of interests are represented are that a range of interests Make sure • supported to are that less powerful groups Make sure • 82 THEME SECTION 3 of itscommunities Bradford Universityattheheart The ivorytowerandbeyond: in allactivitieswhich theyagree toembark ontogether. directions betweentheuniversityanditscommunitypartners There isaflowofknowledge,informationandbenefitsinboth Reciprocity ity, AccessandPartnership(REAP). Externalities, Our measurement toolisbased onfourprinciples:Reciproc- How tomeasure it? district. and buildingshared approaches tochallengesfacingthe academia andthecommunity, encouraging mutualrespect at thecore oftheeffort tobreak downbarriersbetween and valuedcommunityuniversitycompetences.Thisis nerships andshared objectives basedonmutuallyrecognised university aimstobuild.Communityengagementbuildspart- both itsgoalsandthecharacterofrelationship thatthe contributes toitslocality, communityengagementdiffers in all theseactivitiesare valuablewaysinwhichtheuniversity activities, volunteering,andresearch andconsultancy. While knowledgetransfer,participation, lifelonglearning, cultural from otheruniversityoutreach activities–e.g.widening It isimportanttodistinguishcommunityengagement(CE) What iscommunityengagement? by JENNYPEARCE, MARTIN PEARSONandSAMCAMERON 13 work. Community engagementisnotmarket activity–most measure couldnotcapture theimportanceofthisarea of We feltthatapure quantitative (economicornumeric) Beyond number-crunching ing thoseactivities. eventually alsobecomekeyinputstoimproving andenhanc- outcome ofcommunityengagementactivities,whichshould procity andimproved access.Theyare anoutputand Partnerships deepenanddevelopthrough theextendedreci- Partnership ices. opposed toreceiving aone-off provision ofgoodsorserv- Partners haveaccesstouniversityfacilitiesandresources as Access knowledge-based society. and ultimately tocontributethebuildingofalearning- enhance sustainability, well-beingandlocalcohesion, networks intheBradford district.Through theseweseek to and theseshouldcontributetobuildingsocialtrust There are benefitsoutsideofthoseaccruingtothepartners Externalities 83

13 THEME SECTION 3 The HEIF funding enabled Bradford to broaden its scope to broaden The HEIF funding enabled Bradford For some, any Economic factors played a particular role. approach to ongoing evaluation guided by the four compo- to ongoing evaluation guided by the four approach evalua- It aims to avoid costly end of project nents of REAP. argues, ultimately unconvincing in terms tions or costly (and it collection procedures. data progress) of measuring qualitative and systematisation it advocates a self reflection Rather, sets its own each activity or project which through culture, procedures. goals and measurement REAP and community engagement in Bradford tool was devel- The REAP self-evaluation and measurement oped as part of the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) to the university 2004–2006. award of community engagement work and to enhance its existing of working with work. REAP aimed to foster a new culture communities. The first step for the REAP authors was to map a database for the university of the existing work and create that each its history of CE activities. The authors discovered to working with commu- school had a very unique approach nities, dependent on a number of factors, such as individual internal and student interests, (school and university) staff and external drivers. work with communities is seen as a potential income-generating opportunity and may only be worth undertaking if the enough. Schools such as Infor- great economic returns are The REAP approach in practice The REAP approach a means of self-assess- tool is essentially Our measurement of community ment, planning, monitoring and reviewing a guide to thinking engagement activities. It is intended as using a practical breakdown potential partnerships through It is to be used actively and of the component parts of REAP. is begun, with potential whenever a partnership creatively to the four according and collaborations weighted projects will meet those REAP criteria to decide whether a project life to assess the project criteria. It should be used through indicators and milestones set by partners, through progress outcomes of the and finally to self-evaluate the outputs and gathered should be rigorously Qualitative evidence project. and partic- focus groups interviews, questionnaires, through of activities develops. ipant observation as the programme these can be set Costs of activities should be calculated and But the team is against income raised to cover those costs. not advocating evaluation on the basis of income generated. qualitative indica- The REAP tool is based on building strong goals, outputs and agreed towards tors of ongoing progress outcomes. The ivory tower and beyond: Bradford University at the heart of its communities the heart at University Bradford and beyond: ivory tower The The most difficult component to ‘measure’ is that of component to ‘measure’ The most difficult impact of university-community Measuring the broader REAP does not establish a model of self evaluation which groups.” “The increasing emphasis placed on the emphasis placed “The increasing has for life-long learning provision had relationships meant that more developed with communities, community particularly with schools and of it is not even ‘near market’ – that is, something which of it is not even ‘near market’ – that is, estimates such as ‘will- proxy by could be sold or measured form in its purest ingness to pay’. Community engagement to the community that is not some benefit seeks to provide pursuit of some other aim. in the an accidental by-product engages literally with means that the university Reciprocity of the academ- the community so that the knowledge base the from ics involved is informed by new information with. Community members of the community they engage like to the community, service’ engagement is not a ‘free these non-market community development, but is based on to such an Attributing a monetary value forms of reciprocity. surveys and other enterprise, or to collect data through a value, would mechanisms which assume it has such to wonder leading the community reciprocity, compromise is a ‘hidden’ economic agenda. whether there mostly in the form of externalities. argue that these are We enhanced social capital – or informal and formal social interactions, associations and networks which generate trust and well-being for individuals and society. engagement outside participant partnerships is a very diffi- a serious investment by univer- cult task, and would require sities and local authorities in data collection and conceptual clarification of the meaning of social capital, particularly at the level of communities. The REAP tool encourages ongoing systematisation and self-evaluation of goals set by university and community members involved in particular activities. It of and ‘measurements’ encourages constant self reflection activities, which have been defined by participants. Partici- pants might do this by baseline interviews of those who they wish to influence. They might include quantitative elements, such as how many people attend events. But these would be which assess how supplemented by qualitative measures, their attendance. those who attended gained from all university-community activities, but an is applicable across 13 84 THEME SECTION 3 Jenny Pearce, MartinPearsonandSamCameron ics todiscussandaddress theproblems ofcommunityinter- to buildaninterfacebetween thecommunityandacadem- in thewakeofBradford riotsinJulyofthatyear. Itaimed Department ofPeaceStudiesin2001andextendeditswork Programme foraPeacefulCity, whichwasestablishedbythe the wayuniversityworkedwithcommunitieswas Mind, andotherlocalhealthserviceusers.Aninnovationin nity andvoluntarygroups such asSharingVoices, Bradford health service,primarycare trusts,andwithcommu- schools inthelocalitywithlocalpartnerships youth participationandlocalelectoralreform. onissuessuchas acted asconsultantstolocalgovernment ity. Forexample,staff from theDepartmentofSocialStudies times actedasconsultantsonissuesofinterest inthelocal- design andcarryingoutofresearch. Academicsalso some- consultation andinvolvementofthelocalcommunitiesin other socialdivisionsinthelocality–butwithlittleactual ities hadahistoryofresearching ethnicity, gender, youthand tional Studies,theDepartmentofSocialStudiesandHuman- theSchoolofSocialand Interna- these relationships. Within Development) hadbeenparticularlyactiveindeveloping community groups.and SLED(SchoolofLifelongLearning oped withcommunities,particularlyschoolsand hasmeantthatmorelong learning relationships haddevel- network. collaboration withtheuniversitytostrengthen alocalhistory mics’ involvementwithlocalhistorysocietieshadledto of Archaeology andtheEnvironment) where someacade- the localcommunities. major initiativebytheSchoolofManagementtoengagewith Project inpartnershipwithManninghamMeansBusiness,a own time.ExamplesincludetheManninghamCorridors staff memberswhoare involvedinthecommunity their normally university project orcoursetothelocalcommunitiesitis culture ofuniversityschools’thinking. accessible tolocalcommunitieswasnotnormallypartofthe Buthowtomakethese organisations andgovernment. university whichhadrelevance tolocalindividuals,businesses, product. There were avarietyofprojects developedbythe oped marketingpotentialandhistory, andclearer senseof matics, EngineeringandManagementhaveamore devel- 1 between businesses and theuniversity. support economicregeneration through research andhostingknowledge-sharing This project waspioneered byonememberofstaff inthelocalityandaimsto The SchoolofHealthwasonethemostembedded The increasing emphasisplacedontheprovision forlife- Where there hasbeenaconsciouseffort toopenupa the result ofinterests ofanindividualorgroup of 1 The sameisalsotrueinSAGE(School 2 embedded.” before theyare more widely this havetobefostered andnurtured community activists. Innovationslike interest academicsinlearningfrom “Thinkspace’s bigchallengeishowto the REAPtool. by eachoftheassociatesinpilotprojects, helpingtomodify develop collaborationswhere appropriate. REAPwasused catalysts tolinkcommunitieswiththeuniversityand sity appointedsixcommunityassociationswhowouldactas REAP wasdevelopedintandemwiththistool.Theuniver- Bradford experimentedwithanewapproach toCE and outlined earlierinthisarticle. approach toCEwork,whichhadatitscore theprinciples a PeacefulCityprovided asource foranew, more strategic ships builtupbytheSchoolofHealthandProgramme for but waslargelyeclecticandadhoc.However, therelation- opportunity, sometimesasasource ofincomegeneration, profile, sometimesasource ofresearch andconsultancy recruitment), sometimespromotional abouttheuniversity’s work withcommunitieshasoftenbeeninstrumental(suchas unemployment. backgrounds withinacontextofhighlevelspovertyand between communitiesofdifferent social,culturalandethnic but italsofacesmanyproblems ofhowtobuildinteraction ford Districthasavibranthistoryofcommunityorganising, on theideaofworking‘with’not‘to’community. Brad- action inthedistrictofBradford. ThePPCwasalwaysbased and howitmakesuseofREAP. Programme foraPeacefulCity, and weoutlinewhatitdoes the mostvibrantofuniversity CEinitiativesremains the aims touseREAPasameasurement tool.Inthemeantime, ularly activeinthepromotion ofitsEcoversityinitiative,which around thisarea ofwork.Theuniversityisatpresent partic- the newuniversityvicechancellordevelopshisagenda out oftheCEprocess, which wehopewillberecovered as three ofitscommunityassociates. Someimpetushasgone This process canbeexplored indetail inthefinalREAPreport. During thetwoyearsofHEIFfunding,University From thisbriefsurvey, weconcludethattheuniversity’s As HEIFfundinghasended,theuniversitylostallbut 2 85

13 THEME SECTION 3 We also worked with academics in Social Sciences and We Disseminating research available to research Key work also involves making more local external partners and to open up academic seminars to practitioners. The PPC works particularly closely with the International for Participation Studies (ICPS) but also Centre in Social Sciences and Humanities, centres with research for International Centre Development (BCID) and Bradford the School of Health. Thinkspace academics from The PPC has established a Thinkspace with and Bradford from a range of universities and practitioners diversity and participa- issues of dialogue, beyond to explore organisations such as from involved tion. Practitioners are NorthernDiversity Exchange, Schools Linking, Mediation Mills Service, and Manningham Youth Bradford Ireland, to PhD Professors Community Association. Academics (from Manchester University and Leeds involved from students) are academics from University alongside University of Bradford the School of Health and Peace Studies. Local Partners The PPC has continued to work with local partners on a range of events such as an open space discussion with the Diversity Exchange in December 2007 asking local practitioners to matters to you about Bradford?’ ‘What really explore Humanities and the Equity Partnership (which supports Brad- lesbian, gay and bisexual communities) to facilitate a ford’s belief and sexual discussion on the tension between religious orientation. funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and was also Foundation and Rowntree funded by the Joseph Partnership and Development Youth supported by Bradford was built through in Leeds. Reciprocity the Hamara Centre in Bradford own learning disagreements around the PPC’s Violent Extrem- the Preventing to District on how to respond partners ism agenda of the UK government. Our Bradford context, but also gained knowledge of the Northern Ireland with the a safe space to discuss their own preoccupations agenda. Externalities many given that were UK government’s which to through our partners had many connections disseminate the learning Febru- and discussion, but also the other agencies, including the in ary 2008 seminar brought on ways to reflect police, to participate in the discussion and a violent extremism preventing trust around to build greater for was applied with respect that it agenda and to ensure civil and human rights. The ivory tower and beyond: Bradford University at the heart of its communities the heart at University Bradford and beyond: ivory tower The The activities below all begin with discussions that explore The activities below all begin with discussions The PPC and partners worked with the Institute of Conflict (Belfast) in 2007 and 2008 to organise an Research whether learningexchange visit to Belfast to explore from to the state’s Northern would be useful with regard Ireland 7 to violence in the UK, such as the July response current Muslims attended a seminar in bombings. Six Bradford then hosted eight guests Belfast in November 2007. We Northern along with 40 local participants in from Ireland – human two key thematic areas February 2008 to explore Northern violence. Guests from Ireland rights and preventing included former paramilitaries and human rights activists participants Local such as Bernadette Devlin McAliskey. The event was included activists and senior police officers. Belfast Exchange Programme for a Peaceful City (PPC) City (PPC) Programme for a Peaceful together academics and practitioners PPC continues to bring work are on key contemporary debates. Key to its to reflect needs that society The PPC recognises the REAP principles. and we also facilitate reflection types of knowledge different and deliberation – and how we dialogue spaces that explore in complex and unequal urban spaces. negotiate difference is acknowledged. reciprocity prioritised where Activities are agenda for assessing and systematising and set an reciprocity of the activity. whether in practice it unfolds in the course that it contributes something Each activity also aims to ensure rather than just those involved District, to the wider Bradford Thinkspace aims to ensure in the activity itself. The directly at the same time that all the individuals attending are their networks out committed to taking the learning through how this can be agree into the wider urban setting. We way by Thinkspace members. assessed in a cost effective in academics big challenge is how to interest Thinkspace’s like this have learning community activists. Innovations from widely more they are before and nurtured to be fostered to reflec- approach embedded. REAP encourages an active a clear rationale tion and monitoring of activities, ensuring between those for activities, a clear mutual agreement and a and the community, the university engaged from and commitment to developing the most cost effective meaningful way of assessing impact. This will involve quan- tifying numbers attending events against the costs of the events. But it also involves qualitative assessment in the course of the activities, using quick interviews, focus groups, that expected outcomes are and event evaluations, to ensure activities of the PPC are taking place. Some of the current listed below. 13 86 THEME SECTION 3 Jenny Pearce, MartinPearsonandSamCameron strate thebenefitsofhighereducationtowider nities around them.Thisapproach can,weargue,demon- teaching from theknowledgeandexperienceofcommu- recognition thatacademicscanbenefitintheirresearch and to thecommunitiesofBradford. Thisiscombinedwiththe ness tomakeacademicknowledgeandexpertiseavailable We advocateworkingwith Conclusion Professor ZiauddinSardar. Kazemi, AsimZubcevicfrom theUniversityofSarajevoand ideas. Speakersin2007-8haveincludedDrRezaShah- sentative oftheBritishHumanistSocietytodiscussfuture secular issues.We haverecently beenliaisingwitharepre- ers totheuniversityaswecontinueexplore religious and Churches forDialogueandDiversitytobringexcitingspeak- Islamic SocietyofBritain(localbranch)andBradford The PPCworksinpartnershipwithorganisationssuchasthe Public eventsre. religionandsecularism Website: www.bradford.ac.uk/acad/icps Email: [email protected] UK Bradford, BD71DP University ofBradford Department ofPeaceStudies CentreInternational forParticipationStudies Cameron Jenny Pearce, MartinPearsonandSam CONTACT DETAILS communities, andwithawilling- many, notjustthefew.” and knowledge-basedsocietyforthe universities canhelptobuildalearning- “By looking ‘beyond theivorytower’, access theskillsandknowledgewhichmakesthispossible. analyse andaddress localproblems andconflicts, to self-confidence andmutualtrustcreates improved capacity to table anddemocraticlocalcommunitieswhere greater mulate. Thisislikelytocontributemore cohesive,equi- social trustare enhancedovertime,socialcapitalwillaccu- society forthemany, notjustthefew. Associalnetworksand andknowledge-based ties canhelptobuildalearning- communities. Bylooking‘beyondtheivorytower’,universi- elitist andimpenetrable,increasingly valuedbytheirlocal population. Universitiesshouldbecomelessintimidating, Theme 4: Community activism from the grassroots

87 88 THEME SECTION 4 Liverpool blackexperience community participation:the The changingfaceof during the1950s. We livedintheslumsof Liverpool,within English mother, intheToxteth Iwasborn area ofLiverpool My nameisDaveClay. ThesonofanAfricanfatherand Who amI? direct ‘communityparticipation’inthecity. broken agenciesnow upanddispersed, and government Grassroots actionwasslowly eroded asthecommunitywas servants andthoseemployedtobringabout‘consultation’. community participationwasnowinthehandsofcivil concentrated onregeneration andeconomicinitiatives, agencies participation wassettochange.Asgovernment to policeandcommunityrelations –thefaceofcommunity experienced bytheblackcommunity, particularly inregard Toxteth riotsof1981 –theculminationofallfrustrations Liverpool BlackOrganisationin1976.However, afterthe led tocampaignsforblackstudiesandtheformationof to protect blackresidents onanewhousingestate,and this nity mobilisationcameintheearly1970s,whenpolicefailed or afightforbetterservices.Myfirstexperienceofcommu- ‘community participation’haslongbeenareaction toracism community inBritain,concentratedtheToxteth area. Here, The cityofLiverpoolhasthelongestestablishedblack Overview by DAVID CLAY 14 until government legislationwasintroduceduntil government (RaceRelations ronment thatmyviewsandopinionsare formed. reside intheToxteth area. Itiswithinsuch a multi-racialenvi- question. Suffice ittosaythatthemajorityofblackfamilies mated, andthereal sizeoftheethnicpopulationisopen to 35,848 (8.5%).Thesefigures are withoutdoubtunderesti- tion census2001)withtheblackpopulationestimatedat The cityofLiverpoolhasapopulation403,625(popula- The Liverpoolblackpopulation above). Law-Henfrey, andLoosentheShackles Liverpool community, mostnotably mation pertainingtothedevelopmentofLiverpool’s black by itsrole inslavery. There isanabundanceofhistoricalinfor- longest establishedblackcommunityinBritain,epitomised walking distanceofthedocks.ThecityLiverpoolhas During mychildhood,racism wasendemic.Itnot by DrRayCostello, Liverpool BlackPioneers A History ofRaceandRacism A History by Lord Gifford (see and Black by 89

14 THEME SECTION 4 3 Ten Little Niggers, Ten It was period when 2 There is no space here to highlight how the organisation is no space here There Agatha Christie was one of the most prolific writers in history, whose books have whose books writers in history, Agatha Christie was one of the most prolific Kate by Florence literary character created ‘Golliwog’ is a rag doll-like children's logical implication of this was frightening. ‘Why should our logical implication of This all asked. The answer was easy. kids feel inferior?’ we novel, Christie’s was a period when Agatha primary schools. was available in most `little black sambo’ and `golliwogs’ were the order of the day. the order `little black sambo’ and `golliwogs’ were Liverpool Black Organisation (LBO) Liverpool Black Organisation of black involvement in trade was little or no history There employed were union activism since very few black people of was no single body that had the interests There in the city. of their agenda. It the Liverpool black community on the top in the This resulted was vital that we organised ourselves. in 1976. formation of the Liverpool Black Organisation that became a thorn in the a participative structure created a like to recollect side of racism. Nevertheless, I would by the work of the late that was inspired successful protest based on His tactics were community activist Saul Alinsky. apathy and showing the community that you addressing could ‘legally’ challenge authority and win. protest Half Penny The black youth told the organisation that When a 15-year-old he had been accused of stealing a coat while in a top store it was a perfect opportunity to deploy in Liverpool city centre, had demanded to see the the Alinsky tactics. Security staff the inside of his coat, claiming that it had been taken from The youth was adamant that it was his own coat. He store. It tran- and his coat ripped off. to the ground was wrestled that he was telling the truth. He complained to the spired was informed that, ‘Following a full He via a solicitor. store investigation into your complaints we fully support the actions of our security staff.’ There were a million ways to make black people feel inferior. a million were There within the school Black studies: we demanded black studies fund black studies curriculum. No, they said, but we will night classes outside of the school curriculum. Consequently in the revolution the culture set up. This coincided with were better were proud’ USA – `black is beautiful’ and `black and alternatives to bleach. Collective community participation black development. to be positive for was proving outsold any others apart from the Bible and Shakespeare. The title of this book, one the Bible and Shakespeare. outsold any others apart from name for the US market. was given a different of 80 novels she wrote, 1910 and 2001 Between Upton in the late 19th century based on a black minstrel. used the character as a marketing leading jam manufacturers one of the world’s black people, from tool, giving away golliwog badges. This was despite protests used. golliwog, had long been against whom the term ‘wog’, derived from 2 3 I 1 The changing face of community participation: the Liverpool black experience black the Liverpool participation: face of community changing The The Charles Wootton Centre for Further Education was Centre The Charles Wootton I was part of a generation of black kids who were bornI was part of a generation of black kids who were The local accent and dialect of Liverpool, also known to outsiders as ‘scouse’. remember reading about a six-year-old black girl, born in about a six-year-old reading remember Liverpool, who tried to bleach her skin white, believing that if her skin was white she would be accepted in the play- The psycho- since she had no language differences. ground, A community fights back the been far from The Liverpool black community has never race riots. Return-headlines. In 1919, Liverpool experienced could not come to terms War the First World ing soldiers from had jobs in munitions facto- that black people with the reality had and relations ries, and the number of mixed marriages people descended on the Mobs of white visibly increased. of Charles in the murder resulting of Toxteth, black area in the who was drowned a former black sailor, Wootton, River Mersey. During the area. established during the 1970s in the Toxteth early 1970s, a new housing estate had been built in the area, known as the Falkner Housing Estate. Bigots took exception black. The to the fact that the first families to move in were estate was attacked on two consecutive evenings. I was part and accused the police of failing that protested of a group to They told us that it was their duty the residents. to protect night of attacks we took the the estate. After a third protect barricades to protect situation into our hands and erected The community mobilised. Despite the incident the residents. with the Liverpool police, the escalating into a confrontation attacks stopped. This was my first experience of the community standing up against both the racism of the perpetrators of the attacks and the racism of the police. black were in Liverpool, only spoke Liverpudlian and in affect ‘scousers’ – a colloquialism for people born in Liverpool. Act, 1965) that direct discrimination was made illegal. In discrimination was made Act, 1965) that direct for example, was that you could the only difference, reality, that ‘no blacks need apply’. not state in a job advertisement housing, not employ black people. Inadequate simply did You institution- low employment, overt racism, police brutality, educational underachieve- and alised racism, gang warfare black people in Liverpool. It is for ment have been the reality was usually then of no surprise that community participation for better services. The city of to racism or a fight a reaction and working-class resistance for its Liverpool is renowned epitomised by a militant local council during the militancy, has been hidden 1980s. But the history of black resistance for many years. 1 14

90 THEME SECTION 4 David Clay changing faceofcommunityparticipation." scope ofthe Terrorism Act, epitomisingthe the PublicOrder Act, orcomeunderthe would nodoubtcontravene Section5of "Today, real communityparticipation nity actionhadachievedavictory. equal opportunityemployers.Alldemandswere met.Commu- ing reimbursement fortheyouthandapledgetobecome wanted. We presented thestore withalistofdemands,includ- day. twohoursthemanagementaskeduswhatwe Within tion. Thiswasalegalprotest thatwouldhappeneverySatur- A solicitorandavicarwere atthedoortodealwithanyreac- Basically, justcausinginconveniencetoshoppersandstaff alike. would purchase goodsacross theeighttillswehadidentified. lous aswellfun.There wouldbeahalfpennygroup who ping time,SaturdayTheplanninghadbeenmeticu- morning. that iscrucial.Itwasdecidedtovisitthestore atthepeakshop- brings aboutareaction. Itwashowyouplanforthereaction fundamental principlesofAlinskytacticswasthateveryaction you paidyourbusfare with120halfpennies.Oneofthe can imaginethedifficulties thatwouldariseif,forexample, Britain. Infact,youcouldlegallyspendupto60pence.So with regard topoliceandcommunityrelations. experienced bytheblackcommunityinLiverpool,particularly The Toxteth riotswere theculminationofallfrustrations 1981 Toxtethriots ronment, MichaelHeseltine, wastoseethedevelopmentof community. nity participationinregard toLiverpoolandtheblack tant here ishowtheriotswere tochangethefaceofcommu- Email: [email protected] UK London SW75HD 165 Queen’s Gate Wellcome Wolfson Building Science (BA) British AssociationfortheAdvancementof David Clay CONTACT DETAILS officers injured, 500peoplearrested, andatleast70buildings demolished. attempting toclearcrowds, and(according tothepolice)there were 468police days, duringwhichonepersondiedafter beingstruckbyapolicevehicle 4 They were oneofthemostseriousseriesriotseverinUK,lasting nine At thisparticulartimehalfpennieswere legaltenderin The eventsof1981are well documented. The arrivalinoffice oftheSecretary ofStatefortheEnvi- 4 What isimpor- past historicalevents drink asanofferinguse oftenrelates toagod.Itsmodern the remembrance of 5 to impactonthefuture ofthe city. takes placeatthecitydocksasblackcommunitycontinues mony involvingthesacred act ofpouring–seepicture inset) as BlackHistoryMonth.AyearlyLibationceremony (acere- of Octoberwasofficially recognised role intheslavetradeand month Liverpool Councilapologisedfortheir achieved somerewards. In1999 fruits ofgrassroots strugglehave nity participation. the Terrorism Act,epitomisingthechangingfaceofcommu- Section 5ofthePublicOrder Act,orcomeunderthescopeof real communityparticipationwouldnodoubtcontravene you thatthere are countlessagencieswithsuchastake. Today, a stakeinToxteth andyouhadbetterbelievemewhenItell today wecanviewaKuKluxKlanoutfitdowninthegallery. Culture label.Yesterday wecouldnothaveblackstudies,but our historytocoincidewiththe2008European Capitalof to forgetourhistory’.Inreality itisnowconvenienttoexploit building anumberofslavegalleriesinmuseumstellingus‘not built ontheslavetrade,andcityinvestedinslaveryagain, diversity andinclusionstatements.Liverpool’s earlywealthwas Act furtherputanobligatorydutyonauthoritiestoproduce now runbythisgrowing housingsector. TheRaceRelations a role instiflinglocalprotest. Neighbourhoodschemes were destroyed underthebannerofregeneration. community wasbroken upanddispersed.Socialoutletswere consultation. Grassroots actionwasslowlyeroded asthe hands ofcivilservantsandthoseemployedtobringabout economic initiatives.Communityparticipationwasnowinthe principle of‘consultation’. Force. neighbourhoodpolicyrevolved Government around the numerous agenciessuchastheToxteth governmental Task ‘Libation’ comesfrom anancientGreek word referring totheritualpouringofa Despite thesedevelopments,the Community participationisnowledbyanyagencythathas The growth ofhousingassociationsinToxteth alsoplayed The next20yearsconcentratedonregeneration and 5

91 THEME SECTION 4 15 Women from a pre-natal group held a series of meetings held group a pre-natal from Women “The critical principle underpinning the “The critical principle underpinning work was our commitment to collective to met regularly Local residents action. identify and prioritise our concerns and possible solutions.” explore women had reported opting out of pre-natal care at the care opting out of pre-natal women had reported hospital because it did not meet their needs. The uncertainty of length in waiting times meant some women had to leave school. from being seen, to pick up older children before Mothers-to-be who attended the clinic with very young chil- became Children found the waiting times stressful. dren In the consulting room, and bored. cross tired, increasingly no changing facilities, so women had to undress were there anxiety, produced of (often male) doctors. The regime in front for many women, which prohib- embarrassment and distress ited their interaction with the medical team. with the midwives and a senior consultant obstetrician from the clinic maternity Subsequently, hospital. the area’s and after examina- privacy before for more screens provided appointment system was estab- appropriate tions. A more 1

The pioneering doctor set out to address the health The pioneering doctor set out to address to Even small changes could make significant differences Throughout the 80s, parents and their adult children in many local families and their adult children the 80s, parents Throughout 1 were unable to find paid work. were In the late 1970s, as a young first-time mother, I moved to an In the late 1970s, as a young first-time mother, estate in north east England. I felt lonely and inner-city me. my family who lived some distance from isolated from When my second daughter was born, I met a paediatrician at the local health clinic. I became involved in a local child incidences of peri- he had established. Here, health project much higher natal mortality and childhood ill-health were in poverty, than the national average – partly due to relative terms of low income, long-term unemployment and a subse- and choices. quent lack of resources An activist is born… by JACKIE HAQ by JACKIE

‘activists’ or ‘citizens’? Community participation:Community inequalities by bringing together a diverse team of medical based including health visitors and doctors, who were staff, the here, at a local school. From initially in empty classrooms Local people the area. in clinics across healthcare provided staff to identify community health with the staff, met regularly a local concerns from critically assess service provision and accessibility and take-up of services. perspective, to increase Pregnant the quality and accessibility of service delivery. 15 92 THEME SECTION 4 Jackie Haq regardless ofanyprevious baddebtrecord. open toanyoneinthecommunity whosavedwithus, by law, 1%permonthonoutstandingbalancesandwas charged veryhighinterest rates. Thecredit unioncharged, interest. Legalmoneylenders alsooperatedontheestate,and found onewomanwhowaschargedinexcessof1000% nity, lendingmoneyatexorbitantlyhigh interest rates–we region. training onproject management andcommitteeskills. and from variouspaidjobs. We augmentedthisexpertisewith time managementthatcamedirectly from raisingourfamilies, range ofexistingskillsinplanning,budgeting,organisingand As membersofthemanagementcommittee,webrought a ing locatingresources weneededtocreate positivechange. andexploreprioritise ourconcerns possiblesolutions,includ- collective action.Localresidents metregularly toidentify and ciple underpinningtheworkwasourcommitmentto tives directed atimproving lifeontheestate.Thecritical prin- direction andimplementationoftheworkprogramme. sible fortheday-to-daymanagementofworkersand management committeeoflocalresidents, whowere respon- were localauthorityemployees,theywere seconded tothe ties. Althoughmembersofthecommunitydevelopmentstaff taking collectiveactioninpursuitoflocallyidentifiedpriori- ‘bottom-up’ approach, andcommittedwhere necessary to ment, workingfrom thepeople’s agenda,theso-called was firmlygrounded inprinciplesofcommunitydevelop- In theestatewhere Ilivedwasanothercommunityproject. It Community developmentandcollectiveaction we hadspokenout. striking fearintocolleaguesandstaff. Shewasrelieved that approachable manner, butwhoalsohadareputation for consultant, whowasheldinhighregard bypatientsforhis been toafraidbringthesematterstheattentionof the clinics.Onemidwifetoldusthatherstaff hadalways lished andadesignatedplayarea withtoyswasprovided in controlled byitsmembers. 2 sanitise communityparticipation.” model wastodivideandrule, limitand “The effectoftheso-called ‘partnership’ A credit unionisacooperativefinancialinstitution,privatelyowned and Local peoplealsoformedanaction group, SCARE(Stop Successes includedsettingupthefirstcredit unioninthe The project wasthehubofmanycampaignsandinitia- 2 Before, loansharksregularly preyed onthecommu- cars beingracedaround theestateledtodeath ofaneleven-month-oldchild. of reach hypermarkets;crime,includingburglary, vandalismandarson.Stolen local stores were closedbynationalfoodsupplierswhoopenedoutoftown, from somepoliceofficers. recounted beingmetwithabusiveandcontemptuouscomments and attitudes allocated tothearea. Asignificantnumberofresidents whocontactedthepolice non-existent policeresponses toreported crime,dueinparttoalackofofficers 6 5 4 3 policing oftheneighbourhood. ings, thecommunityachievedmore respectful andeffective specific crimes.Through regular planningandactionmeet- beat policeandinitiativesthattargetedresources at Crime AgainstResidents).Theydemandedandgainedmore disbelief. regular planningandcommitteemeetingswewere met with funding forchildcare supportsothatwecouldholdour authoritytoallocate when weaskedthelocalgovernment officers andelectedmembers.Manyofuswere mothers: opposition from thoseinpower, includinglocalgovernment for andhard won.Communityprioritiesoftenencountered and attimesnationally. campaigns startedontheestatewere takenupcity-wide, that overcame thenegativestereotypes ofoutsiders. of communityspiritandbelonging,aprideinthearea community developmentapproach reignited astrong sense At itsbest,thisintense,locally-led,hands-onandsustained local perspective Developing appropriate practical action: thevital approach, responding toissuesastheyoccurred. policies andstandards which were adoptedbythecity. promoted thebenefitsofgood qualitychildcare andsetout strategy forchildcare at local andcitywidelevels.This work withresidents andchildcare providers todevelopa The communityproject subsequently employedsomeoneto childcare wasavaluableasset whenconductingmeetings. toilet facilities,thepublicofficials quicklyrecognised that around, talkedloudlyandattimesrequiring food,water and to councilmeetingsopenthepublic.Aschildren ran nity participationuntilitbecamecommonplace. the profile andvalueofqualitychildcare toenablecommu- sustained, citywidecrèchecampaignandcontinuedtoraise until ourchildren were grown up!Instead,weinitiateda told tofundraisebyholdingpieandpeasuppers,orwait Issues includedpovertyandhighunemployment; lossofshoppingfacilitiesas authority’isalsoreferredThe ‘localgovernment toas‘thecouncil’. The localarea wasportrayedinaverynegativemannerthemedia. Previously, manyresidents atcommunitymeetingstalkedaboutverylimitedor However, thoseachievementswere, attimes,hard fought At first,localcommunityactivistsadoptedapiecemeal The campaignbeganlocally:womentooktheirchildren 5 Despite possiblefundingbeingavailable,wewere 3 6 Later we 4 Many 93

15 THEME SECTION 4 8 Funding allocation became 9 Community participation: ‘activists’ or ‘citizens’? or ‘activists’ participation: Community et al. (1994) at www.ncl.ac.uk/guru/assets/documents/ewp13.pdf The commitment and hard work of the community repre- work The commitment and hard emerged, aimed at as subsequent funding regimes Later, See Davoudi These included Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) and New Deal for “In demanding change, from our own from change, “In demanding we unique ‘community’ perspective, most power bases, challenged existing At times often within local government. government we challenged central policy.” more flexible as programmes rolled out, to take into account rolled flexible as programmes more changing priorities, but still the chance to incorporate new, made to were Some efforts decreased. projects responsive members, although as always the hold elections for board issue of accountability to the wider community remained. to still had little or no time Community representatives and the commu- disseminate information between the board nities, and potentially became gatekeepers holding the and strategic partner- the boards community at bay from ships. Timescales initiatives increased, for regeneration the opportunity for continuity and sustained providing of the programme community participation. But in reality, meeting the priorities of local initiatives was still, frequently, government rather than community agendas, not least sentatives on that board was notable. All dedicated time and was sentatives on that board I was concerned that the balance of However, freely. efforts firmly with local and power and decision-making remained central government. The potential for collective community was subverted by competing the board on representation members for limited claims between community board own community: the representative’s for each resources spent many hours haggling community forum sub-group thousand pounds in a over the allocation of a few hundred allocated on the ‘community chest’ fund while millions were (see also Blakey, nod of the local authority and private sector of the so-called ‘partnership’ article 10, this issue). The effect model was to divide and rule, limit and sanitise community participation (Haq and Hyatt, 2008). on made to take attempts were inner city regeneration, some of the lessons learnt.board and voluntary sector people and community representatives, and voluntary sector people and community firmly with the local but the balance of power remained despite the political rhetoric about partnerships. authority, 8 9 Communities (NDC). The local government authority 7 But with City Challenge, and other subsequent state- Council housing was owned by the local government authority, which was Council housing was owned by the local government authority, 7 responsible for repairs and maintenance of housing stock and allocation of for repairs responsible accountable to the local therefore, Councillors on the authority were, properties. that level housing. Governmentelectorate for decisions affecting policy removed stock. available council housing of accountability and further reduced Government-funded ‘community engagement’ with which I was The ‘old style’ community development was based on the struggle for the 1980s familiar throughout led by local social justice, and for equality of opportunity, workers. The people, supported by community development the initial given confrontational, was, necessarily, approach by those traditionally in posi- and often sustained resistance article 14, also Clay, tions of power and decision-making (see our own unique this issue). In demanding change, from ‘community’ perspective, we challenged existing power bases, most often within local government. At times we challenged central government policy – e.g. on privatisation of – which, when implemented else- school meals provision pay and conditions for workers and in poorer resulted where, challenged disrespectful We lower food hygiene standards. of negative media representation confronted policing. We repeated rejected We our neighbourhood and community. attempts of passive ‘consultation’ as insulting and demanded active participation in decision-making and policy formation. working on the emphasis shifted from funded regimes, community-led, community-identified priorities to funding- led, local and central government-themed priorities, such as council housing stock in favour of housing associa- reducing tions and private housing. developed a locally-led area strategy, bringing together local bringing strategy, area developed a locally-led senior local government representa- individuals and groups, voluntary organisations and the police, tives, statutory and regenerate and targeted initiatives to to deliver co-ordinated The main physically and economically. socially, the area and fear of crime, strands of this strategy tackled crime training, and working with access to jobs and increased alternatives legitimate to the prevail- young people to provide It initiated major improvements culture. ing negative street and opened a number of to housing and the environment, Some of of working parents. out-of-school clubs for children representation) this was funded (after persistent community local government and some by the by mainstream funding, then newly-announced, central government City Challenge to signal a new era fund. The advent of City Challenge was of government-sponsored ‘community engagement’. set up a decision-making committee of councillors, private 15 94 THEME SECTION 4 Jackie Haq on ajurydebatinggenetically modified(GM)crops: deliberations. Thefollowingremarks are from alocal activist political engagementinorder topursuetheoutcomesof their experience positively, butwere frustratedbytheabsenceof identified forfurtherdeliberation(PEALS,2003). the resulting discussions,with recommendations andtopics included resources onhowtorunacitizensjury, reports on outcomes from thisformof communityengagement.These cally-modified crops. In each, there were observable experiencing repeated falls; theothercaseIstudied,geneti- particular issue–oneonserviceprovision forelderlypeople also forotherswithinandbeyondtheirowncommunities. to bringaboutpositivechange,notonlyforthemselvesbut the previous examples,localpeopleshowedadetermination current andfuture well-beingoftheirfellowcitizens.’ important recommendationsthe onissuesconcerning ‘the convictionthatnon-expertscanmakeinformedand the pastfiveyears. Life SciencesResearch Centre) atNewcastleUniversity during (community x-change)facilitatedbyPEALS(Policy, Ethicsand and anothertypeofcommunityengagementprocess evaluation ofthelong-termimpacttwocitizens’juries(CJs) 11 10 policy- anddecision-making. not matchtheseresources: theywere stillontheperipheryof The unpaidrepresentatives from thecommunitysectorcould preparing briefingpapersonup-to-datepolicydocuments. attendance allowancesandacivilserviceofcouncilofficers tures andsupportmechanismssuchassecretarial support, immersed inthelocalauthoritydecision-makinginfrastruc- because thepoliticiansonregeneration boards were still emerged: citizens’juries. Recently, anotherformof‘communityengagement’has engagement’ Citizens’ jury-typeprocesses and ‘community juries. Seealsotheonlineresources section. leading tocollectiveaction.” facilitates thecollectivisingofissues fosters thepoliticisationofactivists. It “The communitydevelopmentapproach See www.ncl.ac.uk/peals/research/completedprojects/diyjury.htm All thearticlesinTheme1ofthisspecial issue covervariousversionsofcitizens’ Local participantsintheCJ-typeprocesses viewedthe The twoCJ-typeprocesses focusedonanddebateda The statedprincipleunderpinningtheseprocesses was 10 In 2007,Iconductedasmall-scale 11 As in 13 12 2007-06-11_ecp_uk_citizensreport.pdf of issuesandmakingpeoples’voicesheard. ensured thatlocalpeoplecontinuedtoworkonawiderange change project, (runinCumbriaandCountyDurham,UK) cated afteraninitialfiveworkshopsintheRuralCommunityX- direction, structure orresources. trated andimmobilised,stillkeenbutwithoutasenseof other projects, theloosenetworkofparticipantsbecamefrus- facilitators, bynecessity, movedontopursuefundingfor the activitiesofaPEALSresearcher toinitiateandlead. When ments, there wasalackofdirection andapassivereliance on tures andwithoutlinkstoregional ornationalsocial move- anydevelopedcommunitystruc- pursue thisgoal.Without nity leadershipcouldemergeamongtheparticipantsto Yet there didnotseemtobeamechanismwhereby commu- action toensure theirrecommendations were actedupon. inter/national levels. ing waystoinfluencepolicyandpracticeatlocal,regional, their perspectivestoaEuropean Citizens’Panel,andare explor- delegates felttheywere notlistenedto(theybecame the tions butwouldnotcomment oraskquestions.TheBritish Rural Developmentsaidshewould listentorecommenda- ity, butthiswasnotincluded.Asenior European Ministerfor sion. TheBritishandIrishbothwantedhousingtobeaprior- European prioritiestofeed intotheEuropean UnionCommis- tatives from allthecountries present hadtoagree upon10 issues wouldbeprioritisedattheEuropean level.Represen- for, andguardians of,politicalactionandsocialchange. continue toregard themselvesatthesolelegitimateconduits projects andsubsequentfunding-led regimes, manypoliticians that, justasinthedaysofold-stylecommunitydevelopment we neverheardwhathappenedwiththatreport. [genetically modifiedcrops]andthereportreflectedthat.But Birds] puttheirviewsonit.Well manypeoplewereagainstit and thepeoplefromRSPB[RoyalSocietyforProtectionof Professor fromArgentina,wehadthisfarmerCanada public aboutGMfoods.Andthereportwentin,wehadthis anywhere butthisishowtheysayareconsultingthe are ‘consultingthepublic’.Therewerenomassmeetings was sentofftogovernment–ittheirwayofsayingthey no ideaofwhatorwhereithappened.Thereportwentin, Well, theGMone,thatwasareportwentout,butwe’ve See www.citizenspanel.eu andarticle7,thisissue. See www.citizenspanel.eu/images/partners_docs/ In contrast,resources foratwo-yearfollow-upprocess allo- Many jurors Iinterviewedvoicedthedesire totakedirect Some Paneldelegatesexpressed frustrationabouthow 13 However, itwasevidentfrom mystudy 12 They contributed 95

15 THEME SECTION 4 14 15 takes centre process of ‘engagement’ of process Community participation: ‘activists’ or ‘citizens’? or ‘activists’ participation: Community Then the carnival leaves town. Both experts and citizens ‘Government people’s [is] putting our trust in the people – and we will renew This is despite other UK government advocating the value of a reports trust in government. by citizens’ And our local democracy [will be] strengthened have the citizens and their representatives forums and new citizens’ juries where chance to fully debate the concerns that matter to them.’ See www.labour.org.uk/leadership/gordon_brown_s_leader_of_the_labour_party See community development approach. www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/153241.pdf 14 15 engagement, but how do we determine success? Withoutengagement, but how do we determine funding or commissioning accountability, to ensure structures recommenda- or reject the power to accept bodies retain the tions. Consequently, . Because stage rather than a focus on outcomes or continuity and in the absence of a long- is time-limited, the CJ process can be no expectations term commitment by funders, there deci- leading to refined of sustainable relationship-building circumstances. to evolving sion-making in response When the carnival comes to town… the When In being an island of activity. A citizens’ jury risks merely illusion. It is carnival – for a short it becomes theatre, effect, The experts are reversed. are and power bases time, roles Participants scrutinised, the ‘audience’ become interrogators. is food, a convivial enjoy taking part in the carnival. There new experiences and places visited. Opinions atmosphere, In the heard. sought and for a while ‘citizens’ voices are are may be bonds of friend- exuberance of the moment, there made in the holiday atmos- ship experienced, and promises raised. Expectations, and spirits, are phere. The long-term impact, if any, go back to their daily routines. is undocumented or uncertain (though of CJ-type processes article 2, some, such as Kuruganti, Pimbert and Wakeford, this issue, feel they can point to some). Without a strategy than a veneer no more for achieving this impact, they offer of participation and theatrical consultation. It is perhaps Brown, Gordon then, that the new UK Prime Minister, ironic, citizen involvement in when indicating a wish for more cited citizens’ juries, rather than democratic processes, way forward. community development, as a preferred “A citizens’ jury risks merely being being risks merely citizens’ jury “A it In effect, an island of activity. It is an illusion. becomes theatre, carnival – and roles for a short time, reversed.” power bases are are activists A citizens’ jury deliberates crucial issues, but the agenda is a veneer of runs its course, there As the jury process Young British delegates pointed out that no youth or Young high- Any form of community involvement/participation Half the people in our group aren’t old enough to vote, so Half the people in our group aren’t old enough how could we feed into this process? Activists or citizens? is no compul- debates), there date (and despite repeated To sion in Britain for citizens to become active in their commu- political nities. Citizens may choose to engage or ignore For those who do bring a commu- and structures. processes into deliberative and decision-making nity presence who sets the one critical question remains: processes, lies the paramount distinction between the agenda? Here ‘old-style’ community development and subsequent Community ‘community engagement’ approaches. them and their commu- choose to work on issues affecting nity on a daily and often long-term basis. They establish parameters of debates and seek action by a variety of means to achieve their aims and objectives. be it – by those in positions of power, is often set elsewhere government, business or universities. The terminology of the of the a clue to the preservation also provides CJ process diverse opinions, which status quo: ‘expert’ witnesses present debated and evaluated by the ‘citi- then interrogated, are zens’. In comparison, the community activists view themselves as experts. young people’s issues were prioritised. They felt that the prioritised. They felt that issues were young people’s and prioritise to only agree agenda appeared European funding agreed into previously that fitted recommendations policy. and that fitted into current streams Who within civic society. power dynamics lights inherent ‘invisibles’). Then the legitimacy of citizens’ panels was ques- ‘invisibles’). Then the the basis Parliament on in the European tioned by politicians members of Parliament was supe- that the system of elected people. in place to act on the will of the rior and already as one young participant said: However, and decision makers? How representatives the appropriate parallel could be drawn decisions made? A superficial are CJ-type approaches. between community development and involvement is The stated starting point is that community significant are there However, both valued and promoted. them. An integral tension in all the between differences and status of the the role outlined surrounds approaches obliging citizens or activists? we local people involved: are 15 96 THEME SECTION 4 Jackie Haq sions. together abroad spectrumofknowledgebasestothediscus- in grassroots politics.To acertainextent,theprocess brings of peoplethanthe‘usualsuspects’i.e.thosealready involved uals. Theadvantagesare thatitmayengageawidersample as ameansofcontactingandsamplingtheviewsindivid- participation? Ofcourse,itislegitimatetoruncitizens’juries long-term impactwillresult from eachmodelofcommunity for whoseadvantage However, thekeyissues,asalways,are This isaresource beyondcompare andbeyondprice. passion andsenseofsocialjusticefrom thepeopleinvolved. community andtoothersaboveself-advantage,a that Ihaveencountered isthedetermination,commitmentto forms ofcommunityengagementordeliberativedemocracy communities maybegreat. practitioners andpoliticians,althoughthebenefitsto therefore potentiallyriskyforparticipants,policymakers, will challengethestatusquo location orcommunityofinterest. Atitsbest,thisapproach on torepercussions farbeyondtheoriginalgeographical collectivising ofissuesleadingtocollectiveaction.Itmaylead approach fostersthepoliticisationofactivists.Itfacilitates term changemustbeindoubt.Thecommunitydevelopment macro/socio-economic politicallevels,thepotentialforlong- and actions. perspectives orfacilitatelonger-term, more nuanceddebates there are nostructures orresources topursuealternative dissemination iscontrolled bycommissioningbodies,and based’ policyonthisbasis,ifagendasare setbyfunders,if Email: [email protected] UK Newcastle uponTyne, NE14JH St JamesBoulevard Citywall PEALS Research Centre Jackie Haq CONTACT DETAILS 16 See discussionathttp://sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU37.html The over-arching commonalitybetweenallgenuine Without linksfrom themicro/localWithout leveltothe 16 However, itissurely dubioustoformulate‘evidence- this isencouragedandutilised.What and existingpowerbases.Itis how, PEALS, NewcastleUniversity PEALS (2003)Teach yourselfcitizens’ juries. activism.’ New Labourandthedeclineofgrassroots “Progressive” urbanpolicyunder Government: Haq andHyatt(2008)‘Paradoxesof REFERENCES by whomand Urban Anthropologist 17 www.nanojury.org.uk/pdfs/nanojury_is_out.pdf andalsoarticle4,thisissue. political powerbaseswillremain untouchedandintact. whose voiceswillbenoted,buttheexistinginstitutionaland may becomelittlemore thanaseriesofinterest groups, dynamics andpowerofasocialmovement,thejuryprocess wish listorrecord ofdeliberations.Ratherthanengaging the of identityorcause,thejurymayproduce littlemore than a nolegalstatus,andwithoutacollective sense process. With juries toactontherecommendations orfindingsfrom the orotherfundersofcitizens’ legal obligationupongovernment political andadministrativestructures. Currently there isno finances forchildcare orcarers’ support,butalsoaccess to hearing, thishasresource implications,notonlyinterms of possible forparticipantsofaCJtoorganisebeyondthepublic community direction andparticipation. resource-limited CJscannotaccommodatebroad, long-term community-led agendas.Bytheirverynature, time-and stifle communityparticipationwhenitprecludes proactive, participation’. Inpractice,theCJprocess maycontainoreven proposed, largelybypoliticians,forso-called‘community communities. Thecitizens’juryismerely thelatestmodel ebbed andflowedsometimescrasheduponlocal communities. demands sustainedinteractionbetweenpoliticiansand confrontational communitydevelopmentapproach, which process ofengagement,ratherthanthe(attimes)more practice theoutcomeappearstobeasanitisingof managed. Althoughbasedontheadversarialjurysystemin The ‘communityengagement’isshort-termandstage- processes maywellbemore attractivetothoseinpower. lated onthebasisoffindingsfrom citizens’jury-type For furtherdiscussionsondeliberativedemocracy, see Over theyears,successivewavesof‘engagement’have In contrast,thenotionof‘evidence-based’policyformu- (forthcoming) 17 While itmaybe

THEME SECTION 4 97 to channel themselves;

youth began to organise them- evolved as a learning organisation that speaking for Adivasis, in the belief that they lack

Girijana Deepika 16 and A people’s organisation – the challenges organisation A people’s of Adivasi In 1990, a group to the monopoly of outsiders representing selves in response their issues and concerns. had only been Until then, there non-Adivasis easy targets for exploitation because of knowledge and are their innocence and ignorance. These young people realised of by the politics created that the unequal power structure by outsiders could only be avoided through representation They over the decision-making process. control regaining initiated an organisation called Girijana Deepika with the land. their voices, identity and ancestral relationship This was a turning point in asserting their right to be heard and to plan strategies of resistance. and gender representation, its structure, constantly reviewed their collective rights to their land, resources and ways of their collective rights to their land, resources have found the I living. As a co-traveller on this journey, levels: inspiring at three process the organisation being developed by Adivasis • • the interventions that challenge the dominant frameworks; the emerging politics of resistance. • People’s – of the East Godavari District people’s organisation, which has organisation, which people’s communities have organised themselves Adivasi

The resources, culture and knowledge of indigenous culture The resources, It is in this rapidly changing context that I describe the Under the leadership of an indigenous Adivasi of Andhra Pradesh, India. Neo-liberal reforms begun in the of Andhra Pradesh, India. Neo-liberal reforms in a wholesale attack on traditional 1990s have resulted government policies farming communities in India. Various over passage to take control have given corporations free food and farming systems, while indigenous people are ‘involved’ and ‘consulted’ as part of a development merely plan. being transformed into tradable commodi- communities are their of this knowledge from ties, displacing the creators long-standing systems places and identities, and destroying of under constant threat of survival. Indigenous people are their ancestral homelands. being evicted and displaced from experiences of an adivasi I would like to share the experiences of an organisation of I would like to share indigenous peoples – Adivasis Introduction to the survival of the indigenous this threat been resisting community. by MADHUSUDHAN to take back control and autonomy over their food produc- to take back control tion and farming. Formation, local people have initiated a process of reclaiming Formation, local people have initiated a process Andhra Pradesh, India Andhra Pradesh, a people’s organisation in organisation a people’s : challenges for : challenges Deepika Girijana 16

98 THEME SECTION 4 Madhusudhan • To revive and informalcommunity systemsofgovernance wildlife andsystemsofgovernance. spirituality andtherelationship betweenland,water, forests, embodies theelementsofknowledge,language,culture, and the control ofthisspacefor theirsurvival.Thisstruggle of Adivasis.TheAdivasis’strugglehasbeenprimarilyaround which integratesthephysical,biologicalandspiritualspaces ideological position,centred onthelandasanecosystem, through aperiodofeconomic reforms isbasedonitsstrong change. culture andsobuildsolidaritybetweenthepeopleforsocial freedom, language,knowledge,wayoflife,ecosystemsand women. Itsmajorstrategieswere toregain control overtheir of amembership-basedorganisationundertheleadership strengths andweaknessesworkedtowards thecreation changing globalscenario.Thegroup consolidatedits relations, revisiting andalteringitsobjectivesaccording tothe institutions were dividingthecommunity, setting one ment developmentprogrammes withineachvillage.These created bythemanyinstitutionssetupvariousgovern- strategy wasdesignedtocombat thedivisiveprocesses organise peoplethrough thesetraditionalforums.This Girijana Deepika The strength andresilience ofthisgroup asithasevolved adopted twostrategies: Deepika. Girijana activists of Some ofthe committees for managingschoolsandself-help groups watershed committeesforland development,educational for forests, wateruserscommitteesforresources, upon India.Examplesinclude forest protection committees (World Bankandsoon)thathadforced economicreforms programme fundedthrough thesamebi-lateralinstitutions through adistinct‘development programme’, witheach was tobemanagedbyaseparateinstitution,established Eachresourcedismantled thesystemsoflocalgovernance. opment projects thatpurported toalleviatepovertyinfact programmesdevel- government inthevillage.Government been takenoverbymultipleinstitutionssetupvarious evident thatthespacefororganisingcommunityhad tutions thathadresulted from statepolicies.Itbecame community andmappedoutthechangesintraditionalinsti- Girijana Deepika governance Exposing thedismantlingofsystemslocal • To takebackcontrol overtheecosystemandresources, corporatisation oftheresources. thereby enrichingpeople’s livelihoods,andchallengingthe against men,villagevillage,tribetribe. against theother–eldersversusyoungsters,women began torediscover theoral historiesofthe 99

16 THEME SECTION 4 activists initially revived the Gotti revived Girijana Deepika The local communicative practices, histories, songs, : challenges for a people’s organisation in Andhra Pradesh, India Pradesh, Andhra in organisation a people’s for challenges : programmes and institutions was determined by their and institutions programmes power. private capital, and purchasing resource-base, Community members who did not own anything were participating in decision-making processes. excluded from The impact of this type of market- and consumer-driven development and participation translated into the denial of fundamental rights, and economic and political exclusion of Adivasis. resourceless Revival of the informal gathering, Gotti Revival of the informal gathering, to this crisis, As a response as a local informal forum. Community members meet as celebrate, create equals to discuss, analyse, debate, share, for re- their resources and collectively work on reclaiming building their livelihoods. At the same time, forum partici- of de-constructing the pants actively engaged in the process they were so-called ‘participatory development programmes’ with. Girijana Deepika being bombarded these traditional community systems focused on recovering their to organise the people, to mobilise them to rediscover cause and language, and analyse the root knowledge, culture their land and livelihoods. of their displacement from sayings, dance forms, knowledge sharing, and people’s , meaning , ‘new beginning’, the ‘new beginning’, common platform for the Gotti. women from A meeting of the Tholakari Girijana Deepika Girijana community Adivasi Those institutions were lauded for enabling ‘people’s Those institutions were a new powerful class This model of development fostered the homogeneity of the As a result, ostensibly to empower women. that these reveals participation’. Critical analysis, however, actually dispossessing people and policies were programmes paving the way their land and other natural resources, from essential serv- in providing role for withdrawal of the state’s ices to the citizens of India, and privatising services and participation’. These devel- in the name of ‘people’s resources opments violated the constitutional rights of indigenous communities under the Indian Constitution and the commitment of the Indian State to meet the public needs of its citi- using the politics of participation’ zens. It was ‘people’s violence and exclusion. as a few Adivasis became primary within the community, up institutions such as women’s stakeholders in propping committees, whose protection and forest self-help groups trading in services primary goal was to ‘earn through profits’ medicinal plants, carbon and commodities, e.g. biodiversity, trading or eco-tourism. was rapidly replaced with stratified power structures within with stratified power structures was rapidly replaced a new dimension into the Adivasi commu- it. This introduced ‘Participation’ of community members in development nity. 16

100 THEME SECTION 4 Madhusudhan almost adecade. actions, initiatedbyGirijanaDeepika tions happenedalsoasaresult ofthecontinualreflection on and politicsoftheGotti.Thistransformationpowerrela- becoming involvedinplanningandmanagingtheactions action, pushingformembershipinsuchforums,andfinally actively involvedinshapingtheGottis,decidingcollective developmentprogrammes.ent ‘modern’ Women became tions, whichhadbeencreated andintensifiedthrough differ- male-dominated roles intheGottis.Theyhelpedtodemocratisemostly corporation-backed formsof‘women’s empowerment’. a deepsenseofdissatisfactionwiththestate-initiatedand credit andcreating markets; groups were infactdesignedasinstitutionsfordisbursing systems. However, manywomensoonrealised thatself-help global capital,corporatetradeandmarket-drivenproduction regarded primarilyasanagencytofacilitatetheentry of poverty-alleviation programmes, where self-helpgroups are nity. Atthesametime,womenwere targetedbytheongoing genetic resources andasorganisersoffamilycommu- of theirhistoricalrole asguardians ofanimalandplant engaged muchmore forcefully andcritically, perhapsbecause community inthispoliticalprocess varied.Atfirst,women and itsrelation tolandandlivelihoodpractices. action. There hasbeenaconstantfocusonAdivasiidentity theatre were usedasthepedagogyfordialogue,analysisand with land. lenging theforces thatare dismantlingtheirrelationship which meansanewbeginning. Women todayare chal- common platformforwomen from Gottis collectivism. Thishastakenshape todayintheformofa late anewvisionofcommunity life,basedonapoliticsof community atlarge.Adivasi reconstruct theorganising capacityofthefamilyand members from thecommunity initiatevariousactivitiesto exercise governanceatvillagelevel.” and finallytostrengthen thecapacityto the identityandrelationship withland strengthen thecommunity, tobuildon “Their strategy ofresistance wasto Today, Women begantopro-actively takeonstrong leadership The participationofdifferent membersoftheAdivasi Gottis Gottis are membership-basedforums. Women and toresolve unequalgenderrela- Adivasi women havebeguntoarticu- women begantoexpress , andsustainedover called Tholakari , knowledge towards rebuilding andrestoring ahealthyenvi- this knowledgetogether, topracticetheirownideasand community. Women in rituals andgatekeepersofsocial organisationwithinthe goat andpoultrybreeders, authorsofsongs,performers of from generationtogeneration:theyare seedkeepers,cattle, that womanare knowledge creators andtransmitknowledge healing. kinds ofknowledge,forinstancethetraditionsanimal nity. Women were prevented from havingaccesstocertain encouraged thestagnationofknowledgewithincommu- in adiversemanner. Commodification of theknowledgehad Various groups withinthecommunitypracticeandinnovate Knowledge existsasanetworkwithinthecommunity. knowledge systemsbrought withitsomekeyobservations. in thenameof‘agriculturaldevelopment’. lands andthedestructionofbiodiversity, whichhadoccurred ing blocktochallengeandreverse thedestructionoftheir way oflife.Thisknowledgealsobecameanessentialbuild- knowledge wasdynamicandanimportantsource fortheir about theirownknowledgesystemsandre-affirmed that this of displacement. imposed production systemswhichwere increasing thepace tices andthepoliticaleconomicimplicationsofnewly reviewed ofsuchprac- andanalysedthechangingpatterns tence foodfarmingpractices,ritualsandcelebrations.They histories, danceforms,healingpractices,biodiversity, subsis- wealth ofknowledgerangingfrom songs,sayings,stories, knowledge andwiththehelpofGottis activists wastopositionthemselvesinthecentre of passed onfrom onegeneration.Thestrategyadoptedbythe living things.Knowledgecontinuestobesustainedand as welltheproduction systemsthatencompassedallother viewed asabodyoffamily, communityandkinshipsystems, ‘knowledge’ thathelpedthemtosurvive,withknowledge made amajorattempttorediscover theguidingforce of the tice andalsotodeepentheirrelationship withtheland.They level. Theyenhancedtheircapacitytospeakoutagainstinjus- strengthen thecapacitytoexerciseatvillage governance build ontheidentityandrelationship withlandandfinallyto strategy ofresistance wastostrengthen thecommunity, to entrust totheirchildren, andtheytofuture generations.Their theywill entrusted tothembytheirancestors,whichinturn Tholakari Girijana Deepika’s initialinterventionsare sustainedbythe Knowledge asakey elementofresistance Their experienceswithdocumentingandsustainingtheir These twoapproaches sharpenedtheirconceptualclarity Girijana Deepik – peoplesustainingandnurturingtheirresources, a madeconsciouseffort to reaffirm Gottis played akeyrole inbringing to documentthe Adivasi 16 THEME SECTION 4 101 Over a decade, sixty local varieties of food crops, including Over a decade, sixty local varieties of food crops, : challenges for a people’s organisation in Andhra Pradesh, India Pradesh, Andhra in organisation a people’s for challenges : credits and inputs were given only for cultivation of commer- and inputs were credits to subsistence economy This transformation, from cial crops. in the dismantling resulted a capitalist mode of production, of community systems of conservation, labour and knowl- impacts on soil due to the heavy use of edge-sharing. Severe indebted farmers to chemical fertilisers and pesticides forced loans to repay in an effort crops commercial continue to grow traders. from vegetables, pulses and oil seeds, became almost cereals, cattle, as the biodiversity of crops, extinct in the region, goats, and medicinal plants came under attack. poultry, and livestock the custodians of food crops who were Women and poultry lost their decision-making powers at home as well as in the public space. The festivals and cultural practices by dominant replaced were and forests to agriculture related entertainment such as the cinema commercial ‘mainstream’ Villagers had become passive spectators, in complete and TV. Gotti members undertaking a mapping part of a as process meeting. regular Girijana Deepika Girijana made another important intervention – to localise and reorganise the people’s capacities to enhance their relation- the people’s reorganise ship with the earth, biodiversity and food farming systems, as an alternative to market-driven, corporate-controlled, policies. This particular strategy cropping commercial depend- growing emerged in the context of the community’s such as tobacco, cotton, and crops ency on commercial debt and rapid depletion causing severe tapioca, which were patterns Changes in cropping were of natural resources. of the 1990s, when aggravated during economic reforms Gottis Regaining control over relationships with the Earth over relationships Regaining control ronment, and to use this knowledge to further the indige- ronment, women, as custo- nous communities’ goal of self rule. Today from fighting against the threats Gottis, are dians through not just documenting dominant policy frameworks. They are for sustain- the responsibilities the knowledge but revitalising with nature. able relationships 16

102 THEME SECTION 4 Madhusudhan seeds are preserved andsustainedbywomen forcurrent and pulses, oil-seeds,vegetables, greens, spicesandfruits. The of more than60varietiesofdiverseseeds–millets,cereals, community seedbankshavebecome aninvaluableresource season, whenfarmerscanonce againborrow seeds.The village women’s Gotti returned theirshare or to interested farmers.After theharvest,thosefarmers specifically tomultiplytheseeds.Thesewere thendistributed of seedsfrom farmersand alsocultivatedselectfoodcrops community seedbanks,GirijanaDeepika repaid withtwicetheamount ofseedsafterharvest.Forthe as simple andbasedonatraditionalsystemofsharingknown and preserving seedsforthe nextyear’s crop. Theideais revealed howwomenused tobethekeyactorsinselecting establishing andmanagingcommunityseedbanks.Research for foodcrops –wasaddressed bywomentakingthe leadin corporate contractfarming. stock andtheirfarmingpractices,through commercial and systematically alienatedfrom theirland,seeds,live- of households,whohavebeen–andcontinuetobe painstakingly re-building theresource- andknowledge-base then isthesurplussoldtolocalmarkets.Thishasmeant grown tomeetthefoodneedsoffamily/household.Only conscientiously beingfarmedforfood,firstandforemost making thisvisionareality through theirpractice.Land is women’s is thepoliticalstatementof ‘What weeatdeterminesourrelationship totheland.’This Autonomy overfood, seedsandotherresources are keytosustainthecommunities’relationship with land. however, wascelebratingtheculture andknowledgewhich culture andthewell-beingoffamily. Justasimportant, production systems,whichare integraltothesurvivalof agri- farming systems,strengthening thelivestockandpoultry multiple approaches. Onetargetwastherevival offood production systems.Itintervenedinthecrisissituationusing reclaim theirwealthofknowledge,culture andlivelihood not besustainedunlesspeopleregained thestrength to Traditional knowledge-holderssuchashealerswere sidelined. India’s dominantreligions, marginalisingAdivasi markets furtherawayintroduced thedifferent cultures of festivities andcelebrations.Theopening-upoftradewithnew contrast totheenergetic,creative participationoftraditional naamu. Ifafarmerlendsseedstoanotherfarmer, heis The acutescarcity ofthemostcriticalinput–localseeds Girijana Deepika Gottis at villageleveliscollectivelyengagedin had realised thatcontrol overlandcould then stores theseedsuntilnext naamu to thevillageseedbank.The Tholakari. Thenetworkof obtained avariety spirituality. produced products tomeetthesegrowing nationalandinter- eagerly waitingtotakecontrol oforganically/ecologically simultaneously challengedby the factthatcorporationsare their surplusthere. are attemptingtoreach outtothelocalmarkets,byselling they share theproduce equally. Finally, women’s collectives ent resources suchaslabour, land,animalsandseeds, farm collectively. Membersofthecollective contributediffer- is beingre-introduced where peoplesupporteachotherto lies whofaceshortagesoflabour. Collective laboursharing overcome thechallengesfaced bysinglewomenandfami- attempt toprivatiseanddismantleallpublicservices. ers andprovides theseservices, andsoresists thestate’s community putspressure onthestatetoensure thatitdeliv- tions toensure thattheir animalsremain healthy. The technologies’suchaspreventiveaccessed ‘modern vaccina- management toprotect theiranimals,andalsoactively their indigenousknowledgeandpracticesofhealing productive lifeoftheoriginalanimal. returns halftheoffspring onlyonce,ratherthanfortheentire Gottis half theoffspring totheGotti.Thissystemadoptedby and goatsare giventoassetlesswomen,whothenreturn benefits too.Similarly, liketraditional bought locally, localfarmersandtheagrarianeconomy manure forecologicalfarming.Andbecausetheanimalsare continuous source ofreplacement stock.Theanimalsprovide that theywouldotherwiseleavefallow. Thecowensures a ends upowningtheanimals,enablingthemtocultivateland There are multipleadvantagestothissystem.Thefarmer amount theywouldpaytohire thebullocksas Farmers repay theGotti farmers topurchase apairoflocalbullocksandcow. annual feecalledyedduputti. farmers hire bullocksforaseasonfrom anotherfarmer atan successfully innovatedwithatraditionalpracticewhere cattle, goatandpoultryresources. Forcattle,womenhave asset-building mechanismstohelpwomenrebuild their production. the secondstrategyforrebuilding theautonomyoffood ing andprotecting existinganimalgeneticresources hasbeen farming strategies.Livestockplaysanessentialrole. Rebuild- tional knowledgeandpracticesaswellnewerecological future generations.Thesecrops are thenfarmedusingtradi- While thecommunityistaking backcontrol, theyare ‘Collective farming’traditionsare beingresurrected to The communityhasactivelyreclaimed andre-integrated Once again,womenGottis differs from thetraditionalvaata annually atarateequivalenttothe have drawnupontraditional The vaata Gotti system. Therecipient practices, poultry loans moneyto yeddu putti. 16 THEME SECTION 4 103 : challenges for a people’s organisation in Andhra Pradesh, India Pradesh, Andhra in organisation a people’s for challenges : the community aware of the way dominant institutes of the of the way dominant institutes the community aware their with corporations, exercised state, in collaboration knowledge systems. The of people’s power to take control autonomy knowledge to reclaim application of traditional was a major sovereignty and food over food production the from Women by the community. made breakthrough of their rights Tholakari have been struggling for recognition now involved in effec- They are and its resources. to forests legislation enacted by the tive implementation of the recent Act, 2006, that Government Rights of India, the Forest community rights of indige- the individual and recognises as well as their right resources, nous communities to forest and conserve forests. to protect Girijana Deepika Girijana is committed to NOTES a Madhusudhan is an activist with Yakshi, network of Adivasis and others grassroots working with Girijana Deepika (GD) in the Eastern of Andhra Pradesh, India. Ghats region GD also works with Anthra (www.anthra.org) of livestock and the role on strengthening poultry in Adivasi food and farming systems. The work on indigenous knowledge systems by Anthra and GD made a significant described here. contribution in the process Gotti CONTACT DETAILS CONTACT Madhusudhan Email: [email protected] Dominant models of development tried to integrate the Dominant models of development tried of unequal knowledge of the people but within a framework mobilised the community Girijana Deepika power relations. of their knowledge and made the commodification to resist continuing the fight against future challenges in the shape of continuing the fight against future deals, which mines, quarries and private-public partnership land. poised to further exploit the are Conclusion national niche markets. The indigenous groups are conscious are The indigenous groups national niche markets. same set of exploitative terms and that they will face the under into trade in organic products conditions if they enter The contract farming arrangements. Theme article abstracts and online resources

104 THEME SECTION 105 jury have gener- were based, and attempts were The recommendations of the Prajateerpu The recommendations www.ddsindia.com www.ddsindia.com www.ddsindia.org.in/www/videos/prajateerpu.wmv www.andhrapradesh.com national Institute for Environment and Development: national Institute for Environment www.prajateerpu.org one of the part- Pradesh Coalition in Defence of Diversity, ners in Prajateerpu: Pradesh: landless, rural women, indige- medium-sized producers, nous people, rural youth and agricultural workers, defend- of its members. ing the values and the basic interests the movement: outputs used by Prajateerpu’s www.viacampesina.org Abstract In January2006, 45 Malian farmers gathered in Sikasso to deliberate the role of genetically modified (GM) cotton in the agriculture. The Farmers’ Jury – known future of the country’s as l’ECID (Espace Citoyen d’Interpellation Democratique, the Space for Democratic Deliberation) – set out to give Citizen’s farmers, previously marginalised from policy-making processes, the opportunity to share knowledge and make a Online resources hosted by the Inter- about the process, General resources • convenors of the Andhra Deccan Development Society – • DDS film about Prajateerpu: • the GovernmentVision 2020 document from of Andhra • An international movement of peasants, small- and • an attempt to Jury: Farmers’ Mali’s 3. policy-making on democratise biotechnology called instead for local self-sufficiency and endogenous devel- called instead for local food. opment in farming and in India and beyond, most recently ated widespread interest Agricultural Science from the International Assessment of for Development. Meanwhile, Britain’s and Technology made official Department for International Development where two of the complaints to the UK research institutes facilitators of Prajateerpu researchers, and made to suppress the results, censure the conclude with some We methodology. discredit the process’s lessons learnt about participatory under- processes being to groups who have taken on controversial topics of concern not traditionally had a voice in decisions. PLA or indige- based on the Dalit PLA (Telegu meaning ‘people’s verdict’), the meaning ‘people’s (Telegu Prajateerpu The jurors concluded that genetically modified crops All our contributors have written about their practice in All our contributors have written about which has both been a funder of this special issue of which has both been a funder of this special who has written extensively on the concept of empowered participation: and is attempting to learn from the experiences contained and is attempting to learn the experiences from within it: www.archonfung.net www.archonfung.net http://beacon.ncl.ac.uk Abstract In 2001 a group of smallholder farmers met in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to take part in a modified citizens’ jury. Known as Prajateerpu 2. The people’s vision – UK and Indian The people’s 2. on reflections participation process explored three broad scenarios for the future of farming in the region. It included an assessment of the potential of genetically modified (GM) crops. A four-day hearing process allowed a jury of 19 – mostly nous farmers – to cross-question 13 witnesses, which included representatives of biotechnology companies, state government officials and development experts. would have little foreseeable impact on reducing malnutrition. They expressed concerns about the impact on smallholders of a reliance on artificial fertilisers and pesticides. They • The Newcastle-Durham Beacon for Public Engagement, The Newcastle-Durham • Online resources • Resources related to Archon Fung, the Harvard academic Fung, the Harvard to Archon related Resources • Abstract practitioners and Last year we asked a range of participation analysts to contribute to this issue of 1. Towards empowered participation: empowered Towards 1. stories and reflections following logic: if participation continues to be ignored, following logic: if participation continues only fail to live up to suppressed or domesticated, we will not sacrificing some of the promise of participation, but will risk the democratic gains made by our predecessors. to empowered the belief that only by looking at the barriers approach, participation, with an honest and self-evaluative that stand a will practitioners be able to formulate strategies scale necessarychance of making an impact on the to address our various global crises. 106 THEME SECTION Theme articleabstractsandonlineresources no resemblance topeople’s realities.The Nanojury everyday ment isatriskofbecominglittle morethanatoolthatbears highlighted intheNanojury. Asaresult,upstream engage- decontextualised frompeople’s lifeexperiencesas everyday upstream publicengagement onnanotechnologywas ing technologiesprovedproblematic. Itbecameclearthat, new technologybecomingcommerciallyavailable. engagement ‘upstream’–inadvanceofapplicationsthe the proposersofthissecondtopicwastoconductpublic by thejury’s fundersandorganisers.Theexplicitintentionof sion, whiletheothertopic,nanotechnologies,wasframed participants, whochosetofocusonyoungpeopleandexclu- that itwascomprisedoftwotopics.Oneframedbythe approach toparticipation.Itsmostsignificantdifferencewas wasare-workingofthecitizens’jury The UKNanojury Abstract engagement 4. The UKNanojuryas ‘upstream’ public • Full documentationonL’ECID: • The region ofMaliwhere thecitizens’jurytookplace: Online resources on theprivilegingoftheirexpertknowledge. were reluctanttoengageindialogueandcontinuedinsist gained throughexperience.However, thepro-GMscientists people cancontributeimportantperspectivesandexpertise in decision-making,andanacknowledgementthateveryday L’ECID standsas apowerfulexampleofpublicparticipation ofpoliticalactivismamongfarmers. and arecenthistory tance ofSikasso,theregionfromwhichjurorsweredrawn, spread support.Alsoimportantwastheeconomicimpor- hadgainedwide- which ensuredthatattheoutsetjury can betracedinparttoarigorousmethodologicalprocess delayed asadirectresultofl’ECID.Itsconsiderableinfluence – notleastthattheintroductionofGMcropshasbeen hadarealimpact tors andfarmerjurorsfeltthatthejury after l’ECIDtookplace.Keydecisionmakers,processfacilita- traditional agriculturalpracticeandsupportlocalfarmers’. ‘proposed apackageofrecommendationstostrengthen farmers agreedunanimouslytorejectGMcropsandinstead series ofrecommendations.Attheendjury, the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikasso_Region www.iied.org/NR/agbioliv/ag_liv_projects/verdict.html Yet thisideaof‘early’publicengagementwithdevelop- This paperexaminesthejury’s impactsomefivemonths • Living Knowledge: the international scienceshopnetwork: Living Knowledge:theinternational • • • Full detailsoftheNanojuryprocess includingcommentary Online resources together with local residentsandgrassroots community jury, bringingtogetherprofessionalsworking inkeyagencies working throughamulti-agency steeringgroupinitiatedthis and well-beingofpeopleliving inthearea.Localactivists area, thistimeconsideringwhat wouldimprovethehealth local governanceprocesses. intheexerciseofpower,activist intervention butoutsideof to –fromtheoutsetprocesshadbeensetupbyusasan key agencies,theytooknoactionbecausedidnothave in policyorpractice.Despitehavingprioragreementfromall jury’s report ledtonotangibleoutcomesintermsofchanges community andfortheprofessionalswhoparticipated, users. Althoughtheprocessitselfhadgreatvaluefor provisionandsupportoptionsfor transport, parenting,service of topicssuchashousing,communitysafety, prevention, hoods andmadeover80recommendationsonabroadrange the problemofdrug-relatedburglariesintheirneighbour- metonceaweekfor3monthstodiscuss opment. Thejury concern, chairedtheprocessandhadinputintodevel- the localcommunity. Localresidentschosethetopicofmost part-funded byacommunityorganisationforthebenefitof tobecommissionedand Onewasthefirstcitizens’jury Jury citizens’ juriesthattookplaceinanortherntownEngland. The authorsdescribetheexperienceoftwocommunity-based Abstract deliberation tointervention 5. Citizens’ juriesinBurnley, UK: from gies betterrootedinpeople’s needs. contexts, andsofosterthedevelopmentofnewtechnolo- technology shouldstartfrompeople’s ownexperiencesand needs tobereconsidered.Publicengagementfocusingon demonstrated thattheconceptofupstreamengagement Group): (formerly theIntermediateTechnology Development Democratising Technology: ipants commentary: from itsfundersandfacilitatorsafilmfeaturingpartic- www.scienceshops.org www.itdg.org/?id=publicgood_paper www.nanojury.org.uk Two years later, washeldinthe asecondcitizens’jury a report byPracticalAction THEME SECTION 107 Theme article abstracts and online resources and online abstracts article Theme www.ncl.ac.uk/peals www.communityxchange.org.uk www.sciencewise.org.uk/html/about.php www.citizenspanel.eu www.ruralcommunitynetwork.org www.youngcumbria.org.uk www.communityinvolvement.org.uk to public engagement: to to allow the project supplementary funds provided by public engage- not normally considered involve groups ment programmes: contributions to the European Citizens’ Panel: contributions to the European which the Irish citizens’ panel grew: the English citizens’ panel: sation that partnered English citizens’ panel: • Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences Research Centre (PEALS): Centre Ethics and Life Sciences Research Policy, • • approach page about the community x-change A wikipedia which Sciencewise programme, UK government’s The • Abstract England and Ireland Citizens’ panels were set up in regions of when these to discuss the ‘future of rural areas’. However, in Brussels, made panels sent representatives to a larger panel participants felt up of 86 citizens from 10 regions of Europe, ignored by Euro- that their recommendations were largely makers simply pean bureaucrats. For the most part policy to engage defended their policies, missing the opportunity to the methodol- in a new type of dialogue. Improvements ogy of the European panel are possible. But an alternative approach challenges the idea that a random sample of citizens can be ‘representative’ of wider communities, and would instead select citizens who are able to take action and push for implementation of recommendations, through linkage to a relevant social movement. Online resources regions Brussels-hosted website describing the different • • Rural Community Network – one of the organisations from and community-based organi- Cumbria – a youth Young • Community Involvement – the lead facilitators of the • 7. Hearing the real voices: exploring the voices: Hearing the real 7. Citizens’ experiences of the European Panel www.ippr.org.uk www.ippr.org.uk www.burnley.gov.uk/site/index.php www.the-ba.net BA), organisers of the annual Festival of Science: zens’ jury technique from the US in the mid-1990s led to the zens’ jury technique from over the following rapid uptake in the UK and elsewhere decade: • British Association for the Advancement of Science (the British Association for the Advancement • Online resources In a new initiative in public participation, scientists participated in an engagement process, without being called upon to provide expert opinions. The community x-change project aims to strengthen links between the public, scientists and decision makers. Using a ‘social inclusion strategy’, a diverse group of participants met in Norwich, UK, in 2006, to discuss and explore solutions to climate change. Through extensive deliberations, the group concluded that climate change could only be tackled if technical solutions were integrated with For solutions to social challenges facing the community. example, feelings of powerlessness and a lack of collective meeting places especially for women and young people, required urgent action. In this community co-inquiry model, experiences and perspectives become valuable tools people’s in shaping solutions. Abstract 6. Community x-change: connecting citi- connecting Community x-change: 6. makers zens and scientists to policy Online resources • Burnley Council: • whose import of the citi- Institute for Public Policy Research, workers to develop and steer the process. Jurors met over workers to develop more than 100 recommendations on a one week and made relating to health and well-being. diverse range of topics in this instance Contrary first Jury, to experience with the upon, in particu- many of the recommendations were acted healthcare centre in lar through the opening of an innovative work as its core the area with outreach and community values. The success of this jury but rested on many factors, it may have been because there was a most importantly, to local people and match between the issue of importance inequalities. As government targets for a reduction in health an insider project, this jury gover- was networked into local nance processes. 108 THEME SECTION Theme articleabstractsandonlineresources • Blackburn withDarwenCouncil: • Blackburn andDarwendo-it-yourselfcitizens’juryreport:• Blackburn northern Englishtown 8a Ignoringandsuppressinggrassrootsparticipationina juries andsimilarparticipatoryprocesses 8. Shorts: fourbriefanalysesofcitizens’ • –collaboratorswithseveralofthe Swingbridge Video • The videoofShort8disavailableat: participate, doesthatmeanwe gainauthorityandpower? 8d Ifwehavetime, motivation andresourcesto • Article from theEcologist • The ChimeCommunicationsGroup –thispageshows • The People’s ReportonGM Crops isavailableat: Agency’s citizens’jury 8c Geneticallymodifiedmeetings: theFood Standards Market Research• Society:UKprofessional bodyformarket • Greenpeace environmental UK:partoftheinternational • Involve: aUKthink-tankonparticipation: power dialogue 8b The artoffacipulation? The UKgovernment’s nuclear authors inthisissueandwithRight 2BHeard onthisvideo: working againsttheinterests ofpublichealth: the globalfast-foodindustry, which it claimsare are ist magazine)desribingtheUKgovernment’s close tiesto Fuels: fast-food chainMacDonalds,MonsantoandBritishNuclear multinational company, whoseclientsincludetheglobal Opinion Leaderasbeingownedbythiscommmunications researchers: group: www.blackburn.gov.uk www.ncl.ac.uk/peals/assets/publications/rowntreejuryfinal.pdf www.swingbridgevideo.co.uk www.youtube.com/watch?v=eurmFan_a-A detail.asp?content_id=256 www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_ www.chime.plc.uk/our-companies peoples_report_on_gm.pdf www.ncl.ac.uk/peals/assets/publications/ www.marketresearch.org.uk www.greenpeace.org.uk www.involve.org.uk (a campaigningenvironmental- of anemergingcampaigncalledPopularSovereignty. ability ofsuchinitiativesarenowtakingplaceunderthebanner Party in2004,discussionsaboutfinancialandpoliticalsustain- sharing systemfollowingthelossofpowerbyWorkers thewateringdownofthisradicalpower-the world.With followed byawaveofattemptstosetupsimilarschemesacross budgetinginthelate1980s. Itsinitialsuccesshasbeen ipatory The BraziliancityofPortoAlegrepioneeredtheideapartic- Abstract Alegre, Brazil budgeting andpeoplepowerinPorto 9. The wateringdownofparticipatory inspire largeturnouts atpublicmeetings,when peopleunder- budgetingdid pilot inthenorthofEngland, participatory as a‘technicalfix’divorcedfrom itsoriginalcontext.Inone pation wastransplantedtothe UK,whereitrisksbeingseen which exploreswhathappened whenthatmodelofpartici- BudgetingintheUK’, innovation ortechnicalfix?Participatory This articleisashortenedversionofpaperentitled‘Radical context, ledbyagrassrootsimpetusforgreaterparticipation. eting grewoutofaparticularsocial,politicalandideological budg- regeneration budgetsince1989.InBrazil,participatory Porto Alegre,Brazil,havebeeninvolvedinspendingthecity’s popular mobilisationinLatinAmerica,wherethepeopleof real decisions,derivedfromnearly20years’experienceof budgetingisawayofinvolvingcommunitiesin Participatory Abstract challenge tothesystem? 10. Participatory budgetingintheUK: a The Transnational • network Institute(TNI)isaninternational Website hostingthe PopularSovereignty Network,which • Online resources mental institutions: effectiveness totheparticipationoffers madebygovern- seeks tostrengthen popularpowerasastrategytogive www.tni.org www.ongcidade.org and environmentally sustainabledirection: tosteertheworldinademocratic,equitable concerned providing intellectualsupporttothosemovements global problems oftodayandtomorrow, withaviewto of activist-scholarscommittedtocriticalanalysesthe THEME SECTION 109 Theme article abstracts and online resources and online abstracts article Theme www.icw.org www.icw.org www.iied.org www.iied.org The Asian Development Bank: www.adb.org/Gender/checklists.asp for gender Kit – instruments SDC Gender Tool http://tinyurl.com/5mkowb mainstreaming: SIDA Analysing Gender: http://tinyurl.com/59qm7d governmental sustainable and body working for more equitable global development: see: with the global community the experiences, views and with the global community women worldwide, million incredible contributions of 19 also HIV-positive: who are Online resources non- institute and IIED – an international policy research • • Bridge: www.bridge.ids.ac.uk • ELDIS: www.eldis.org/gender/index.htm www.fao.org/Gender/gender.htm • FAO: • Siyanda: www.siyanda.org • UNRISD: www.unrisd.org Bank: http://tinyurl.com/6flmoq • World gender checklists For examples on sectoral/project-based • Online resources • internationalICW is the only network which strives to share local difference: Understanding 12. for NGOs gender (plus) matters Abstract from the The paper is based on a longer review of publications Development (IIED), International Institute for Environment and learning. The review London, which was produced for internal of recognised aimed to promote a more consistent analysis an NGO, particularly, local difference in the work IIED does as the authors illus- gender differences. In the paper, but not only, populations trate why and how it is important to disaggregate for analysis – – that is, to separate out different subgroups The authors use going beyond ‘the local’ and ‘the community’. provide a basic tool examples of selected IIED publications, and on the manage- for thinking about difference, with a focus development. ment of natural resources for sustainable A Guide to Participatory Budgeting, available at: about PB in the UK: www.internationalbudget.org/resources/library/GPB.pdf www.internationalbudget.org/resources/library/GPB.pdf www.participatorybudgeting.org.uk/index.htm www.participatorybudgeting.org In 1994, at the Paris AIDS summit, 42 nations declared their support for the principle of Greater Involvement of People Living with or Affected by HIV and AIDS – which came known as the acknowledged principle. Although these governments GIPA that this principle is critical to ethical and effective national responses to the pandemic, the views and voices of HIV-positive people still tend to be overlooked or ignored. This paper recounts the experiences of the International Community of the only international Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW), Women many national govern- women. Too network of HIV-positive ments, NGOs and civil society groups working on HIV continue to ignore, neglect or misrepresent the perspectives of HIV-posi- aim is ICW’s tive women, and to fail to recognise their diversity. women are meaningfully involved in to ensure that HIV-positive making decisions that impact on their lives, and are working to support and empower women as activists and parliamentarians, so that their views and voices will be heard. At the same time, it is equally vital that those who are in positions of power women, as equal partners, in learn to engage with HIV-positive ways that are inclusive and respectful. Abstract 11. The Greater Involvement of People Involvement The Greater 11. principle to from Living with HIV/AIDS: practice? Online resources • stood that their actions would make a tangible difference to stood that their actions pre-set national constraints, such as outcomes. However, conflicted with a commitment to government ‘targets’, and encouraged control of the process genuine participation, was focused on by official organisers. Local participation the targets, rather helping to find the best way of meeting be. This article (and than deciding what the priorities should what the poten- the paper from which it is drawn) considers tial of PB in the UK might be. • UK Participatory Budgeting Unit, resources and news resources UK Participatory Budgeting Unit, • forum on PB: and • International resources 110 THEME SECTION Theme articleabstractsandonlineresources this ledtocampaigns forblackstudiesandthe formationof failed toprotectblackresidents onanewhousingestate,and community mobilisationcame in theearly1970s,whenpolice Theauthor’sor afightforbetterservices. firstexperienceof ‘community participation’has long beenareactiontoracism community inBritain,concentrated intheToxteth area,where The cityofLiverpoolhasthelongestestablishedblack Abstract ence participation: theLiverpoolblackexperi- 14. The changingfaceofcommunity Bradford’s• Programme foraPeacefulCity–collaboration • CentreInternational forParticipationStudiesatBradford Online resources table anddemocraticlocalcommunities. so contributetothedevelopmentofmorecohesive,equi- knowledge-based societyforthemany, notjustthefew, and tower’, universitiescanhelptobuildingalearning-and communities aroundthem.Bylooking‘beyondtheivory and teachingfromtheknowledgeexperienceof nition thatacademicscanthemselvesbenefitintheirresearch ise availabletothecommunitiesofBradfordandrecog- both awillingnesstomakeacademicknowledgeandexpert- that university-communityengagementshouldencompass Externality, AccessandPartnership(REAP).Theauthorsargue measurement toolisbasedonfourprinciples:Reciprocity, community anduniversitycompetences.Thequalitative shared objectivesbasedonmutuallyrecognisedandvalued community engagementinvolvesbuildingpartnershipsand impact ofthiswork.Thetoolisbasedonanassumptionthat effectively workwithitscommunitiesandassesstheongoing measuring andevaluatinghowBradfordUniversitycould tion intheUK,authorshavedesignedanovelwayof To fostercommunityengagementintheiracademicinstitu- Abstract communities Bradford University attheheartofits 13. The ivorytowerandbeyond: with Bradford University: University: www.brad.ac.uk/acad/ssis/activities/ppc www.bradford.ac.uk/acad/icps • The StephenLawrence murder –themurder ofablack • Liverpool Museum’s accountofthecity’s partinthetrade • UK BlackHistoryMonth:celebratingandhighlighting Online resources ment-themed priorities. Despitegovernment rhetoricabout nity-identified prioritiestofunding-led, localandcentralgovern- the emphasisshiftedfromworking oncommunity-led,commu- funded regimes,aimedatencouraging inner-city regeneration, commitment tocollectiveaction. The criticalprincipleunderpinningalltheworkwasa which ledtothelaunchoffirstcreditunioninregion. local communityproject,inthecentreofahousingestate, the 1970ssheworkedasanunpaidvolunteerinanother change withinhierarchicalinstitutions.Towards theendof the potentialforcollectivelocalinputtoinfluencepositive working withstaffatapioneeringlocalhealthclinic.Shesaw and youngchildren,alongwithotherlocalresidents, in communityactivismtoimprovemedicalcareformothers In thenortheastofEngland,authorfirstbecameinvolved Abstract or ‘citizens’? 15. Communityparticipation: ‘activists’ direct ‘communityparticipation’inthecity. broken upanddispersed,governmentagenciesnow Grassroots actionwasslowlyerodedasthecommunity andthoseemployedto bringabout‘consultation’. servants tives, communityparticipationwasnowinthehandsofcivil agencies concentratedonregenerationandeconomicinitia- community participationwassettochange.Asgovernment in regardtopoliceandcommunityrelations–thefaceof frustrations experiencedbytheblackcommunity, particularly Toxteth riotsof1981,whichweretheculminationall the LiverpoolBlackOrganisationin1976.However, afterthe tutionalised racism in a range British government bodies. tutionalised racisminarangeBritishgovernment dling bythepoliceledtoaninquirythathighlightedinsti- teenager inLondon1993anditssubsequentmishan- of blackslaves: Caribbean andAfricanactivities: Public_inquiries_into_the_police_investigation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macpherson_Inquiry# www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ism/srd/liverpool.aspx www.liverpoolblackhistory.co.uk www.black-history-month.co.uk and With theadvent ofCityChallenge,andsubsequentstate- With THEME SECTION 111 Giri- using the Girijana Deepika – and to organise people through works: community – the indigenous people community – the indigenous Theme article abstracts and online resources and online abstracts article Theme adopted two strategies: the first was to ’s original approach: Girijana Deepika’s Gotti Gotti: . The group has worked towards the creation of . The group has worked (livelihood) network – facilitating the interaction of Girijana Deepika http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Godavari http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Godavari www.reflect-action.org/compower/pdfversion/cpaction/ R002.pdf www.anthra.org/Strengthening%20Community% 20Livelihoods/adivasi2.htm http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jivika where Girijana Deepika where participatory Jivika students, teach- field workers, activists, action-researchers, ers, scholars, managers and other practitioners concerned livelihoods with gender equity in natural-resource-based and anti-poverty initiatives in South Asia and beyond: Online resources of Eastern India to the mountainous area Introduction • • Short summary of • activities by Details of recent • of youth from the Adivasi District of Andhra Pradesh – began to of the East Godavari They initiated an organisation called organise themselves. jana Deepika the leadership of a membership-based organisation under their way of life, and women, to regain control over their land, the people. their culture, and to build solidarity among designed to combat these traditional forms. This strategy was institutions set up the divisive processes created by the many within each by government development programmes control of the land village. The second strategy was to regain community and farming resources – through, for instance, livelihoods and chal- seed banks – thereby enriching people’s lenging the corporatisation of the resources. revive informal community systems of government – such as revive informal community systems of government the local forum, the • : challenges for a : Girijana Deepika A new mode of ‘community engagement’ is now being A new mode of ‘community http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens’_jury http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens’_jury www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/ communitydevelopment by the DIY Jury Steering Group’: www.iied.org/NR/agbioliv/pla_notes/documents/ plan_04914.pdf nity development approach to addressing key issues in to addressing nity development approach society: Abstract Neo-liberal reforms set in motion in the 1990s have resulted in a wholesale attack on traditional farming communities in India. Supported by the government, corporations have begun to control food and farming systems, turning indigenous people into passive recipients of a development plan. In 1990 a group 16. 16. • Extracts from ‘Teach Yourself Citizens Juries: A handbook Yourself ‘Teach Extracts from • • A brief wiki guide to citizens’ juries: • • A UK Government extolling the virtues of a commu- • report Online resources partnership working, power and control remained with the partnership working, and the effect was to divide and local and central government, community participation. rule, limit and sanitise focus prede- promoted. Citizens’ juries usually have a singular or long-term termined by funders, lack sustainable structures Their long-term resources, and rarely inspire direct action. is uncertain. They offer a veneer of participation impact, if any, and in practice, that is little more than theatrical consultation, participation. may contain or even stifle genuine community people’s organisation in Andhra in organisation people’s India Pradesh, General section

112

GENERAL SECTION 113

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$1000. Domestic Product Gross 17 per capita Income distribution is extremely unequal and there is a big unequal and there Income distribution is extremely (mainly economic divide between people of European Spanish) extraction and indigenous people, most of whom speakers. Indigenous people mostly Quechua or Aymara are stemming for a living. Land reforms depend on agriculture placed much of the land in the the 1952 revolution from hands of indigenous farmers, giving many rural households agriculture of land to farm. However, two to four hectares contributes only 12.8% of national income. New technolo- and productive, gies could help make the land much more poverty. contribute to reducing Background Background Background to Bolivia countries in the Americas, with Bolivia is one of the poorest a heard how the technologies actually changed, some quite a how the technologies actually heard able to and we were even dropped, lot, and how some were found this to the innovations. We understand local reactions type of workshop to be a useful evaluation tool in showing adapted and adopted, which were how technologies were in this of the Innova project not adopted, and the role process. 1

The project adapted many participatory methods while The project The UK Department for International Development (DfID) supported research 1 with consortium members on these technologies and continued this support Innovation Systems for Potato-Based Technical (Strengthening INNOVA through in Bolivia) between 2002 and 2006. Agriculture From 2002 to 2006, the authors were part of a project in part of a project 2002 to 2006, the authors were From organisa- Bolivia implemented by a consortium of research tions called Innova. The goal of Innova was to test methods Innova took for linking supply and demand for technology. several technologies that consortium members had worked nearly ready felt were researchers and which on previously, to what It tested whether they corresponded to release. wanted, and fine tuned those technologies farmers really for extension to farmers. that passed this test, ready Introduction Introduction by JEFFERY W. BENTLEY and GRAHAM THIELE and GRAHAM BENTLEY W. by JEFFERY technologies in Bolivia writing the historywriting the of On the road to change: road to change: On the trying out promising technologies with farmers (see refer- trying out promising technical grassroots ences at the end of this article). Innova’s in the field since they are the key to this process people were most of the time and in close contact with farmers. This article focuses on an innovative type of workshop developed similar to a method developed independently by the project, J. (2005), in which grassroots by Douthwaite and Ashby, given the opportunity to map the history were agronomists to change). We (the road of the technologies introduced 17 114 GENERAL SECTION Jeffery W. BentleyandGraham Thiele following locations(seeFigure 1): nership programmePotatoCentre oftheInternational (CIP). project wasmanagedbyPapaAndina,theregional part- Table 1)whoworkedtogetherfrom 2002to2006.The Innova isaconsortiumofthree partnerorganisations(see About Innova map_of_bolivia.shtml Map courtesyof: www.appliedlanguage.com/maps_of_the_world/ Table 1: Innovapartnerorganisations Figure 1: MapofBoliviashowingproject sites Institution Foundation PROINPA ITSnaCu The Centrefor Tropical Agricultural Research, Santa CIAT/Santa Cruz UMSS Innova workedatthree pilotsites,oneeachinthe prefecture ofSantaCruzDepartment. development institutionaffiliatedwiththe Cruz, apublicagriculturalresearchand Cooperation (SDC). the Swiss Agency forDevelopmentand Technology) potatoprogramme, withsupportfrom (Bolivian Institutefor Agriculture andLivestock Andean crops, whichevolvedoutoftheIBTA a private, non-profit institutionforresearchon Promoción e Investigación de Productos Andinos Productos de Investigación e Promoción Brief description which includesanagriculturalcollege. The PublicUniversityofSanSimón, Cochabamba, Altiplano Low valleys High valleys , 2 www.en.wikipedia.org significantly reduce oreliminatetheuseofpesticides.Source: techniques, andpesticidesasalastresort. Itisanecologicalapproach thatcan resistant varieties,culturalpractices,biologicalcontrols, variousphysical array ofcomplementarymethods:natural predators andparasites, pest- Table 2: Examples ofthesupplytechnologyat proposed, 2001 Technology (IPM) Pest Management Potato Integrated nut sedge Herbicide forpurple Improved fallow nematodes Chicken manurefor implements Adoption of Phalaris grass Grains-plus-legumes New fodders Improved tillage cows Home remediesfor Integrated PestManagement(IPM)isapest control strategythatuses an 2 start ofInnova Live barriersofphalarisgrass( plots called ‘pasture gardens’. and grasses, plantedinsmalldemonstration Some 14varieties ofseveralspecieslegumes grass isgoodfodder. traps soilrunoff, slowlyformingaterrace. The conservation. The livebarriersformawall that tuberoarundinacea Brief description farmers) byapplyingchicken manuretothesoil. Bolivia whichcausesheavylossestosome Integrated managementofthenematode Nacobbus aberrans weed Trials oftheherbicideglyphosate tomanagethe from localplantstokillcattleparasites. Better nutritionforlivestock; remediesmade Promote adoptionofanimal-drawnimplements. and stabiliseyields. and water, controlpests, diseasesandweeds, grains (oats, barley)forfodder, toconservesoil Mixes oflegumes(vetch, purpleclover)with dates. trials wereneededtolearnthebestploughing Several ploughshadbeendesigned, andafew Rhizoctonia. moth inthefield; andfungicidesfor disease (aphids, whitefliesetc.); controloftuber and plantextractstokillinsectvectorsof valleys (SantaCruz), including: usinginsecticides IPM ofpotatopestsanddiseasesinthelow with grasses( manage weeds. field entersfallow, toproducefodderand planted afterharvestingoatsorbarley, asthe arundinaceae, Dactylisglomerata Mixtures ofpurpleclover( Cyperus rotundus Lolium perenne,Festuca ) plantedinrowsforsoil (a majorpestofpotatoin . Trifolium pratense Phalaris ).are These ) 17 GENERAL SECTION 115 et Grupo Evaluador or Technology Evaluator Group) or Technology ,. 2004 for more detail). et al,. 2004 for more Innova added a community feedback session, during was like a field day. Another method, the technology fair, These and other participatory methods gave Innova an Innova staff also helped farmers set up local agricultural Innova staff people corrected and confirmed the conclusions (Bentley people corrected which committee members gave their opinions about the of other community members. technologies in front their field trials to up to 200 people from Farmers presented of 30 each). But, neighbouring communities (in groups the technology fair included very short unlike a field day, impressions to gather people’s (two minute) questionnaires of the technologies they had seen. This was done every year. (See Bentley being adopted, but some- idea of which technologies were thing was missing. It was still not clear why certain tech- than others. Of course the staff nologies had changed more formal and quantitative, with but they were reports, wrote So, near the end the human side written out of the picture. al., 2004). committees or CIALs (Ashby et al., 2000) to test research back on them to their neigh- possible innovations and report called GETS ( bours. In Innova, these were de Tecnología On the road to change: writing the history of technologies in Bolivia technologies history of writing the road to change: On the Taking two-minute Taking at the questionnaires technology fair in the 2006. high valleys, sondeo are similar are (Hildebrand, Sondeos sondeos team reported the findings team reported sondeo The three sites were in different language areas: Aymara areas: language in different sites were The three started with ten main technologies The Innova project

1981) or rapid reconnaissance surveys, to see what tech- 1981) or rapid reconnaissance nologies farmers demanded and decide if these fitted with had been developing. what researchers Participatory methods used Participatory For the first two years, Innova used • the Altiplano at about 4000 metres above sea level; • the Altiplano at about 4000 metres and • the high Andean valleys at about 3000 metres; • the low valleys of Santa Cruz, at about 2000 metres. on the Altiplano; Quechua in the high valleys; and Spanish in the low valleys. The climate becomes warmer and more different: are so the crops humid as altitude decreases, on the Altiplano; • native tubers, quinoa and cereals in the high valleys; and • cereals beans and potatoes, broad in the low valleys. • temperate crops to be validated on-farm. 2), which were (see Table to PRAs but rely more on individual, semi-structured inter- on individual, semi-structured more to PRAs but rely views on farmsteads, and have fewer meetings and visual session to the methods. Innova added a results format during which the back to the community in an open meeting, and local Photo: Jeffery Bentley Jeffery Photo: 17 116 GENERAL SECTION Jeffery W. BentleyandGraham Thiele • A scribetotakenotes(arole• theauthorsundertook,with • Afacilitatortostimulatediscussionswhowasanagrono- • Three orfourgrassroots technicalpeoplewhoknewthe comfortable workingtogether. Eachgroup had: low valleys).Thepeopleallknewoneanother, andwere ing towhere staff were located(Altiplano,highvalleysor the historyofchanges.We divided intothree groups accord- started withafewexampleswehadwrittenearlier, showing Cambio). Thiswastoemphasisehowchangehappened.We We calledtheworkshop RoadstoChange( Writing ahistoricaltimeline: RoadstoChange rather thanwhatwassupposedtohavehappened. nologies, withanemphasisonwhatactuallyhappened shop withproject staff towritethehistoryofmain tech- of theproject, inMay2005,Innovaheldatwo-daywork- the work. take notes,alsohelpingthefacilitators askquestionsabout another colleague).Inpractice, thescribesdidmore than but slightlyremoved from day-to-dayfieldactivities. mist andaproject memberandsofamiliarwiththework, technologies andthefarmingcommunitieswell. Caminos al (opposite page), 17May2005. the multiplemountainplough below) designatimelinefor and RemyCrespo (lefttoright, Javier Aguilera, RubénBotello Jeffery Bentley editedtheresults andemailed adrafttoall the wholeproject staff, the three scribespooledtheir notes. was nothelpful?’ Nobody wasforced tosay, ‘Whatdo youmean,mymethod a bitaboutthemethodsand avoiddefensivereactions. change from thetechnology’s perspectivehelpedusforget associated withcertainproject staff. Lookingattechnical each ofourparticipatorymethods(CIALs,sondeos timeline (seeTable 3). • What werepointsontheroad thecriticalturning to • Howhasitchanged? • Whatwasitlikeatthestartofproject (in2002)? • Whatisthetechnologylikenow(in2005)? then talkedthemthrough inthefollowingformat: Innova eventsinfluencedthechange?) suggested thechange?Whatwere thebenefits?Which involved? Howdidyouknowchangewasneeded?Who change? (Whatchanged?When?Where? Whowas After presenting theresults attheendofmeetingto We organisedthestepsthis waybecausebythistime, The nextstepwastocreate atableoftheresults asa Each group pickedafewinteresting technologies,and etc.) was

Photo: Jeffery Bentley

17 GENERAL SECTION 117 Photo: Jeffery Bentley Jeffery Photo: 2004–2005 Ploughs promoted with the PITA: Proyectos de Innovación Tecnológica Aplicada (Applied Technological Innovation Projects) in Umala Sale of ploughs in a store in Patacamaya 2003–2004 Tests with GETs Tests Multiple mountain plough 2002–2003 INNOVA tests 6 INNOVA ploughs with GETs PROMETA works PROMETA Altiplano on the for the first time 2000 On the road to change: writing the history of technologies in Bolivia technologies history of writing the road to change: On the Municipality demands tillage technology Municipal government of Umala holds an inter- institutional workshop Nelson Vallejos, 2005, tells 2005, Vallejos, Nelson about his other farmers clover. plot of purple Multiple mountain plough 1997–2001 PROMETA in PROMETA Cochabamba Tools to be pulled Tools donkeys by horses, and oxen in November sondeo 1996 Implements for soil conservation PRA by (a PROMETA follow-on university project) in Cochabamba ) has been in Bolivia since the 1979–1996 CIFEMA (a university project) in Cochabamba Develops ploughs and other equipment Trifolium pratense Trifolium Box 1: From improved fallow to purple clover improved From 1: Box 1970s. DfID projects in the 1990s conducted on-farm trials of 1970s. for several ‘improved fallow’ (mixes of grasses and legumes) During the first years in the high valleys. Purple clover ( Innova kept studying ‘improved fallow’ and in the first studying kept Innova with three field, in a farmer’s technology fair presented a trial, But at the same technology fair, treatments of different mixes. showed a plot he had planted Vallejos, Nelson another farmer, based on the idea of technology was Innova’s on his own. after harvest (in the planting clover and grass seed in dry fields, the plot during the several years of fallow, so that dry season), The herbs. and less weedy would grow nutritous fodder, that the clover and grass failed to thrive in the problem was and other farmers started Vallejos As soon as rocky fields. dry, they changed it radically. planting purple clover on their own, they planted it at the Instead of planting it at harvest time, instead of and they sowed it with oats, regular planting time, and had the seed. since they knew oats better, pasture grasses, not in hillside fields. clover in good soil, planted purple They Almendras agronomists Salomón Pérez and Freddy Innova and Farmers irrigation. recommended another change, agronomists realised that they should plough carefully before Later farmers of simply broadcasting the seed. instead planting, had a thriving field and they soon began manuring the clover, even could cut fodder every day for their cows, They of it. permanent growing in a well-tended, though the clover was and not on a fallow hillside. pasture, 2002 in the high valleys, people said they were tired of doing 2002 in the high valleys, said. they to try big fields,’ want ‘We little field trials with clover. Changes in the technology Key events Key Table 3: Example of an innovation history Example 3: Table 17 118 GENERAL SECTION Jeffery W. BentleyandGraham Thiele Box 2. Highhillingup Centre): higher they learntfromCIP(InternationalPotato colleagues begantomanageitwitha technique Ernesto Montellano, Pablo Franco and the CIALsinlowvalleys. Innova agronomists beetle In April 2001anearlierprojectfoundtheflea plants. This iscalled ‘ is heapedhigharound the young fewer healthproblems when soil Potatoes yield more, andhave alto ’ or ‘high hillingup’. Epitrix damaging seedpotatoinoneof aporque aporque (hilling up, i.e. putting better. Innova plantedtillagetrials inallthree and gaveroominthesoilfortubers togrow hilling, which damagedthepotatoplantsless By 2002peopleintheCIALswereusing higher it was hardtodowithawoodenplough. more soilaroundtheplantswhileweeding). But by usinghighhillingup. doubled hispotatoharvest, amongotherthings, Rogelio CachacaLópezshowedthathe had the Altiplano in2005, farmer-experimenter made hillingupeasier. Inthetechnologyfairon designed ametalploughpulledbyoxen, which pilot areas. In2003, Innova agronomists

Photo: Jeffery Bentley 17 GENERAL SECTION 119 without the sondeos gave us a picture of demand, but knowing gave us a picture Sondeos Of all the methods we tried, the CIAL (or the version Conclusions methods and log frames all have to evolve. Technologies, of successful adap- Admitting mistakes is an important part way a technology tations. Roads to Change examined the did or achieved. It changed rather than what the project objective window into how the a novel and more provided the twists and turns activities influenced on the projects’ to innovation. road about demand is not always enough. Just because a tech- did), doesn’t demand (and most of Innova’s nology addresses For example, the improved mean it does so in the best way. the key shortage of fallow described in Box 1 addressed functional until farmers and agrono- but it wasn’t fodder, it in the field. mists reworked which Innova called GET) was the most useful for complet- The other methods all fit ing a part-developed technology. inside it, like tools on a Swiss army knife. It would have been impossible to hold technology fairs or collaboration of the farmers in the CIAL. The ‘community feedback’ method was useful for developing the mountain fallow’ to a meadow of plough and for changing ‘improved The technology fair was perhaps best for giving some clover. and the courage to quietly set a technology aside researchers would not have learnt topic. We promising go on to a more the insights like these if our discussions had kept stressing judge the really method. To favourite virtues of everyone’s the technolo- methods, we needed to look at change from gies’ perspective. organisations and projects. This information will be used to This organisations and projects. a participatory understand the conditions under which In addi- method or combination of methods is appropriate. of the effectiveness tion, the Alianza will use evidence of policy change in promote to participatory approaches to make them more national agricultural innovation systems The histo- needs of the poor. to the inclusive and responsive to Change of how participa- Roads ries that emerge from should help support this make a difference tory approaches advocacy process. On the road to change: writing the history of technologies in Bolivia technologies history of writing the road to change: On the “In our haste to show that the farmers “In our haste in adapting the ‘participated’ had had under-represented we technologies, the agronomists” of the creativity (Alliance for Change in will promote the broader use of the best the broader will promote Alianza Cambio Andino Alianza In other cases, the technology changed just a little, so In other cases, the technology changed to change’ the ‘road was a limitation with If there We hope to use Roads to Change in a more systematic hope to use Roads to Change in a more We Ways forward Ways in the Andes beginning a new project currently are We called the the Andes), building on the Innova project and also funded the Andes), building on the Innova project anticipate that some 20 to 30 organisations, by DfID. We and several thousand farmers will be 150 plus agronomists, Peru and involved in the four countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia). of the participants, who responded with comments within with comments who responded of the participants, but one of the minor, comments were a week. Most of the We summary. to the editor’s strongly participants objected liked the case of purple clover (Box 1), (Bentley and Thiele) thought it We because the technology changed so much. to farmers, were showed how sensitive the technical people into the tech- thoughtfully incorporating farmer suggestions said it made the staff But one of the agronomists nology. too much on farmers. He look bad, that they had relied the come from insisted that some of the changes had incorporated this We not the farmers. agronomists, suggestions into the history of the technology, colleague’s a point. In our haste to show that he had and we realised adapting the tech- that the farmers had ‘participated’ in of the the creativity nologies, we had under-represented Withoutagronomists. their ideas and encouragement the the purple clover farmers would never have thought of innovations. right the first time the technical people had got it mostly (e.g. Box 2). tended to mention method, it was that the agronomists successful. They only those technologies they thought were technologies that were much less likely to discuss were abandoned. For example, Innova taught farmers to make local plants, but the home- for cows, from home remedies abandoned when farmers failed to adopt them were brews because the medicine was tedious to make, and farmers medicines. Even though this shows store-bought preferred listening to farmers’ views, were clearly that the agronomists they omitted this case at our workshop. It is perhaps under- their successes standable that people want to remember but this means that some of the and forget the failures, lessons learnt soon forgotten. are participatory methods developed by Innova. way to document the outcomes and impacts of using partic- and development ipatory methods in agricultural research 17 120 GENERAL SECTION Jeffery W. BentleyandGraham Thiele caminosalcambiomemorias14.pdf www.jefferybentley.com/ available (inSpanish)online: The fulltextoftheRoadtoChangepaperis NOTE Email: [email protected] Peru Lima 12 Apartado 1558 PotatoCentre)CIP (International Graham Thiele [email protected] Email: [email protected] Peru Lima 27 PO Box270-116 Jeffery Bentley CONTACT DETAILS Participatory LearningandAction Participatory agricultural innovationsystems.’In: ‘Methodological diversityandcreativity in Van Mele,P. andBraun,A.(2005) Agricultural Administration in rapidappraisal:thesondeoapproach Hildebrand, P.E. (1981)Combiningdisciplines from Experience.’ ‘Innovation Histories:AMethodforLearning Douthwaite, B.andAshby, J.(2005) Journal ofAgriculturalSustainability farm technology.’ Submittedto Thiele, G.(inpress) ‘Unspokendemandsfor R., Botello,Webb, M.,Devaux,A.,and Bentley, J.W., Velasco, C.,Rodríguez,F., Oros, Network London: ODIAgriculturalResearch&Extension and technologyfairsforgaugingdemand C. (2004)Cinderella’s slipper:sondeosurveys Bentley, J.W., Thiele,G.,Oros, R.andVelasco, in LatinAmerica.Cali,Colombia:CIAT experience withlocalAgriculturalcommittees J.I. (2000) M.P., L.A.,Quirós,C.A.andRoa, Hernández, Ashby, J.,Braun,A.R.,García, T., Guerrero, REFERENCES ( AgREN), NetworkPaperNo.138 Investing infarmersasresearchers: ILAC Brief 8, 423-32 5:1-4 International 53 Patty Meneces. Botello andFélixRodríguez;toscribe, and tothefacilitators;RolandoOros, Rubén Montellano, VladimirLino,GuillermoBeltman; Carola Chambilla,JavierAguilera,Ernesto Fredy Almendras,RemyCrespo, VladimirPlata, Roads toChangeworkshop:SalomónPerez, Antonio Gandarillas;theparticipantson SDC; AndréDevaux,ClaudioVelasco and The authorsare gratefulforthesupportof DfID. views expressed are notnecessarilythoseof (Crop Post-HarvestResearch Programme). The (Livestock Production Programme) andCPHP (Crop Protection Research Programme), LPP developing countries,andthrough theCPP Resources Research Strategy)forthebenefitof (DfID) through itsRNRRS(RenewableNatural Development Department forInternational projects fundedbytheUnitedKingdom This publicationisanoutputfrom research ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

121 GENERAL SECTION 18 Figure 1: Map of Bulgaria 1: Figure I chose this subject because there 1 2

The timing was good as it coincided with the rose harvest. I The timing was good as it coincided with the rose I designed the project as part of my MSc in Anthropology and Ecology of as part of my MSc in Anthropology I designed the project see Zarev ethnographic and historical account (up to 1989), For the most recent has been no significant socio-anthropological research into research has been no significant socio-anthropological how social, economic and cultural developments have in the Rose valley since the transition growing rose affected state socialism. from I lived in Turnichene, in central Bulgaria, for over a month from I lived in Turnichene, on the social May to July 2006. I carried out field research growing-dependent integral to rose dynamics and processes livelihoods in the region. Background by PRESLAVA NENOVA by PRESLAVA Rose valley, Bulgaria Rose valley, sustainable in the livelihoods Roses and people: exploring and people: Roses 1 2 chose Turnichene because it is inhabited by a range of rose chose Turnichene – those working small family plots and large-scale producers It is also home to the major- with up to 30 hectares. producers A large vital manual labour. who provide ity of seasonal labourers at least season- poverty, part of the population lives in extreme oil, a of rose despite participating in the annual production ally, an presented Turnichene high-value international commodity. major the co-habitation of the three opportunity to research in Bulgaria, with a population made up of 12% ethnic groups (Ahmed Hodja, 25% Roma and 63% Bulgarian residents Turkish, Development at University College London, UK. (1996). 18

122 GENERAL SECTION Preslava Nenova poor seasonallabourers. the stiflingofvoicessmall-scaleandfamilyfarmers witnessed andtheilliteracyofmanyinTurnichene contributeto degree ofcoercion, aswelltherifecorruptionwhichI introduced bytheMinistry ofLabourandSocialPolicywitha and democracy. Programmes forreducing ruralunemployment, tution andmurkyprocesses oftransitiontoamarketeconomy regime. Thistotalitarianstate wassupersededbyachaoticresti- dispossessed oftheirbirthnamesforcibly bythecommunist rights andfreedom ofexpression, andmanyhadevenbeen and high-levelpolitics. ate andthosewhodonotspeakthelanguageofcontracts such discussionatalllevels–includingamongstthenon-liter- discussion forclarifyingcommongoalsandthepossibilitiesof ings toraiselocalawareness ofthepotentialusefulness opinionsandknowledge.Iusedmyfind- ulate theirconcerns, project encouragedthisethnicallydiversecommunitytoartic- sample ofthevillageandthrough participatoryexercises, the article Iwillfocusondescribinghow, byinvolvingalarge the variousstakeholdersaswellproduction process. and gavemeadetailedinsightintotherelationships between scale growers wasanexcellentstartingpointformyresearch depend onitmost.Working alongsideharvestersandsmall- understanding therole ofthecrop inthelivesofthosewho whose livelihoodsinvolvetherose crop, andfocusedon Mayor ofTurnichene, interview). stranger wasunprecedented. Icarefully explainedthegoals me withcuriosity, asmyparticipatorybehaviouralone ing inthesquare andontheirfront porches. Many regarded myself andmyresearch objectivestoallwhowere socialis- harvesters. Ialsocycledaround thevillagedaily, introducing of alargesamplehouseholdsaswellalongside in aBulgarianhousehold,workingonthesubsistenceplots approach andintegratedmyself inthecommunitybyliving combined planningwithaconstantrethinking ofmy tionships Idevelopedandopportunitiesthatarose. I My methodsevolveddependingoninsightsIreceived, rela- Methods cations forfurtherresearch. beyond. ThearticlelooksathowIfittedintothisandtheimpli- the dynamicnetworkofpowerrelationships inTurnichene and more informationonallissuesinthisarticle,seeNenova(2006). 3 For more policiesandtheireffects, informationonthesegovernment aswell The adultsofTurnichene hadbeenbrought upwithoutbasic The studyhadavarietyofaimsandresults, butinthis I gathered comprehensive datafrom nearlyallthose 3 They are nonethelessactive actorsin commentary inthevillage ensuingdays. cant lossofharvest.Thisspurred informativediscussions and field atmidday, costingthelarge-scale rose grower asignifi- rebellion inwhichalargegroup ofRomaemployeesleftthe small andlargeplantations.Oneday, I witnessed aworkers’ key informantsandexperiencedworkingconditionsatthe an interest inforgingabond ofsolidarity. AtthisstageImet assistance withtheresearch, andpracticallydemonstrated went somewaytowards repaying theintervieweesfortheir and tacklingissuesastheyarose, butalsothehelpIprovided throughalongside them.Thisnotonlymeantlearning doing andtohelpbypickingtheflowers early inthemornings, practical limitationstobeinginterviewed. sive andwassensitivetointerviewees’timeavailability working. ThismeantIwasbetterabletoavoidbeingintru- prompted runningcommentarywhilstintervieweeswere context ofwhatwasbeingdiscussedandmanywere likea wanted tofocuson.Allinterviewstookplaceintheactive Using openquestionshelpedmeseewhatissuesinformants response whetherapersonhadaninterest inexpanding it. by tentativelyraisingageneralsubjectIcouldjudgethe interviews inaninformalanddynamicmanner. Forexample, about day-to-daysurvival andlivelihoodsecurity. state provided forallandforced peopleintowork,andnoonehadtoworry that before theregime changetheword hadbecomeredundant because the 4 easily related toword for‘livelihood’– people, forexample,byidentifyingtheclosestandmost my conceptualframeworkcarefully tothatoftheTurnichene and relevant toon-goingactivities.Iensured thatImatched key infacilitatingcommunicationwhichwasspontaneous of livinginthecountryside.Speakingthisfamiliarwaywas village slangor‘folk’Bulgarian,whichimpliedanexperience language. ItisalsomyfirstlanguageandIamabletospeak spoken wellbyallinthevillageandwasdominant viduals andfocusgroups inTurnichene. Bulgarianwas I conductedaround 100semi-structured interviewswith indi- Semi-structured interviews contact withme. of theharvest,sothattheiremployeescouldwitness with fluencyandconfidence,oftenduringtheirsupervision gave meinterviews,givingtheirperspectives,presented when approaching large-scalegrowers, buttheytoogladly their sideofthestory. Iencountered someinitialscepticism Seeing meinaneutrallight,manywere keentoletmeknow of mystudy, apersonalproject, onbehalfofaUKUniversity. This word hasinteresting connotations.OneBulgarianintervieweecommented My firststepwastojoinharvestersattherose plantations pominuk. 4 I conducted 18 GENERAL SECTION 123

Roses and people: exploring sustainable livelihoods in the Rose valley, Bulgaria Rose valley, in the livelihoods sustainable exploring and people: Roses Participatory mapping of sources of annual livelihood security with Roma informants. Photos: Preslava Nenova Preslava Photos: 18

124 GENERAL SECTION Preslava Nenova informants. and Bulgarian mapping by Turkish Participatory products andthedire situation inthewintermonthswhenthere writing.) Itcaptures theimportanceofvariousnon-timber forest created theseasonalmapshowninTable 1.(Ifilledinthe Turkish andBulgarianethnicgroups. growers. Eachcategoryincludedonefamilyfrom the Roma, roses onlyaspaidlabourers, andthree were small-scalerose Cochrane (2005)forsixfamilies.Three oftheseworkedwith which are notadequateforlargerareas. is smallenoughtomakeviablewaysofworkingtheland producers usetheirownfamilylabour, andthearea of15dc growers were oneswith15dc(decares) orless.Thisgroup of documented inmythesis. raised furtherquestionsfortheresearch, whichhasbeen of thedistributionwaterresources. Thedetailedaccount 1 theparticipantsgavetheirperspectivesonsignificance group discussions.During the drawingofmapinFigure for povertyindicators,whichhadbeenbrought outbyfocus participant observationaswelltransectwalkstolookout (Figures 1and2).Equipped withtheseIcarriedoutfocused and sothemapsproduced served averyimmediatepurpose at themayor’s office orinthemunicipaladministrativeoffices mapping exercises. There wasnoofficial mapofTurnichene groups totakepartinparticipatoryvillagemappingandother The secondmajorstepinmymethodologywasaskingfocus Participatory mapping be usedsincethisis what isusedbytherespondents. 5 1 decare (dc)=0.1hectare =1000m Eight adultsfrom fiveRomafamiliesfrom thepoorest quarter I alsocreated detailedfamilyportraits,following I visitedallrose producers inthevillage.Thesmall-scale 2 . Forthepurposeofdiscussiondcwill 5

Photo: Preslava Nenova Romany inthevillagecentre (oneofwhomwasliterate) Figure 1: Mapof Turnichene madebyagroup offour and Turkish informants (rose pickers) Figure 2: Mapof Turnichene made byagroup ofBulgarian 18 GENERAL SECTION 125 Spiny ‘grumotrun’ June October February (2001) forest to sell cherry picking Rose harvesting; 5 Years Ago 5 Years Walnut gathering Walnut (Ononis campestris) Restharrow roots from the Second half of the month – Second half of the month We dig up wild We May January December rose harvesting September (2006) Raspberry picking This Year Only Same as November and Walnut gathering and selling Walnut Roses and people: exploring sustainable livelihoods in the Rose valley, Bulgaria Rose valley, in the livelihoods sustainable exploring and people: Roses April August December local shops) Raspberry picking Low Low High High ‘write in the shop’s book’ ‘write in the shop’s More hoeing employment Same as November and we Medium Medium Importance (shopping on credit from the few 5 Years Ago (2001) 5 Years 2 Livestock Paid Work Paid Rose picking We collect scrap We 1 July Subsistence farming March Jobseeker’s allowance Jobseeker’s November Harvesting forest products Harvesting forest start (hoeing the roses) Low Low High High Medium Medium accumulated from the summer. metal; Survive on what we have metal; We steal wood. We will be much less income from this Importance Lavender harvesting (but now there The [seasonal farm labour] contracts The because of new harvester machines) This Year (2006) This Year Not just money but also conserves, which Roma households prepare when a particular vegetable or fruit is abundant, although to a lesser degree than the Bulgarians a particular vegetable or fruit is abundant, although to when a lesser degree prepare Not just money but also conserves, which Roma households This refers to the illegal felling of trees from the nearby mountain forests for the purpose of heating of homes and cooking. Most rely on firewood for cooking. on firewood of heating of homes and cooking. Most rely for the purpose the nearby mountain forests from to the illegal felling of trees This refers Winter Summer Spring Table 1: Seasonal mapping exercise Seasonal 1: Table Table 2: Participatory map showing proportional importance of sources of annual livelihood security of annual importance of sources map showing proportional Participatory 2: Table 1 2 and the Turkish. and the Turkish. 18

126 GENERAL SECTION Preslava Nenova concerns, opinionsandknowledge.” diverse communitytoarticulatetheir “..the project encouraged thisethnically thrashed out.’(Sabean, 1984inNuijten,1992,p205). strategies,misunderstanding,conflictinggoalsandvaluesarein whichalternative the sameargument,raisonnement , thesameRedediscourse, understanding somuchasthefactthatmembers ofacommunityare engagedin interpret: ‘whatiscommoninacommunitynotshared valuesorcommon organising elementinaruralcommunity. Thisiswhattheresearcher needsto 7 6 were aimingtosaythingswhichwere commontoallofthem,therefore using’we’. omits someofthevarietywithingroup livelihoodsbecausetheparticipants activities andbecausetheseasonalityofbenefitswasambiguous.Thismapalso got theimpression Iwantedtoknowabouttheirparticularincome-generating The participantsinthisexercise were allnon-literate. are averyimportantpartof thedietandsoare usefulsymbols. incomes, witheachcuprepresenting ayearoflivelihood.Beans the twocolumns,toreflect ontherelative significance of no othermajoragriculturaltasksoccur. was mentioned.There are nocrops fruitingasearlyMayand interest inall. research onadistinctgroup, ratherthansustainingthesame able toinformantswhohadexpectedmebasemy in varioushouseholdsonanequalbasisbecameunaccept- also aconstraintinthelongterm,aswithtimemypresence family portraitsandstudylivelihoodstrategiesindetailwas were aware ofthisandcomplicitthemselves. my knowledge,aswellthefactthatmostinvillage wasbasedonhavingsecurityindependentof lack ofconcern mentally andsociallydetrimentallarge-scalecorruption,his where anemployeropenlyspokeofhiskeyrole inenviron- parties, whilekeepingthesource anonymous.Inthecase issues whichtheyevenwantedmetoconveyother their relationships orlivelihoods.Thisenabledthemtoraise not publiclydiscloseinformationwhichwouldjeopardise me toadegree towhichtheywere confidentthatI would large-scale neighboursetc.Thiswasbecausemosttrusted openly abouttheiremployers,small-scalegrowers about many othersensitiveissues.Employeesevenspoketome poverty, indigenoustechnicalknowledge,criminalityand accepted bypeopleandwiththemopeningupabout which Ihadtoremain neutral.Ihadnoproblem getting Living inTurnichene, Ientered adynamicsociallandscape,in Social dynamicsandlessonslearnt is noemploymentorincome. I suspectunemploymentbenefitswere notmentionedbecausetheparticipants Discourse asanongoingargumentbetween conflictingsidescanbean In Table 2,twocupsofequalnumberbeanswere usedfor However, thesameclosenesswhichallowed metocreate 7 When Ispenttimewithkeyinformants,partic- 6 For May‘onlyrose harvesting’ disconcerting. Mistrustofthe objectivesandassumptions arranged betweenthejobcentre andlarge-scaleemployers in whichtheywere induced toenteremploymentcontracts with erishment, illiteracyandageneralfeelingofbeingatodds These, however, didnothelpwithbreaking cyclesofimpov- such aspatron-client ones were welcomedandsought. or otherwisekepttoaminimum,andinformalrelationships and employers.Therefore allsuchdealingswere consciously showed inalltransactionswiththejobcentre, money-lenders because oftheirparticularaccentsandlanguage.Insecurity felt vulnerableduetotheirilliteracy. They alsofeltisolated mapping andagroup semi-structured interview. this opportunitytocarryouttheparticipatorylandscape outdoor tableoftheirrose harvestemployer’s cafe.Iused a group ofabouteightemployeeshadgathered around the ble becauseofacelebrationtheendharvestwhere of Turkish, BulgarianandoneRomawoman.Thiswaspossi- opportunity tocarryoutamappingexercise withamixture mapping exercises inthecentralsquare. There wasonlyone Seasonal PovertyMapping,IfacilitatedallRomagroup Roma thiswaspossible,andwiththeexceptionof ensuring thetransparency oftheexercise. Indeedwith the edly representing free accessforalltoparticipateand ipatory mappingexercises asitisacommunalarea, suppos- the street. However, thestreet istheclassicsettingforpartic- Turkish villagerswouldnotbeseenspendingleisure timein social interactioninthevillagesquare, theBulgarianand time thatamappingorgroup interviewrequires. strate thewillingnessandavailabilitytospenddedicated family circles BulgarianandTurkish villagersdidnotdemon- good relationship betweenparticipants.Outsideoftheir mapping orinterviews.However, thisrequired anexisting whenever Isuccessfullyorganisedandcarriedoutgroup sense ofcommunalsolidarity. Ibelievethelatteroccurred some casesexacerbatinghostilities,andinothersforginga In effect, myactivityaffected villagepowerdynamics,in practised towards someRomafamiliesasopposedtoothers. Furthermore, otherRomasawthisasfavouritismwhichI ing theantisocialbehaviourofRomainvillage. seen bytheBulgarianandTurkish communityasencourag- ularly oneswhowere from theRomacommunity, thiswas communists, centralisedpowerandbureaucracy. recurring conceptofthestateharksbacktototalitarian of the responsible forsupportingthemandthatitisthestatehadfailed them.This 8 There wasashared viewamongthepoorest thatthestatemustbeheld The majorityofseasonallabourers, includingallRoma, In contrasttotheRoma,whowouldengagedailyin darjavata (the state). 8 This waswhymanyfoundtheway 18 GENERAL SECTION 127 . Power Conclusion people as they Turnichene my findings with the I shared raised within the community without and issues were arose person or family. having to be associated with a particular me as a mediator, This heightened communication, with despite the fact that I facili- seemed to be a positive factor, of groups between different discussion tated limited direct and disheartened stakeholders. In the context of a disunited build on the latent community I observed the potential to and small-scale farmers to use capacity of seasonal labourers their rights. Although power to safeguard their grassroots on an empowering effect I conducted had the exercises to disturb existing power rela- they did little certain groups, seemed to reinforce tionships, although at times my activity Throughout solidarity. group of hostility or existing trends my work gave Bulgaria civil society is young and I believe not sense that they were a stronger many in Turnichene their own environ- alone and must endeavour to determine ment and livelihoods. “This heightened communication, with communication, “This heightened to be a seemed me as a mediator, positive factor.” Family portraits (History of Bulgarian Rose стория на българското Roses and people: exploring sustainable livelihoods in the Rose valley, Bulgaria Rose valley, in the livelihoods sustainable exploring and people: Roses Growing), Plovdiv: Vion Growing), розопроизводство REFERENCES Cochrane, K. (2005) tools series. Oxford: SOS-Sahel International & London: International and Institute for Environment Development in the Rose (2006) ‘Turnichene Nenova, P. the livelihoods of small-scale cultivators Valley: in rural and seasonal agricultural labourers post-socialist Bulgaria.’ Unpublished MSc the from on request thesis. Available Department, University College Anthropology London Nuijten, M. (1992) ‘Local organization as organizing practices.’ In: Battlefields of knowledge, N.E. Long, A. Long (eds.). London: Routledge. (1996) K. P. Zarev, In this context I believe that my participatory study served In this context I believe behind the government programme for employment was behind the government programme passed between confused by the paperwork Many were clear. and themselves. centre the employers, the job and confi- a desire the very useful purpose of stimulating clear outcome was the clari- Another dence for expression. for the various fication of common priorities and obstacles talking to me as an stakeholders. Because people were issues and plights anew, their stories outsider and re-telling which had otherwise been had the chance to re-emerge I believe that taken for granted as a fact of life in Turnichene. and my focus on certain groups during the suspicion aroused to a significant families in the village could have been avoided second researcher. extent if I had been accompanied by a any one from This would have helped dissociate the research in the interests personal motives and individual researcher’s eyes of participants. Withnumber of people working with a hostility could be avoided and, having groups, different could have researchers groups, gained the trust of respective A more easily for exercises. them together more brought to deliver tangible benefits designed outcome-driven project, may have rather than personal research, to the community, to residents Turkish a better chance of getting Bulgarian and and mapping. interviews participate in group CONTACT DETAILS CONTACT Nenova Preslava 80 Mousehold Avenue Norwich, NR3 4RS UK Email: [email protected] 128 GENERAL SECTION 19 hospital care healing forchildreninlong-term Phila Impilo!LiveLife! these statistics it isnaturaltotryattackthe problem with in theAfricanregion. people whoare HIV-positive and wasdeclared anemergency Committee forAfricaasaleading causeofdeathamong was identifiedbytheWorld HealthOrganisationRegional orphaned byAIDS.Arelated epidemicistuberculosis, which more thanamillionchildren inSouthAfricahavebeen million children belowthe age of15are livingwithHIV, and one infiveadultsisHIVinfected,more thanaquarterof to attendHIV-affected children isespeciallyacute.Almost and creative agency. SouthAfricaisacountrywhere theneed others. Likeallpeople,children needthissenseofselfworth can contributetotheirownhealthandthewell-beingof they are agentswhohavesome control overtheirlives,who component ofthissupportistoenablechildren tofeelthat emotional supportasmuchphysicalhealing.Anessential wounds ofloss,fear, orsocialstigma,andtheyneed In additiontophysicaleffects, children carrytheemotional have lostaparent orotherfamilymemberstothisepidemic. carry thediseaseandrelated illnessesliketuberculosis, orwho Saharan Africa,itisnecessarytoconsiderthechildren who To understandthelongestreach ofHIVinfectioninsub- Making children partners inhealthcare by LOUISECHAWLA andJILLKRUGER These are mind-numbingnumbers,andinthefaceof as anationiscommitted, andwhichacknowledge children’s the RightsandWelfare of theChild,towhichSouthAfrica tion ontheRightsofChild andtheAfricanCharteron neglecting essentialprovisions oftheUnitedNationsConven- much alive.Bythemselves, theseapproaches alsorisk can obscure thechildren behindthenumberswhoare very sary stepstoaddress theproblem, butbythemselvesthey and fosterfamiliesthatcare fororphans.Theseare neces- been establishedtosupporttheextendedfamilynetworks added topaediatricwards, howmanyprogrammes have ment fortuberculosis, how manyadditionalbedshavebeen supplied withpaediatricantiretroviral drugsorwithtreat- a counter-barrage ofnumbers:howmanychildren havebeen others.” own healthandthewell-beingof their lives, whocancontributetotheir are agentswhohavesomecontrol over is toenablechildren tofeelthatthey “An essential componentofthissupport Ways to Ways 19 GENERAL SECTION 129 Ways to healing for children in long-term hospital care hospital in long-term for children to healing Ways Dr. Sheila Bamber, Medical Officer for the ward, explains for the ward, Medical Officer Sheila Bamber, Dr. Methods for children’s participation in improving the participation in improving Methods for children’s conditions of their care In the King George V Hospital in Durban, Phila Impilo! introduced a set of participatory methods during a series of workshops over a period of two weeks. Although the by TB and related affected focus is children programme’s illnesses such as HIV infection, the following methods could for both parents and healthcare providers how children’s providers and healthcare for both parents sometimes similar and sometimes different symptoms are than symptoms in adults, and the need for the quickest possi- TB, especially in the case of children’s care, ble preventive She also emphasises the emotional which can be cured. dimension of healing, such as the importance of greeting touch. Most each child by name, with a gentle and respectful inspiring is not the information that the DVD and book that they illustrate. impart but the quality of care Phila Impilo! Live Life! Through the medium of her Through a girl has a sock puppet, with artist- conversation facilitator S’bu Sithebe. is a DVD and a Phila Impilo! Live Life! Ways to Healing Phila Impilo! Live Life! Ways

rights to the free expression of their views on matters that expression rights to the free them, including the right to be informed and involved affect in their own healthcare. book, which shows healthcare workers and parents how to how workers and parents book, which shows healthcare behind the numbers and enlist them children engage the real of healing. Who under- as insightful partners in processes in hospitals and clinics how to stands better than the children make these places as comfortable, humane and health as possible, in ways that touch the emotions and promoting spirit as well as the body? The DVD brings together the voices at six to 13 years old, in the paediatric ward of 23 children, King George V Hospital in Durban, along with family an a child psychologist, and providers, members, healthcare artist, using a combination of English and isi-Zulu with English subtitles. Running time is 26 minutes. The 64-page book on holistic hospital contains further insights by the children care. Photo: Julie Manegold Julie Photo: 19

130 GENERAL SECTION Louise ChawlaandJillKruger • Compositefabricpainting. again, passingstrength through agentle squeezeofthehand around thecircle. Children andfacilitatorsstoodin acircle facilitator-artist S’buSithebe,consistedof‘passingstrength’ tune of‘HappyBirthday.’ Theend-of-the-dayritual,ledby while singing‘Sawubona wove around thecircle, sharing thisgreeting witheveryone person withtheright,nextleft.Partnersthen stood sidebyandgreeted eachotherbyhand,thefirst children andfacilitatorstogether inacircle. Paired couples ritual, ledbythefacilitatorMariaMakgamathe,brought all games whichthechildren brought withthem.Themorning taneously duringthefirstworkshop,inresponse tosongsand The startandend‘rituals’foreachdaywere designedspon- Daily rituals • Umoya • Sockpuppets • Identitydrawings • Collages • ATree ofLifemural • Thematicdrawings • Dailyrituals be appliedinpaedriatricwards andclinicsofallkinds: letters (umoya is isi-Zulufor‘wind’and‘soul’) (isi-Zulu: Iseeyou)toyou’ the person inmylife. theme, ‘The verybest Drawing tothe

Photo: Julie Manegold visits. strength andhappiness,such asfriends,play, andfamily injections andcryingfamilies,butalsoimagesofsources of drawings andpaintings:imagesofwhatispainful,suchas ‘Things I’mscared• ofinthehospital’(here animalsmadea • ‘Things I’msadaboutinthehospital’(thesecomprised ‘The verybestpersoninmylife’(anumberofchildren drew • • ‘The happiestdayofmylife’(aninteresting range of Some ofthedrawingtopicsincluded: Art isanessentialelementofthePhilaImpilo!programme. Thematic drawings possible. Ontheleaveschildren wrote manysoundand would maketheirtreatment ascomfortableandeffective as green leavescarriedthechildren’s suggestions aboutwhat with thesymptomsthattheyknew. Theflourishingcrown of an illnessidentifiedbyoneofthegroups ofchildren along Each pieceofbarkthatformedthetrunkcarriedname assembled intoalargetree that covered awallintheirward. The children madeleaves and piecesofbark,whichthey Tree ofLifemural the day. upagainatalaterstagein in themiddleofactivities,turning ent treatments atdifferent timesandsometimeshadtoleave tant todoinahospitalsettingbecausechildren haddiffer- together andaffirmed thegroup’s identity–especiallyimpor- and theprocess restarted. Theseritualsgathered everyone pressed thehandofanothertoohard, thegroup protested ‘strength’ hadreached inthecircle. Onceortwice,ifachild to seefrom thelightonchildren’s facesexactlywhere the that travelledfrom persontoperson.Itwasalwayspossible Marcow-Speiser from LesleyUniversity introduced theconcept toJillKruger. used bytheBostonInstituteofArts,developed afterSeptember11.Vivien 1 The ‘Tree ofLife’ methodinPhilaImpilo!wasadaptedfrom asimilarmethod and insects). fever, itisdifficult tofaceandward off intrusiveanimals mosquitoes: yetforanyonewhoisillandweakhasa surprising appearance,aswellinsectssuchfliesand the hospital,suchasinjections);and generated bythequestionaboutwhatfrightenedthemin mostly drawingsthatfacilitatorsthoughtwouldhavebeen could doso); loved personswhohadpassedon;someaskedfirstifthey parties); tant tochildren, includingastrong emphasisonbirthday responses, showingareas ofpersonalaffirmation impor- Many scenesintheDVDfocusonchildren’s vibrant 1 19 GENERAL SECTION 131 television and radio programme, which television and radio programme, The puppets enabled even the shyest 2 DVD was launched at a public showing Ways to healing for children in long-term hospital care hospital in long-term for children to healing Ways letters Phila Impilo! Although it was not a ‘method’ by itself, each child’s The The four youngest children named their puppets for favourite colours; five children named their puppets for favourite colours; The four youngest children Children who had lost a mother or other family member who had lost a mother Children their messages in painted messages of love and then hung to be carried to the world of the spirit by the breeze. a row, DVD, the children In one of the most poignant scenes in the each other, their arms around some with stand in a group, messages to their quietly watching the wind deliver their loved one. Composite fabric painting returned to the After the workshops ended, facilitators of their draw- descriptions the children’s hospital to capture ings and collages. At this time, some of the eldest children best and asked to draw examples of the children’s were worst hospital experiences on a fabric banner that expressed ideas. the group’s artwork was collated in an ‘art book’ with their collage on cover and their identity drawing on the back cover. the front transformed into artefacts that loose pages were In this way, and value. and their families could preserve children given were the children in Durban in January 2008, where for their participation. Many certificates of appreciation were in tears at the launch, but the children were parents had died came so that whose children parents beaming. Two they could keep the DVD and certificate as mementos. Dr of Paediatrics and Chief Specialist and Head Neil McKerrow, Child Health at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, Insights in Planning, the plans to collaborate with Young Umoya children to speak confidently during one-on-one conversa- to speak confidently children mini-plays that the children discussions, and tions, group spontaneously created. a stationery shop. The materials were set on a table for the set on a table materials were a stationery shop. The that they to choose the sock, buttons, and eyes children on the buttons and and facilitators then sewed preferred, were them with the adhesive eyes. The children covered This naming asked if they would like to name their puppets. the children activity was the first indication of how strongly deliberation during felt about their puppets. Discussion and lasted an hour instead of the of choosing names the process expected ten minutes. chose animals, many chose celebrity names or typical children’s names, and four chose animals, many chose celebrity names or typical children’s Sesame the Takalani chose characters from is face, including HIV infection. This programme tough issues that children explores languages and models non-discriminatory 11 official in South Africa’s presented (2002). information, see Welch For more behaviour among children. 2 Phila Impilo! Live Life! tangible as they worked.” “Their joy in reaching into a remembered into a “Their joy in reaching strong and recreating outside world was almost their mirror icons around Sock puppets given the were they struggle to sew, Since many children simplest materials: patterned socks, buttons, and ‘eyes’ from Identity drawings Like the collages, the purpose of this activity is to help chil- in situations of vulnerability confirm their sense of being, dren sat in a belonging and self-worth in the world. The children with their eyes closed, waiting for mystery gifts to be circle placed in their hands. The gift turned out to be a small mirror on flexible A3 card- for each child. They pasted their mirrors or that they write and the facilitators then proposed board, the mirror. draw their best personal characteristics around of images of things spontaneously drew Instead, the children deep personal importance: people, houses, fish, flowers, outside world into a remembered Their joy in reaching trees. was almost their mirror icons around strong and recreating tangible as they worked. Collages asked to make were (A3 size), children On flexible cardboard my heart and in my collages ‘to show the beauty that lies in items for their collage simply chose soul.’ Some children example, a girl said because they found them beautiful (for lace). Many, of red that this was why she chose a piece them of cut out magazine images that reminded however, my use a car, their homes: such as a car ‘because we normally is a when we go to town,’ or a bed because ‘there father’s, bed like this at home.’ A girl who cut out an image of a mother and child explained, ‘This mother and child are I the relationship They resemble looking out for each other. have with my mother.’ feasible ideas, including play, nutritious meals, family visits, feasible ideas, including play, having an ‘auntie’ and letters, birthday celebrations, cards someone would be (nurse) to attend them at night so that or in pain, and opportuni- if they woke up frightened there them to said, ‘Walk ties to go outside. As one child simply is, ‘Have adults the sun.’ Possibly the most poignant message listen to us when we ask for help.’ 19

132 GENERAL SECTION Louise ChawlaandJillKruger even more restricted thanathome. is especiallytrueinhospitals,where children are likelytobe frequently havelittlepersonal spacetocalltheirown. Studies byanthropologists haveshownthatchildren Reflections ontheprocess selected NGOsabouttheissuesthatchildren raise. with children. Screenings willalsoeducatelaypeopleand spread itsexampleofrespectful andcreative partnership programme’s materialscanbemosteffectively usedto in twoKwaZuluHealthDistricts,exploringhowthe nursing professionals inhospitals,clinicsandmobile in order topilotthefilmandpublicationwithmedical non-profit organisationthathelpedcreate theprogramme, into processes ofhealing. who inhabitthem,andhowto introduce children’s insights into placesthatexpress theuniqueidentitiesofchildren to transforminstitutionalspaces inalargeurbanhospital 3 Jones (1993);Malone (2007);Ramphele(1993);Swart-Kruger (2001). Phila Impilo! the hospital. his fathervisitedhimin day ofmylife’–when drawing of ‘the happiest A boymadethis shows how 3 This

Photo: Julie Manegold puppet Zikwe: his puppetUnogwajaare representative: too. puppets were treated asiftheyhadfeelingsfortheir owners supporters andconfidantesyetalsotheirtaskmasters.Sock They were toysyetalteregos,children’s closefriends, sock puppetschangedmagicallyfrom momenttomoment. their pillowsorintoenvelopebedsinartbooks.The patting andstroking themandputtingtobedunder spoke, buttheytreated theirpuppetsalmostlikepets, pranced about,creating scenariosinwhichtheirpuppets others oncehewaswearinghispuppet.Children notonly drawn, forexample,becameenthusiasticandtookpartwith duced. Aboyofelevenyearswhohadbeenquietandwith- children’s wholebeings‘litup’whenthepuppetswere intro- But from thefirst,facilitatorscommentedonwaythat say thingsthattheyfeared adultsmightfindinappropriate. voiceforchildrenfun andanalternative whomightwantto The puppetswere initiallyintendedasasimpleelementof but theuseofsockpuppetsdeservesspecialmention. helped thechildren findandexpress theirpersonal voice, respect) and siblings, are encapsulatedintheterms behaviour towards adultsandolderchildren, includingolder Traditional Zuluculturalprecepts thatinformchildren’s traditions thatemphasisereserve inthepresence ofadults. particularly whenchildren havebeenschooledincultural create children’s trustandgarner perspectives, earnest with follow-upinterviews.Thisisashorttimeinwhichto programme, whichwaslimitedtotwoweeksofworkshops, This challengewasintensifiedbythetimeframeof dren to‘speak’inauthenticvoices,verballyornonverbally. but couldnotsay. Likemydog,Icouldplaywithit.. The puppetwasmyfriend.It letmeexpresswhatIfelt knows howtohelpme. much.WhenIhaveaheadachehe I lovemyownervery during theday. Whenitistimeformeals, Iwakehimup. his pills.WhenIamsickaswellhelooksafterme.sleep I lookaftermyfriend.Whenheissickhelphimtotake He thenpretended tobethepuppet,whichsaid inresponse: A 10-year-old boyshared similarfeelingsabouthis The followingwords thata 13-year-old boyattributedto All ofthemethodsin Under mostconditions,itisachallengetoenablechil- amahloni (modesty). Phila Impilo! ukuhlonipha programme (to show 19 GENERAL SECTION 133 How Mental Ed New York: International 16 (2-3) Isikathi Sokulala: Johannesburg: , November 15 (Harvard Graduate , November 15 (Harvard . London: Allan and Bacon. programme is a reminder of the is a reminder programme REFERENCES Helton, L. R. and Smith, M. K. (2004) a Health Practice with Children and Youth: strengths and well-being model. Press The Haworth Social Work Jones, S. (1993) Assaulting Childhood: experiences of migrancy and hostel Children’s life in South Africa. Witwatersrand University Press. Malone, K. (ed.) (2007) Child Space: an anthropological exploration of young people’s use of space. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company Ramphele, M. (1993) A Bed Called Home. David Philip Cape Town: J. (2001) ‘ Swart-Kruger, boys and girls in a South African squatter camp experience bedtime.’ Journal of Anthropology M, M. (2001). Timberlake, E. M. and Cutler, Developmental Play Therapy in Clinical Social Work B. (2002) ‘Opening Sesame: TV that Welch, learning the world.’ inspires around Magazine School of Education). Online: www.gse.harvard. edu/news/features/sesamestreet11152002.html Ways to healing for children in long-term hospital care hospital in long-term for children to healing Ways Phila Impilo! The DVD and book were to carry out treatment procedures (Helton and Smith, procedures to carry out treatment therapists have noticed that children 2004). Other play and guilt when they anxiety from appear to feel released (Timber- what they want to say can have puppets express 2001). lake and Cutler, humanity behind the tuberculosis and AIDS crises, and that humanity behind the tuberculosis ‘ways to effective this humanity is the channel for the most humanity of the children, the resilient healing.’ It presents As Diane Melvin, providers. family members, and healthcare Ormond Street Great a clinical child psychologist from with the project, Hospital in London, which partnered needs and have interests, ill children observes, ‘Chronically in the film voice rights.’ Over and over again, the children to tell children their conviction that, ‘It is better for parents may be, it as the revelation what diseases they have.’ Hard confusion and inarticulate to move beyond enables children they can be participants in where fear to places of strength for themselves and others. healing environments creating available, the Some of the most potent ‘medicines’ participatory methods that use the shows, are programme of isolation where medium of the arts to lower the walls their pain and loss, building in may be trapped by children support. their place communities of sharing and Phila Impilo! Live Life! NOTES The Phila Impilo! Live Life! created by Jill Kruger, a team of African by Jill Kruger, created of the facilitators, and staff mother-tongue Insights for Planning. They were NGO Young mainly by the Joint Oxfam HIV and sponsored about inquire (South Africa). To AIDS Program obtaining copies of the DVD, contact Young Insights for Planning at [email protected] The book can be downloaded from: or www.act.org.uk/content/view/162/35 www.icpcn.org.uk ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This article is an expanded version of an article which by the same name by the first author, was published in the South African magazine 12, No 66, May 2008. Parts ChildrenFIRST, Vol with the reproduced of this article are and Management of permission of the Board ChildrenFIRST. The puppets seemed to help the children develop their The puppets seemed to help the children I love playing with my friend. He looks after me in the I love playing with my friend. He looks when I feel cold. evening. He helps me with my blanket the day. I love him because I play with him during may be trapped by their pain and loss.” may be trapped “Some of the most potent ‘medicines’ most potent “Some of the methods participatory available… are of the arts to lower that use the medium children the walls of isolation where CONTACT DETAILS CONTACT Louise Chawla and Planning College of Architecture University of Colorado Campus Box 314 CO 80309-0314 Boulder, USA Email: [email protected] Jill Kruger Insights for Planning Young NPO 54-005 PO Box 70990 Overport 4067 Durban South Africa Email: [email protected] personal identities in a setting where they lacked core rela- they lacked core personal identities in a setting where outside world, like tionships that they might have in the This was especially trusted friends and family members. had a number of the children important in a setting where all or saw outsiders very few visitors, and some had none at hospitalisation. A intermittently over many months of play therapy programmes on medical social work report puppets over other media favour also found that children and that they use for exploring illness and treatment, hospital setting and puppets to personify characters in the Tips for trainers

Purpose • To provide a medium for individual Democracy walls participants to express themselves in a free, focused and concise manner; • To generate a written, shared pool by GIACOMO RAMBALDI paper sheets. Typically a democracy of reflections which can be used for wall consists of five large sheets of further participatory analysis; and Introduction craft paper (1.2 m x 1.8 m) each one • To obtain on-the-spot feedback Facilitators like monitoring the pulse featuring one of the following during an event and be in the of the events they have been introductions to open-ended position to rapidly adjust facilitation TIPS FOR TRAINERS TIPS FOR organising and at the same time statements: to emerging realities and changing offering participants a medium where • I discovered that ... circumstances. they can share their thoughts, • I noticed that… creating opportunities for • I felt that… Materials needed participatory reflections. This adjusts • I learnt that … • 5 large sheets of craft paper (1.2m x 1.8m) the flow of action and provides a • I would like to suggest… • Drawing pins • Masking tape (2 inches wide) • Scissors • Marker pens • A5 paper sheets or metacards (at least 15 per participant) • The five ‘introductions’ written or printed separately on A4 sheets of paper in large letters • Glue stick

Figure 1. Democracy wall at work at a training at ITC, Enschede Netherlands.

space to take stock of lessons learnt. In addition, sound practice calls for equal opportunities for all participants to express themselves. Creating spaces which favour focused and free expression of ideas while a process enfolds, is one way to go about it. The idea of establishing physical open spaces where people could express themselves in a focused, structured and concise manner came to me while looking at a drawing found in A Trainers’ Guide for Participatory Learning and Action (Jules Pretty et al., 1995).

Democracy walls A democracy wall is a structured open space where people can post their

ideas and opinions (Figure 1) using A5 ITC Verplanke, Jeroen Photo:

134 Tips for trainers

Figure 2. Multilingual democracy wall deployed at the 2007 Web2forDev Conference in Rome, Italy.

When working in a multilingual TIPS FOR TRAINERS environment introductions should be written in the different languages (Figure 2).

The process A number of elements of the democracy wall have to be prepared ahead of the event. The five statements ‘I discovered that ...’; ‘I noticed that…’; ‘I felt that…’; ‘I learnt that …’ and ‘I would like to suggest…’ are printed on A4 paper and glued at the top left corner of the sheets of craft paper. Use masking tape or drawing pins to fix the craft papers onto a wall. The wall has to be large enough to Photo: Anja Barth, CTA Anja Barth, Photo: accommodate all five or them (Figure 3). Each sheet should hang layout, the easier the process is. If distinctively (ensure that there are 10- colour coding is adopted, I 15 cm between each sheet). recommend using pastel colours and Sequencing (left to right) is important avoid strongly contrasting hues like and has to be well thought out red, blue, green, yellow, or black as depending on the context in which these may impact behaviour the democracy wall is deployed. depending on how colours are If an event includes parallel associated to meanings in different sessions occurring in different rooms, cultures. democracy walls can be set up in Masking tape snippets (see each of the rooms. The facilitators picture) are prepared for use together may decide to harvest statements with marker pens in numbers made at the end of the sessions or at sufficient to allow participants to the end of the day, or to leave them freely contribute (to avoid participants in place for the duration of the event. having to queue to get a marker pen The intervals of harvest depend on or tape to stick their card on the how the organisers plan to make use democracy walls with). Photo: Nynke Kruiderink, IICD Nynke Kruiderink, Photo: of the feedback gathered on the walls At the beginning of the event, Figure 3. Facilitator preparing the democracy in the facilitation process. participants are briefed on the wall during the Web2forDev pre-conference Metacards (A5 sheets of paper) purpose of the democracy wall and workshop, Rome, Italy, 2007. are prepared together with maker invited – at scheduled intervals – to pens and snippets of masking tape. enter statements on the five elements should be formulated as a Metacards are typically white but of the wall using the metacards. continuation of the introduction e.g. could be in different colours, It is important to specify that ‘I learnt that…’ and followed by the depending on whether the facilitator metacards should accommodate only statement on metacard. would like to later disaggregate one concise statement written in If some workshop participants are entries (e.g. by gender, by type of capital letters. Being able to read the illiterate or cannot write because of participants, or other). But in my card from a distance of 3-5 metres is physical or visual impairment, personal experience, the simpler the extremely important. Statements facilitators should ensure that full

135 Tips for trainers

Figure 4. An Ogiek elder contributes his thoughts (written with the assistance of a student) to a democracy wall during a participatory mapping exercise. Nessuit, Kenya, 2006. perspective the gathered statements are important testimonies and on- the spot snapshots of perceptions. • Democracy walls offer participants the opportunity to share their views and opinions privately, without the need to speak out in public. • Statements displayed on the walls allow facilitators to get the pulse of an event and adjust accordingly. TIPS FOR TRAINERS TIPS FOR • After grouping (optional), statements featured on the democracy walls can be presented at the closing session of the event and offer further food for thoughts, reactions and comments on future directions.

Reading the walls Photo: Giacomo Rambaldi, CTA Giacomo Rambaldi, Photo: Selected statements made by elders assistance is provided. Those assisting future activities or improvements of during a participatory mapping should be known and trusted by the the process itself (‘I would like to workshop held on Ovalau Island in impaired. If communication occurs in suggest …’) Fiji (2005): a language unknown to some of the participants or facilitators, a Advantages I learnt new things about my village. translation may be written at the • The tool offers equal opportunities I learnt names of places, names we bottom of the metacard. of expression for all participants – do not use anymore, names that Depending on whether the the outspoken and the shy, the our elders used and I am so glad participants are used to publicly literate and illiterate. that I and future generations have expressing themselves in writing, • It establishes well-defined spaces, learnt and will use them again. facilitators may have to start the which favour focused and free process by proactively distributing expression of observations, reactions, I discovered that if we look after our metacards and marker pens to ideas, emotions, suggestions or environment and our ‘Vanua’, our participants or offer them the complaints while the event enfolds. source of wealth, we will be able to opportunity to fill in the cards in • Statements displayed on the combat poverty. private (e.g. during a coffee break). democracy walls may induce Usually the process is self-propelling coalescing (‘Hi, others share my I felt this workshop has been useful and once the first cards are stuck on opinion and sentiments’), and for all the people of Ovalau – young the walls others are increasingly encourage people to contribute and old, even our children have eager to contribute with their ideas opinions and stimulate reflections. learnt new things. It is a big step (Figure 4). • From a process management forward for them and for all of us. Depending on the purpose of the perspective gathered statements are exercise, the facilitator may group easy to compile (e.g. in a PowerPoint We now have a better and eventually rank the entries and presentation) and emerging issues understanding of the whole Ovalau facilitate a discussion around can be fed back into the debate to landscape and this will be very emerging reflections. The outcome of enhance reflection and improve useful for development planning the discussions may feed back into analysis. and resource management. the process or serve as guidance for • From a process documentation

136 Tips for trainers

Selected statements made by I would like to suggest that I noticed that we have to come up TIPS FOR TRAINERS trainees during a participatory participatory 3-D models be done on with a description of what is mapping workshop held In Nessuit, other hunter-gatherers land (Yiaku understood by web2fordev Kenya (2006): and Sengwer). I discovered that Uganda is really I learnt that there is hidden truth I would like to suggest to include in mashing it up ...The UK can learn a that can be processed by the the plan of activities internal meetings lot from what happens there community in mapping. (e.g. in the evening of each day) for discussing about the day and clarifying I would like to suggest allocating I felt I never thought we could the activities of the day after. Keeping more time between sessions make it …. The tracing, cutting, all updated of what is going on. gluing etc. but after finishing the I would like to suggest creating an blank model, I felt we were there. It Selected statements made by Africa working group on Web 2.0 was a turning point to the whole participants at the Web2forDev project. conference in Rome, Italy (2007) : CONTACT DETAILS I noticed that you don’t get bored I felt that blogging feels very lonely Giacomo Rambaldi Senior Programme Coordinator when working with people from when everybody else is talking Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural different professional backgrounds. Cooperation (CTA) I learnt ... how to blog, ...how to tag; Wageningen The Netherlands I noticed that people must work ... what a wiki is ... and what I can use Website: www.cta.int together to achieve their goal. it for ... Email: [email protected]

137 138 IN TOUCH • • touch about: Your helpisvitalinkeepingusall training, publications,andnetworks. source ofup-to-dateinformationon We wantthissectiontobeakey reader, intouchwithotherreaders. Action Learningand for theParticipatory create amore participatoryresource Through thesepageswehopeto LearningandAction. Participatory Welcome totheInTouch sectionof in touch courses inparticipatory forthcoming trainingeventsor Training. Doyouknowofany for otherreaders. network andprovide contactdetails experiences? Pleasetellusaboutthe material/library? aforumforsharing newsletters? resource network provide –training? Ifso,whatdoesthis learning? practitioners ofparticipatory networksfor international recognised local,nationalor Networks. Doyouhavelinkswith audience, toputyou,asa Email: [email protected] Fax: +442073882826; WC1H ODD,UK. IIED, 3EndsleighStreet, London LearningandAction, Participatory Please sendyourresponses to: • • • this section.Ifso,pleaseletusknow. information thatwouldbeusefulfor ideas aboutothertypesof Other information participatory methodologies? exchange orprovide information on which or pagesontheInternet know ofanyelectronic conferences Electronic information readers toknowabout? videos thatyouwouldlikeother produced anybooks,reports, or you (orhasyourorganisation) methodologies andtheiruse?Have key publicationsonparticipatory Publications like toshare withothertrainers? training materialsthatyouwould yourself? Are youaware ofanykey methodologies? Are youatrainer . Doyouknowofany . Perhapsyouhave . Doyou meaning people,cancreate new carried outingoodfaithbywell- exhaustive andexpensiveprocesses, discuss theriskthatevenmost debates. are notnormallyinvolvedin policy are eitherinanumericalminority or involvement ofgroups insociety who this canleadtothetokenistic for representative processes, when challenge ofdealingwithdemands others. knowledge anddemocraticrightsto reluctance ofthoseinpower tocredit between participatoryidealsandthe they attempttowalkthetightrope facilitators andeverydaycitizenswhen facing bureaucrats, commercial particular claritytothedilemmas nature oftheanalysishere. Theybring appreciate thevaluableandtimely raised inthisspecialissuewill bodies. government’s keyhealthregulatory Excellence, oneoftheUK the NationalInstituteofClinical helping shapepolicy-makingaround Citizens Council,chargedwith facilitators tothethirtymembersofa those involved,from thefundersand participation andinterviewswithall exhaustive process ofobservation and analysis. of three yearsofintensiveresearch Citizens attheCentre ISBN 1861348029£24. Policy Press, London, 2006 Elizabeth Barnett. participation inhealthcare decisions Citizens attheCentre: Deliberative Book reviews Celia Davies, Margaret Wetherell and Davies, Wetherell also andBarnett They alsoshedlightonthe Anyone interested intheissues The authorsconductedan

is theoutcome Book reviews

forms of oppression. It carries a tacit Readers will punctuated by concise contextual IN TOUCH warning that even hugely expensive remember the information, and sandwiched in adult processes aimed at ‘giving people a article by Glynis commentary about the therapeutic voice’ can actually weaken the voice Clacherty in the storytelling process – giving some of groups who already have the least general section useful critical insights into the process say in decisions. of PLA 54, of art therapy and trauma debriefing Along with these key themes, the outlining the that will be invaluable to others authors also set the citizens’ council in Suitcase Project. working with children from refugee the context of other similar attempts A book written and other backgrounds involving at deliberative democracy, such as the by the initial group of children personal distress. citizens’ jury movement in general involved with the project has since What you won’t find in this book (see Kashefi and Keene, article 5, this been published and we are pleased to are sensationalised horror stories grim issue; Haq, article 15, this issue) and include a review of the book with a with gripping detail. These are first- the 2005 Nanojury in particular (see brief background to the project here. hand accounts told by real children in Singh, article 4, this issue). In 2001 Glynis Clacherty initiated a their own way, not as responses to This book should be read by ‘psychosocial support through art interrogative interviewing techniques anyone who is involved in therapy’ project for refugee children in that search out details readers may participatory projects, particularly Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2002, want to pore over rather than the those initiatives that are funded by Dianne Welvering brought her skills to experiences that the storytellers feel single powerful organisations, which, the project as an art teacher, and appropriate to share. Much of what at least in the UK, form the majority. together with Glynis developed the the children have experienced is Citizens at the Centre is especially work presented in the book. poignantly illustrated ‘between the relevant to potential commissioners of Unlike many other African lines’ in a way that leaves their privacy such processes, who face the countries, South Africa has no formal and personal dignity intact. challenge of adapting their institutions refugee camps catering to the more Too often even in the field of and shaping the organisational than 150,000 refugees and asylum participation one finds stories ‘taken’ structures that surround them, in seekers from war torn countries like from children by researchers and order to create more empowering Rwanda and the Democractic writers who use them as if it is only models of participation. Republic of Congo. Instead, South the adult academic or commercial For those who find it easier than Africa’s rights-based approach sees product that matters. It is refreshing to ordering the actual book, some of its refugees making their own way as discover a book that is truly a main findings are usefully summarised they can, finding work and accessing participatory collaboration between in a paper by the same authors which social services where possible. There those who actually own the stories is available at: http://alba.jrc.it/blog can be significant difficulty in and those who are facilitating the /accent//wp-content/uploads/ accessing these rights in practice. storytelling. Citizens_council_Mar05.pdf Navigating the physical and social Every story in this book is told The Citizens’ Council’s official realities of a foreign, often hostile land voluntarily by a child who has actively page on a UK government agency can be daunting, especially as an chosen what to tell (and not to tell), website: http://tinyurl.com/63qpqc unaccompanied child. what to publish and what to remove, Reviewed by Tom Wakeford The Suitcase Stories is a small but and what to change in order to powerful glimpse into the human protect their own identity and privacy. The Suitcase Stories: Refugee realities behind the statistics. First- The book itself is the result of a children reclaim their identities hand accounts of the refugee request by one of the children in the Glynis Clacherty with the suitcase story experience are strikingly illustrated group to ‘Help me make a book about tellers and Diane Welvering with colourful visual imagery taken my story. People need to know why Double Storey Books, Juta & Co. Ltd, 2006 from the second-hand suitcases that we are here. We don’t choose to ISBN-10: 1 919930 99 X the children used for their multi-media come here. They need to know.’ What Paperback, 184 pages art therapy expressions. The stories are is also striking about the book is the

139 Book reviews

sense of healing and empowerment are regenerating sustainable and Berkeley, CA 94704, USA. expressed by the participants during citizen controlled food systems – for Email: [email protected] the suitcase decorating process. This the well-being of their communities Website www.hesperian.org leads one to speculate on the further and the land. The rural images and Free to download at www.hesperian.org/ empowerment and healing that may voices offer powerful arguments in publications_download_EHB.php IN TOUCH have come from being able to share favour of an alternative paradigm for their stories with the world in this food and agriculture – one that Enticing the further way. resonates with the concepts of `food Learning: Trainers Available from Double Storey Books sovereignty’ and active citizenship. in development Website: www.doublestorey.com For more information and to order a copy John Staley, 2008 Reviewed by Je’anna Clements visit: www.iied.org/pubs/display.php? Paperback, 482 (Young Insights for Planning, South o=14556IIED pages Africa) ISBN: 0 704426 072 A Community and 9780704426078 Affirming Life and Guide to Diversity: Rural Environmental This book is for those who work images and voices Health professionally with communities in on food sovereignty Jeff Conant and development work, social action, in South India Pam Fadem, 2008 community organisation, awareness Community Media Paperback, 600 raising and voluntary aid Trust, PV Satheesh and pages, illustrated, programmes. Michel Pimbert, 2008. US$28 More than 100 exercises, group ISBN: 978 1 84369 674 2 ISBN: 978 0 942364 56 9 events, conceptual inputs and methods are presented in detail, with This DVD set contains four DVDs and This illustrated guide helps health timing and practicalities; and more a book and is part of the Affirming promoters, development workers, than 50 handouts – guidelines, case Life and Diversity film series. The environmental activists, and studies, questionnaires, etc – are book describes how co-inquirers community leaders in small villages as included. The text tells the trainer what worked together in the drylands of well as large cities take charge of their to do at every stage, and why and Andhra Pradesh to produce social and environmental health. how, in order to `entice the learning’. ecological knowledge for This book contains activities to The material is drawn from the sustainability, autonomy and equity. stimulate critical thinking and Development Studies Course Their collective and empowering discussion, inspirational stories, and conducted at Selly Oak Colleges in experience is vividly captured in the instructions for simple health the UK, and has been tried and tested accompanying videos which show the technologies such as water in NGOs worldwide. The text is outcomes of participatory action purification methods, safe toilets, and enlivened by the comments, insights research facilitated by the Deccan non-toxic cleaning products. Created and humour of those who have taken Development Society (DDS) and IIED by Hesperian in collaboration with part in the training and contains on Sustaining Local Food Systems, 120 communities from over 33 many photographs and line drawings. Agricultural Biodiversity and countries, the guide is full of This book is an invaluable resource Livelihoods. The videos were explanations and actions that for the established trainer and the produced by women farmers who are individuals, families, and communities would-be trainer. also village-level film makers with the can take to address both the Available from The Institute of Applied Community Media Trust of the DDS. symptoms and root causes of today’s Social Studies, The University of Edgbaston, These films show how local pressing environmental problems. Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. Email: organisations of marginalised women Book and CD available from Hesperian [email protected] farmers and urban food consumers Books, 1919 Addison Street, Suite 304, Price £18 plus postage.

140 Events & Training

change. Registration fees from This Training of Trainers is a specialised IN TOUCH Events and US$1,550 per person. workshop for experienced trainers in For more information visit: the development sector from Asia, training www.capwip.org/3rdglobalcongress.htm; Africa, the Americas, Australia and Third Global Congress of Women in Email: [email protected]. Europe, who beyond the basics of VIPP Politics and Governance want to improve their trainer skills 19th–22nd October 2008, Philippines MA Programme Links: Science, developing and designing their own Society and Development training project. The Center for Asia-Pacific Women in October 2008, Institute of Development This VIPP Training of Trainers Politics (CAPWIP) and the United Studies, UK emphasises: Nations International Strategy for • Advanced facilitation and Disaster Risk Reduction (UN/ISDR) are The study of science and society is presentation skills, which will enhance hosting the Third Global Congress of among the liveliest fields in higher group qualities, synergy and output, Women in Politics and Governance in education and one of the fastest including attitudes, behaviours and Makati City, Metro Manila. The growing research areas worldwide. values of the facilitator. congress theme is Gender in Climate The MA in Science, Society and • Repertoire of VIPP methods and tools Change and Disaster Risk Reduction. Development focuses on the most used in training. Reflection about the Women and environment experts vital health, environment and intercultural dimensions of group have raised concern over the absence agricultural concerns of today. But it events. of women in the discourse and debate also asks: how can science and • Visualisation skills using various on climate change and disaster risk technology best contribute to poverty media, including cards and charts, reduction, both of which are major reduction, social justice and drawings and diagrammatic global mainstream issues. The environmental sustainability in the representations. involvement of women in areas of developing world? The MA focuses on • The logic and processes involved in environmental management and is of practical and policy questions and training events. considerable importance in the combines a solid grounding in This training combines short promotion of environmental ethics. development theories with an visualised inputs, individual tasks, The overall purpose is to provide a understanding of the politics and group work, team cooperation, forum for legislators and decision- governance of scientific knowledge learning by doing and constructive makers in national governments and and policy. Based in the Knowledge, feedback. Key concepts, quality leaders at all levels in formulating Technology and Society Team (KNOTS) standards and training formats are gender-responsive legislation and at IDS, the course is linked to major generated by all participants, a programmes related to gender in new global research hub, the Social, cooperative working style is climate change and disaster risk Technological and Environmental encouraged and good group dynamics reduction. Pathways to Sustainability Centre are essential parts of learning and The discussions will be organised (STEPS). Two full scholarships are practicing. around identifying the challenges, available in 2008 for African Students. For more information visit: defining the appropriate responses and For more information visit: www.southbound.com.my/vipp/index.html defining and elaborating actions to www.ids.ac.uk/ids/teach/mascience.html or and http://vipp.wordpress.com/about cope with climate change and its contact: Julia Brown, MA Programme Registration fee 850 Euro or equivalent in impacts and preparedness and disaster Administrator, Tel: +44 1273 678869; +44 US$ for training fee, lodging (5 nights), full risk reduction. Special attention will be 1273 915643; Email: [email protected] board, VIPP Manual, CD with base material. given to defining how women and Send registration to: Timmi Tillmann, gender could be mainstreamed. The Advanced Training of Trainers: Gomaringerstr. 6, D-72810 Gomaringen, SW- Congress should define how women Visualisation in Participatory Germany. Tel: +49 7072 505656 can be given the social space to Programmes (VIPP) Email: [email protected] participate, influence, and benefit from 10–14th November 2008 Deadline for registration is 20 September global and local responses to climate St. Ulrich, Black Forest, Germany 2008.

141 142 IN TOUCH Events & Training www For moreinformationvisit: political emergencies. for appropriate responses incomplex, withdevelopingpolicies concerned development programmes and those implementation ofaidand engaged intheplanningand particularly relevant forthose peacebuilding programmes. Itis development, rightsand management responsibility forrelief, and thosewithadvisory andnationalagencies international emerging from thefield. to examinethekeyissuesthatare experience ofparticipantsandtutors situations. Itwilldrawonthe responses incomplexpolitical develop policiesforappropriate to developconstructiveways complex situations. between policyandpracticein work. Itfocusesontherelationship relief anddevelopmentagencies circumstances withinwhichmany unpredictable andrapidlychanging ways ofengagingwiththe participants toidentifyconstructive course isdesignedtoassist 1046 BristolRoadBirmingham, B296LJ. Tel: www.comminit.com Events andtraining listedon Responding toConflict(R This five-daycourseisrunby UK and practice Peacebuilding: Strengthening policy www.comminit.com events andtraining,visit information onthefullrangeof forthcoming events.Formore The followingare aselectionof 17th–21st November2008, Birmingham, This courseisforstaff of The coursewillenableparticipants .respond.org/PSPP.htm orcontact: TC). The fee: £970. 4119; Email: [email protected]. Course +44 1214155641; Fax +44121415 1603 591170; Email: [email protected] Kingdom. Tel: +441603 592340; Fax: +44 East Anglia, NorwichNR47TJ, United Development Group(ODG), Universityof Since 1997,theW World Rural Women’s Day This moduleisof for monitoringandevaluation(M&E) Management informationsystems world. more than100countriesaround the Celebrations andeventstake place in campaign, World RuralWomen’s Day. empowerment andeducational organised anannualworldwide Summit Foundation(WWSF)has dg/prodev/MIS orcontact: www1.uea.ac.uk/cm/home/schools/ssf/dev/o (including accommodation). software packages. competency incommonlyavailable Participants shouldpossessbasic can befieldtestedwithlivedata. take homeaworkablesystem,which the MISsoftware. Participantswill WebWorld software), Wide develops packages (database,spreadsheet and further andusingavailablesoftware designed. Week twotakesthedesign structure foreachparticipant’s MISis (MIS) inatwo-weekperiod. Management InformationSystem Information Technology (IT)Based the opportunitytodevelopan provides professional managerswith Overseas DevelopmentGroup. It For moreinformationvisit: 15th October2008, globally 1st–2nd Sept2008, Norwich, UK Course fee:£2,800perperson In weekone,theunderlying fered bythe omen’s World Overseas involvement andparticipation ofthe the communitywithactive prevention ofdisabilitytakesplacein Increasingly, rehabilitation and rehabilitation intheNetherlands. in managementofdisabilityand [email protected] [email protected] +41 0227388248; Email: Switzerland. Tel: +410 22 7386619; Fax: CH-1202 Geneva, POBox 143, Geneva, Foundation (WWSF), 11 Avenue delaPaix, contact: Women’sor Summit World of In September2008,Enablementwill Netherlands Community basedrehabilitation www For moreinformationvisit: according totheirowncircumstances. to makethisdaymeaningful organisations, groups, orcommittees eye. Itisuptoindividual profile ofruralwomeninthepublic be concrete andvisibletoraisethe however, thatanyactivitiesorevents and traditions.Itisimportant, according tospecificlocalpriorities independently indifferent ways credit totheirwork. to ruralwomenandgivevalue remind societyhowmuchtheyowe obscurity atleastonceayear–to by bringingruralwomenoutof Women’s Dayintendstochangethis largely unnoticed.World Rural Their vitalcontributiontosocietygoes extension, trainingandeducation. services suchascredit, inputs, to secure landrightsortoaccessvital status, theyfrequently lackthepower of theruralareas. Yet, withlittleorno and inthedevelopmentstability a majorrole inensuringfoodsecurity fer afour-week course international 15th September–10thOctober2008, Activities canbeorganised Rural womentheworldoverplay .woman.ch/women/2-introduction.php IN TOUCH 143 Events & Training & Events [email protected] or Tel: +44 141 Tel: or [email protected] Registration is now open – visit engagement government in seventeen countries water management decisions the UN Brisbane Declaration a tool for CSR 950 3062. www.cadispa.org then select www.cadispa.org and ‘registration’. ‘conference’ Diane Coyle more information contact: For at diane response from participants wanting to from response been astonishing with has present to present. over 70 abstracts accepted These include: Guiding principles in community • of local people to The relationship • in Good neighbour agreements • Light rail development in Phoenix • Stakeholders driving business • CSR and sustainable development • Citizens inside public health policy • The Australian citizens parliament • A framework for the evaluation of • Concept of Zakat: Islamic charity as • The conference is a unique The conference Public participation and CSR is a Energy: CSR as a permeated business concept University: International law, participation and CSR participation as a international standard risk to community well-being International Association for Public first time the Participation and the has been international conference of North held beyond the shores America. for a forum opportunity that provides governments, communities, industry, NGOs, academic institutions, and key the world. around thinkers from Keynote speakers include: and Southern Scottish Alan Young: • McBarnett: Doreen Oxford Professor • ISO 26000: Public Martin Neureiter: • Douthwaite: Oil peak and Richard • a new politics of new arena: in business towards responsibility communities and to citizens. The .enablement.nl or contact Enablement, athclyde, Glasgow, UK Glasgow, athclyde, 2008 International Conference, University 2008 International Conference, This is the major annual event for the 27th–29th August 2008 of Str Public Participation and Corporate Public Participation from Social Responsibility: why to how community. Appropriate technology Appropriate community. are groups is advocated, self-help business formed, microfinance training is started etc. Everything is empowerment of the towards geared people with disability and the communities in which they live. This rehabilitation to course is offered and disability and professionals development workers and activists. Please apply well in advance. more information visit: For www Langenhorst 36, 2402 PX Alphen aan de 2402 PX Langenhorst 36, +31 172 436953; Tel: Netherlands. The Rijn, Email: 172 244976; +31 Fax: [email protected] 144 IN TOUCH policy engagementhub,funded bythe interdisciplinary globalresearch and The STEPSCentre isanew The STEPSCentre download onlinepublications. forum, aswellsomefree-to- members. Italsoincludesanewe- processes inpracticefrom network about participatorydevelopment 2008, andincludesrecent case studies The RCPLAwebsitewasrelaunched in impact onprocesses ofsocial change. development practitionerstostrengthen networkof diverse, international in 1997.Itsaimistobringtogethera RCPLA isaglobalnetworkestablished Learning and Action Resource Centres forParticipatory registered users. resources onERILare accessible onlyto Impact emailnewsletter. Anumberof how tosubscribetheManagingfor online resources, andinformationon forthcoming trainingevents,related manage forimpact. pro-poor interventionstoeffectively of stakeholdersandactorsinvolvedin (SMIP) aimstostrengthen thecapacity Strengthening ManagingforImpact better managetowards impact. information andknowledgeinorder to poor initiativesofsharingandutilising a culture amongststakeholdersofpro- Africa. andsouthern (SMIP) ineastern Strengthening ManagementforImpact hosted bytheRegionalProgramme on Center(ERIL)websiteis Learning The Electronic Resource Information& Impact Strengthening Managementfor e-participation www.steps-centre.org www.rcpla.org www.managing4impact.com The websiteincludeslinksto The RegionalProgramme on ERIL aimstofacilitateandpromote poor Internet connections. poor Internet accessible informationforthosewith information are available,providing containing STEPSnewsand news andnotificationwhennewCDs media, research andpolicybriefings, can signuptoSTEPSDirect, andreceive the STEPSCentre blog.Inaddition,you publications, aswell policy briefsandlinkstootherrelevant designs. There are workingpapers, and Themes –dynamics,governance, agriculture, water, andhealth– categorised bySTEPSDomains– projects attheSTEPSCentre. Theseare information onongoingresearch and website includesnewsfeatures and China, India,KenyaandArgentina.The Research intheUK,withpartners SPRU ScienceandTechnology Policy Institute ofDevelopmentStudiesand development. STEPSisbasedatthe communication onsustainabilityand understanding, actionand It aimstodevelopanewapproach to Economic andSocialResearch Council. researchers), decisionmakers and educators (teachers,students, and issues, anddevelopmentaid. communication, environment, legal gender issues,mediaand categories, suchasadultliteracy, training resources inmore than280 development. Itincludesover2700 grassroots levelinorder tofosterlocal development stakeholdersat available tolocalcommunitiesand capacity buildingresources openly objective istomaketrainingand stakeholders atagloballevel.The developed bydevelopment to trainingmaterialsandresources UNESCO initiativetofacilitateaccess The OpenTraining Platform(OTP)isa The Open Training Platform http://opentraining.unesco-ci.org This websiteisaimedattrainers, The Crossing, distributed locally. resources onCD-ROM,whichare forum. Userscanalsorequest training are alsoplansforaninterest-based improvement oftheplatform.There critical commentsandideasforthe system fornewmaterialandprovide You canalsoregister foranalert register before submittingmaterial. CBOs, andothers. development agencies,NGOsand development practitioners, including UNagenciesandpartners, contributed byawidenetwork Training resources havebeen and socialworkers,civilservants. environmental specialists,development cultural actors,healthspecialists, archivists andinformationspecialists, scientists, mediapeople,librarians, policy makers,entrepreneurs, farmers, about participatoryapproaches. progress reports; andinformation working andconference papers; recommendations; atrainingmanual; storybook casestudies;principles and guide toprocess documentation; a guidelines towatergovernance; of onlineresources, including Palestine. Thewebsiteincludesahost implemented inEgypt,Jordan, and Local Water Managementandwas Regional MEDAWater Programme for through theEuropean Union’s (2003–2007) wasmainlyfunded development. TheEMPOWERSproject water resources managementand to empowerlocalpeopleinintegrated by advocatingstakeholder-led activities by localcommunities.Itaimstodoso to improve long-termaccesstowater of fifteenorganisationsalliedtogether EMPOWERS isaregional partnership Water Resources Scenarios EMPOWERS: Euro-Med Participatory www.project.empowers.info To contribute,usersneedto RCPLA Network

In this section, we update readers on activities of the Tel/Fax: +94 1 587361; Email: [email protected] RCPLA NETWORK Resource Centres for Participatory Learning and Action West Africa Region: Awa Faly Ba Mbow, IED-Afrique, BP Network (RCPLA) Network (www.rcpla.org) and its 5579 Dakar Fann, Senegal. Tel: +221 33 867 10 58; members. RCPLA is a diverse, international network of Fax: +221 33 867 10 59; Email: [email protected] national-level organisations, which brings together Website: www.iedafrique.org development practitioners from around the globe. It was European Region: Jane Stevens, Participation, Power and formally established in 1997 to promote the use of Social Change Group, Institute of Development Studies participatory approaches to development. The network is (IDS), University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE, UK. dedicated to capturing and disseminating development Tel: + 44 1273 678690; Fax: + 44 1273 21202; perspectives from the South. For more information please Email: [email protected]; Website: contact the RCPLA Network Steering Group: www.ids.ac.uk/ids/particip RCPLA Coordination and North Africa & Middle East Region: Participatory Learning and Action Editorial Team, Ali Mokhtar, Near East Foundation – Middle East Region, International Institute for Environment and Development Center for Development Services (CDS), 4 Ahmed Pasha (IIED), 3 Endsleigh Street, London WC1H 0DD, UK. Tel: +44 Street, 10th Floor, Garden City, Cairo, Egypt. Tel: +20 2 795 207 388 2117; Fax: +44 207 388 2826; Email: 7558; Fax: +20 2 794 7278; Email: [email protected]; [email protected]; Website: www.planotes.org [email protected]; Website: Latin America Region: Jordi Surkin Beneria, www.neareast.org/main/cds/default.aspx Grupo Nacional de Trabajo para la Participacion. Tel : +591 Asia Region: Tom Thomas, Director, Institute for 3 3519845; Email: [email protected]; skype: jsurkin Participatory Practices (Praxis), S-75 South Extension, Part II, Eastern Africa Region: Eliud Wakwabubi, Participatory New Delhi, India 110 049. Tel/Fax: +91 11 5164 2348 to 51; Methodologies Forum of Kenya (PAMFORK), Jabavu Road, Email: [email protected]; www.praxisindia.org PCEA Jitegemea Flats, Flat No. D3, PO Box 2645, KNH Post Jayatissa Samaranayake, Institute for Participatory Office, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel/Fax: +254 2 716609; Email: Interaction in Development (IPID), 591 Havelock Road, [email protected] Colombo 06, Sri Lanka. Tel: +94 1 555521;

News from the RCPLA Network capabilities. The momentum created participatory practices in all spheres of Coordinator on the first day helped members to human development. Praxis carries Deepening Participation for Social discuss the future of the network and out consultancies, and also engages Change was selected as the RCPLA work closely to develop a focused in several self-funded initiatives to theme for 2008–2009. The most network plan for the coming years. further the cause of participatory recent RCPLA workshop was held in For more details about the Cairo development. TheWorkshop is one Cairo from 4th–6th March 2008. It workshop, and to learn more about such initiative. reaffirmed the network’s focus on RCPLA news and activities, please visit Now in its twelfth year, this event helping organisations adopt the newly redesigned website at provides development workers, policy participatory approaches, and www.rcpla.org. To join the RCPLA makers and proactive individuals with improving and deepening network please contact Ms Passinte a forum for reflection as well as understanding and implementation of Isaak, email: [email protected] learning. Participants can learn about participation. This workshop was also the latest tools, techniques and trends an opportunity for network members News from the Asian Regional in participatory development from to gather together from around the Coordinator experienced workers in the field. globe. We gave particular attention to Praxis – the Institute for Participatory Over the years, this event has building group cohesion and Practices – is currently organising drawn an enthusiastic response from ‘bridging the gap’ between old and TheWorkshop’08, an annual the sector. More than 1100 new members, allowing old and new commune on participatory participants from 33 different to interconnect, share information development. Based in New Delhi, countries and organisations have and lessons learnt, and benefit from with branches in Chennai, Patna and attended to date. Among these are each others’ experiences and London, Praxis works to promote participants from the Asian

145 146 RCPLA NETWORK RCPLA Network Photo: Praxis with Bread fortheWorld (BftW)todo Kenya (PAMFORK) hascollaborated Participatory MethodologiesForum of survey, during 2007–2008 Following uponitsrecent hunger Lessons fromKenya National SocialProtectionStrategies? be countedinthedevelopmentof How canpractitionersstandupand Regional Coordinator News from theeastern Africa www.theworkshop.in more information,visit look outforthiseventnextyear!For has nowclosedfor2008,butplease Thrissur (Kerala),India.Registration held from 19th–28thAugust2008,in departments. government NGOsandvarious international organisations, nationaland bilateral andmultilateral and Brooke Hospital,aswellother Cross, DanishRedCross, JICA,Oxfam CARITAS, NIPRANET, British Red Bank, UNDP, UNOPS,ActionAid,Care, Development Bank(ADB),World This year, TheWorkshop’08 willbe extremely poorsectionsofsociety. that canworkforthevulnerable and understand socialprotection systems systems. Thiswillallowthem to better systems orimplementingbasic security responsible forsocialprotection partners andnationalagencies findings willbeusefultoalltheBftW appropriate corrective measures. The security andhowtodesign what inhibitspeople’s accesstosocial work ofBftWpartnersbyanalysing security systemsandcomplementthe communities cansustainsocial to direct attentiontohow study. Thestudyfindingsare expected the knowledgegathered from the of policyrecommendations basedon provided asolidcontributioninterms light onsocialsecuritysystemsand Africa andZambia. Brazil, India,Kenya,Namibia,South studyinBangladesh, international actors. Itwaspartofawider partners andotherindependent survey covered theworkofBftW of socialprotection inKenya.The a surveyonbasicsocialsecurityaspart The findingshelpedtoshedmore at TheWorkshop’07. facilitating asession Dr RobertChambers CSOs andorganisationsinvolved in such asdevelopmentpartners, NGOs, departments, andotherstakeholders ministriesand several government Kenya are multi-sectoralandinvolve needed. social protection strategies are protect theirbasiclivelihoods. Greater protection intheshort-term to not sustainable.Theyrequire social andothers.Butthisis government emergency supportfrom the displaced peopledependonrelief and The majorityofthoseinternally their homesandabout1200killed. people havebeendisplacedfrom violence inwhichmore than350,000 exacerbated bythepost-election vulnerability inKenyahasbeen vulnerability. Extreme povertyand people intoextreme povertyand – whichhasfurtherdrivenmore of basiccommodities,especiallyfood recession hasresulted inrisingprices safety-net mechanisms. and abreakdown oftraditional a lackofincomefollowingretirement degradation, theHIV/AIDSpandemic, floods anddrought, environmental including naturaldisasterssuchas because ofawiderangefactors, Many are vulnerabletopoverty meet theirbasicfoodrequirements. live inhardcore povertyunableto the nationalpovertylinewhile19% 46% ofthepopulationlivingbelow greatest challengesfacingKenyawith UNICEF andUNDP. and SocialServiceswithsupportfrom Ministry ofGender, Sports,Culture The exercise isspearheadedbythe Protection Strategyforthecountry. developing theKenyaNationalSocial hoping toplayaleadrole in Social protection activities in The current worldwideeconomic Poverty andvulnerabilityare the Following thestudy, PAMFORK is RCPLA Network

providing social protection at different report, policy brief and a series of systems, the biodiversity they depend RCPLA NETWORK levels. But a lack of coordination is a case studies. In particular it addresses on and the livelihoods they support. major impediment to effective experiences, challenges and lessons The project identified ways of delivery. A social protection strategy is from different participation sustaining local crop and livestock required to coordinate the roles and practitioners in the UK and diversity to increase people’s contributions of different internationally. To receive a pack email livelihoods options and their ability to stakeholders. A social protection [email protected] adapt to climate change. The project policy will also raise awareness We are still welcoming sparked a revival of local food culture amongst important government applications for the MA in that is helping to preserve agricultural decision makers and development Participation, Power and Social biodiversity and traditional farming partners. Change. The course will start in practices in several hundred villages in Ghana and Pakistan already have October this year and is designed for Medak district, Andhra Pradesh. national social protection strategies, working practitioners who wish to The women involved in the project and several African countries are in study and practice ways of increasing decided that they wanted to use the process of developing them, the participation, influence and voice video to document the research and including Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda of people in development processes. share its findings. The Deccan and Zambia. This is emerging as best If you would like further information Development Society had previously practice in addressing poverty and please contact [email protected] trained villagers to use video and had vulnerability in developing countries. Finally, our Participation Resource proven that non-literacy was no Practitioners in other countries need Centre holds a collection of practical barrier. The project shows that local to play a proactive role to ensure and analytical materials relating to food systems, crop and livestock informed and meaningful community participatory approaches to diversity, and livelihoods can be participation in creating and development, citizenship, rights, sustained in the face of modern implementing social protection governance and the environment. pressures. As such, it offers both strategies. Details of the collection are available policy and practical guidance for the We believe that ‘a stitch in time through our website programme of work on agricultural saves nine’. PAMFORK is calling on all www.pnet.ids.ac.uk/prc and we run a biodiversity that the Conference of practitioners wherever they are to limited information and document Parties of the Convention on stand up and be counted – for the delivery service, which is free to those Biological Diversity approved in 1996. time is now! in the South – please email: For more information, and to [email protected]. order a copy of the book Affirming News from the Institute of Life and Diversity and 12 films on 4 Development Studies (IDS) News from IIED DVDs, see our In Touch section. The Participation, Power and Social Change Group at IDS is pleased to Affirming Life and Diversity: how What next for IIED? Video messages announce the launch of the Indian farmers became filmmakers to IIED from our partners in Peru Champions of Participation Resource Non-literate Indian farmers have IIED has been undergoing a critical Pack. The Champions of Participation turned into filmmakers, to take part process to develop its new events took place in June 2007 and in a research project. The project’s institutional strategy. IIED and the January 2008 in the UK. Local innovative ethical approach is Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity government officers, elected officials described in a new book and series of and Livelihoods (SABL) programme and citizen representatives from 14 films, which were launched at the UN believes that it is very important to different countries came together to Convention on Biological Diversity find ways of including the analysis share their experiences of citizen conference in Bonn in May 2008. and views of local partners with participation in local governance. A IIED, Deccan Development Society whom we work. We recognise that new resource pack drawn from this and a team of village-based women's our choices should fully take into international learning experience is groups (sanghams) teamed up to account their perspectives, their now available. The pack includes a study ways to sustain local food contribution to our success, and the

147 RCPLA Network

impact of whatever we decide on a range of non-literate and literate We now have a series of video their work. people with whom we work in Peru, messages sent by indigenous During the month of April 2008, India and Iran. communities and other partners IIED collaborated with ANDES The goal of this consultation is to based in Peru. An outline of the (Association for Nature and listen to communities’ views and methodology used for this Sustainable Development) an priorities – and understand how IIED participatory video process is also indigenous NGO based in Cusco, can better work together with its on the website as well as a Peru. We asked indigenous partners and the communities they description of the questions used. communities in the Peruvian Andes represent, to achieve common More videos will be added soon, RCPLA NETWORK to help frame IIED’s next Institutional objectives. These consultations are including the ex-Minister of the Strategy on policy research and crucial in integrating perspectives Environment and indigenous advocacy work. from our partners on emerging parliamentarians. Other videos will We invited some of our partners priorities and bodies of work: show national and international to give their views on what IIED • how they see us and to get their perspectives/analysis to should be doing next as part of its perceptions of what added value complement the local community new institutional strategy. Following IIED brings to the work on perspectives which you can now extensive discussions, SABL and its sustainable environment and access on this website. partners decided to use participatory development; and You can watch the videos video methods to elicit views, • how they think an organisation like online at www.iiedwhatnext.org analysis and recommendations from IIED can make a difference.

148 55 56 57 55 56 participatory learning and action57 participatory learning and action participatory learning and action participatory learning and action Practical tools for Immersions: 55 community conservation56 General issue 57 learning about 55 in southern Africa56 57 poverty face-to-face 55 56 57 55 56 57 56 55 June 2007 December 2006 57 December 2007 55 56 57 order form The Participatory Learning and Action series has teamed up with IngentaConnect, a leading international online publisher. Recent and current issues are now available to purchase online. Visit: www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iiedpla/pla Prices: Download whole issue in PDF format: US$32.00/£18.00 Subscribers to the series can access their Download per article/PDF: US$15.00/£7.50 subscription online at no extra charge. Most back issues can be downloaded free of charge from our website www.planotes.org See our subscriptions form for details. Quantity Order no: required Issue 58: Jun 2008 US$32.00 14562 IIED Towards empowered participation: stories and reflections ...... Issue 57: Dec 2007 US$32.00 14558 IIED Immersions: learning about poverty face-to-face ...... Issue 55: Dec 2006 US$32.00 14523 IIED Practical tools for community conservation in southern Africa ...... Issue 54: Apr 2006 US$32.00 14507 IIED Mapping for change: practice, technologies and communications ...... Issue 53: Dec 2005 US$32.00 14505 IIED Tools for influencing power and policy ...... Issue 51: Apr 2005 US$32.00 9526 IIED Civil society and poverty reduction ...... Issue 50: Oct 2004 US$32.00 9440 IIED Critical reflections, future directions ...... Issue 49: Apr 2004 US$32.00 9312 IIED Decentralisation and community-based planning ...... Issue 48: Dec 2003 US$32.00 9284 IIED Learning and teaching participation ...... Issue 47: Aug 2003 US$32.00 9260 IIED General issue (Mini-theme: parti-numbers) ...... Issue 46: Feb 2003 US$32.00 9224 IIED Participatory processes for policy change ...... Issue 45: Oct 2002 US$32.00 9218 IIED Community-based animal health care ...... Issue 44: June 2002 US$32.00 9216 IIED Local government and participation ...... Issue 43: Feb 2002 US$32.00 9133 IIED Advocacy and citizen participation ...... Issue 42: Oct 2001 US$32.00 9113 IIED Children’s participation – evaluating effectiveness ...... Issue 40: Feb 2001 US$32.00 6345 IIED Deliberative democracy and citizen empowerment ...... Issue 39: Oct 2000 US$25.00 6344 IIED Popular communications ...... Issue 38: June 2000 US$25.00 6341 IIED Participatory processes in the North ...... Issue 37: Feb 2000 US$25.00 6335 IIED Sexual and reproductive health ...... Issue 35: June 1999 US$25.00 6154 IIED Community water management ...... Issue 34: Feb 1999 US$25.00 6150 IIED Learning from analysis ...... Issue 33: Oct 1998 US$25.00 6143 IIED Understanding market opportunities ...... Issue 32: June 1998 US$25.00 6137 IIED Participation, literacy and empowerment ...... Issue 31: Feb 1998 US$25.00 6131 IIED Participatory monitoring and evaluation ...... Issue 30: Oct 1997 US$25.00 6129 IIED Participation and fishing communities ...... Issue 29: June 1997 US$25.00 6123 IIED Performance and participation ...... Issue 28: Feb 1997 US$25.00 6115 IIED Methodological complementarity ...... Issue 27: Oct 1996 US$25.00 6114 IIED Participation, policy and institutionalisation ...... Issue 25: Feb 1996 US$25.00 6099 IIED Children’s participation ...... Issue 24: Oct 1995 US$25.00 6093 IIED Critical reflections from practice ...... Please also visit our website www.planotes.org or contact Earthprint Ltd Return to: Earthprint Ltd. PO Box 119, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 4TP, UK. Tel: +44 1438 748111; Fax: +44 1438 748844; Email: [email protected]; Website: www.planotes.org or www.earthprint.com First Name: Surname: Organisation: Address/PO Box: Postal code Country: Tel: Fax: Email: Full set of back copies from issues 1 to 58 only US$500 plus postage and packaging (counts as one item). Order number: 6098IIED. Please note that due to cost restrictions we are unable to supply, or respond to requests for, free copies of back issues. Shipping charges: UK US$5 for the first item; US$2.50 for each additional item; Europe US$6 for the first item; US$3 for each additional item Rest of the world US$10 for the first item; US$5 for each additional item (counted as one item). PAYMENT INFORMATION I enclose an international money order or US$ cheque drawn on a US bank account to the value of: US$ I enclose a UK cheque to the value of (use an exchange rate of US$2 to £1): £ Cheques should be made payable to Earthprint Limited Please debit my credit card to the value of: £ VISA Mastercard American Express Credit Card Number: Expiry Date: Holder’s Name: Signature: Card Address (if different from above): Please send my institution an invoice Do you wish your details to be disclosed to others? Yes/No participatory learning and action subscriptions order form

Return to: Participatory Learning and Action, Research Information Ltd, Grenville Court, Britwell Road, Burnham, Buckinghamshire, SL1 8DF. Tel: +44 1628 600499; Fax: +1628 600488. Email: [email protected] Alternatively, subscribe securely online: www.researchinformation.co.uk ISSN: 1357 938X. Shipping included in price. Subscriptions are free of charge to individuals and organisations from the South and to community/voluntary groups from the North with limited or no funding for resources. We ask that individuals and institutions from countries in the North – including northern organisations based in the South – pay for a subscription.† Please ask if you need clarification about your free subscription entitlement. Individual paid subscriptions are those paid from an individual's own pockets and not reimbursed by an institution. Published 2-3 times a year, Participatory Learning and Action (formerly PLA Notes) is the world's leading informal journal on participatory approaches and methods. NEW! Online subscriptions The Participatory Learning and Action series has teamed up with IngentaConnect, a leading international online publisher. All subscribers can now access their PLA subscription on the Internet, whether you are a free or paying subscriber. You can also choose to take out an online only subscription if you prefer not to receive paper copies as well. See below for more details. Prices: Individual subscriptions: One year: US$56 or £30 Two years: US$94 or £50 Three years: US$132 or £70 Institutional subscriptions: One year: US$150 or £80 Two years: US$262 or £140 Three years: US$375 or £200 Institutional bulk subscriptions: One year: US$75 or £40 Two years: US$132 or £70 Three years: US$188 or £100 Our 50% discount applies to orders of 5 or more institutional subscriptions sent to one address – save up to US$188/£100 compared to single institutional subscriptions! Subscription type I would like to receive a paper copy of my subscription in addition to an online subscription I would like an online subscription only How would you like us to contact you with information on how to access your subscription? Please email me Please contact me by post Please print your email address clearly and legibly in the box below:

First Name: Surname: Organisation: Address/PO Box: Postal Code : Country: Tel: Fax: † Countries from the North are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey, UK, USA.

Payment information I would like a free subscription† I enclose an international money order or US$ cheque drawn on a US bank account to the value of: US$ I enclose a UK cheque to the value of: £ Cheques should be made payable to IIED Please debit my credit card to the value of: £ VISA Mastercard Credit Card Number: Expiry Date: Holder’s Name: Signature: Card Address (if different from above): Please send my institution an invoice Please indicate what type of organisation you work for: Please indicate what your area of work/interests are: NOTES NOTES

151 NOTES NOTES

152 participatory learning and action

Guidelines for contributors involved in participatory approaches; now housed by the Institute of For a full set of guidelines, visit our • an assessment of the impacts of a Development Studies, UK. Practical website www.planotes.org or contact us participatory process; information and support on participation at the address below. • potentials and limitations of scaling up in development is also available from the and institutionalising participatory various members of the RCPLA Network. Types of material accepted approaches; and, This initiative is a global network of • Articles: max. 2500 words plus • potentials and limitations of resource centres for participatory illustrations – see below for guidelines. participatory policy-making processes. learning and action, which brings • Feedback: letters to the editor, or together 15 organisations from Africa, longer pieces (max. 1500 words) which Language and style Asia, South America, and Europe. The respond in more detail to articles. Please try to keep contributions clear and RCPLA Network is committed to • Tips for trainers: training exercises, tips accessible. Sentences should be short and information sharing and networking on on running workshops, reflections on simple. Avoid jargon, theoretical participatory approaches. behaviour and attitudes in training, terminology, and overly academic Each member is itself at the centre of etc., max. 1000 words. language. Explain any specialist terms a regional or national network. Members • In Touch: short pieces on forthcoming that you do use and spell out acronyms in share information about activities in their workshops and events, publications, full. respective countries, such as training and online resources. programmes, workshops and key events, We welcome accounts of recent Abstracts as well as providing PLA information experiences in the field (or in workshops) Please include a brief abstract with your focused on the particular fields in which and current thinking around article (circa. 150-200 words). they operate. participation, and particularly encourage More information, including regular contributions from practitioners in the References updates on RCPLA activities, can be found South. Articles should be co-authored by If references are mentioned, please in the In Touch section of Participatory all those engaged in the research, include details. Participatory Learning Learning and Action, or by visiting project, or programme. and Action is intended to be informal, www.rcpla.org, or contacting the network In an era in which participatory rather than academic, so references coordinator: Ali Mokhtar, CDS, Near East approaches have often been viewed as a should be kept to a minimum. Foundation, 4 Ahmed Pasha Street, 10th panacea to development problems or Floor, Garden City, Cairo, Egypt. Tel: +20 2 where acquiring funds for projects has Photographs and drawings 795 7558; Fax: +2 2 794 7278; Email: depended on the use of such These should have captions and the [email protected] methodologies, it is vital to pay name(s) of the author(s)/photographer attention to the quality of the methods clearly written on the back. If you are Participation at IDS and process of participation. Whilst we sending electronic files, please make sure Participatory approaches and will continue to publish experiences of that the photos/drawings are scanned at a methodologies are also a focus for the innovation in the field, we would like to high enough resolution for print (300 dpi) Participation, Power and Social Change emphasise the need to analyse the and include a short caption and credit(s). Group at the Institute of Development limitations as well as the successes of Studies, University of Sussex, UK. This participation. Participatory Learning and Format group of researchers and practitioners is Action is still a series whose focus is We accept handwritten articles but involved in sharing knowledge, in methodological, but it is important to please write legibly. Typed articles should strengthening capacity to support quality give more importance to issues of power be double-spaced. Please keep participatory approaches, and in in the process and to the impact of formatting as simple as possible. Avoid deepening understanding of participation, asking ourselves who sets embedded codes (e.g. footnotes/ participatory methods, principles, and the agenda for participatory practice. It endnotes, page justification, page ethics. It focuses on South-South sharing, is only with critical analysis that we can numbering). exchange visits, information exchange, further develop our thinking around action research projects, writing, and participatory learning and action. Submitting your contribution training. Services include a Participation We particularly favour articles which Contributions can be sent on paper or by Resource Centre (open weekdays) with contain one or more of the following email to: The Editors, Participatory an online database detailing materials elements: Learning and Action , IIED, 3 Endsleigh held. The Group also produces a • an innovative angle to the concepts of Street, London WC1 0DD, UK. newsletter and operates an email participatory approaches or their Fax: +44 20 7388 2826 distribution list. application; Email: [email protected] For further information please • critical reflections on the lessons learnt Website: www.planotes.org contact: Jane Stevens, IDS, University of from the author’s experiences; Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE, UK. • an attempt to develop new methods, Resource Centres for Participatory Learning Tel: +44 1273 678690 or innovative adaptations of existing and Action (RCPLA) Network Fax: +44 1273 621202 ones; Since June 2002, the IIED Resource Centre Email: [email protected] • consideration of the processes for Participatory Learning and Action has Website: www.ids.ac.uk 58 58 58 58 Participatory Learning and Action is the world’s leading informal journal on participatory approaches and methods. It draws on the expertise of guest editors to provide up-to-the minute accounts of the development and use of participatory methods in specific fields. Since its first issue in 1987, Participatory Learning and Action has provided a forum for those engaged in participatory work – 58 community workers, activists, and researchers – to share their experiences, conceptual reflections and methodological innovations with others, providing a genuine ‘voice from the field’. It is a vital resource for those working to enhance the participation of ordinary people in local, regional, national, and international decision- making, in both South and North. 58

ISBN: 978-1-84369-707-7 ISSN: 1357-938X 58 Order no: 14562IIED

International Institute for Environment and Development 3 Endsleigh Street London WC1H 0DD, UK 58

Tel: +44 20 7388 2117 Fax: +44 20 7388 2826 Email: [email protected] Participatory Learning and Action website: www.planotes.org IIED website: www.iied.org 58