Long-term mindfulness meditation for anxiety, depression, pain and stress has not been adequately investigated in academic literature. The majority of literature in relation to mindfulness meditation and these ailments concerns Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. This is a short-term 6-8 week program that requires a licensed professional, is limited in availability, high cost, and combines other elements aside from mindfulness meditation, such as yoga, martial arts, group discussion, poetry and other teaching techniques meant to increase mindfulness concentration. Furthermore, efficacy studies, which have assessed the long-term impact of MBSR are inconclusive. Although these studies on long-term practice demonstrate a sustained positive impact from MBSR, they neglect the role that sustained individual practice and group practice played on participants. These participants continued long-term mindfulness meditation practice after the MBSR program had concluded. Moreover, there is a need to explore long-term mindfulness meditation and whether this is more efficacious regarding anxiety, depression, stress and pain than MBSR alone. This dissertation study explored, through 37 semi-structured qualitative interviews, the perceived effect of regular mindfulness meditation on practitioners in West Central Florida who have practiced longer than 6-8 weeks and maintain a consistent individual and group practice. No study of this kind is currently in existence. This exploratory study could provide further insight into dose-responses most beneficial for reducing anxiety, depression, stress and pain, and the potential role of mindfulness meditation alone in this relationship.

Tourism as an industry in the 20th and 21st Century has primarily been an international money-making industry which has attracted many governments of less developed countries as a fast mechanism for development. This has often involved a trade-off between the pursuit of economic wealth and support for the social, cultural and natural environments. The negative impacts of mass tourism in these economies are countless and well documented, especially as many of these countries are still trying to deal with impacts caused during colonial occupancy. Consequently, alternative tourism has been presented as a way to manage tourism development which is economically, social and ecologically sustainable. One manifestation of this trend is community-based tourism, which aims to be inclusive of the host communities as they plan for tourism and considers the socio cultural and natural resources and desires of tourists in a more equitable manner. The aim of this thesis is to determine how ecotrekking as a form of community-based tourism can provide a foundation for development for remote rural communities in developing countries. It was conceptually determined that if the needs of the community matched those of the tourists, then a sustainable ecotrekking industry can evolve. To explore this issue contextually, a case study of the Kokoda Track (KT) in Papua New Guinea is presented based around three research questions: 1. What role can market segmentation play in sustainable tourism development in remote rural communities? 2. What outcomes do the Kokoda Track communities envisage for the future of tourism on the Kokoda Track? 3. Do Kokoda tourists meet the outcomes envisaged by the community? A review of the literature found that market segmentation is a tool used in destination planning to assess visitor characteristics and match these to resource capabilities. It was employed in this study to determine the characteristics and needs of Kokoda tourists through a questionnaire survey distributed to trekkers via the tour operators. It was found that the Kokoda tourist is a university educated, middle-aged man who visits the KT for adventure and historical reasons. They have higher-order needs of personal development and knowledge and value the authenticity of the experience. The second research question was approached using secondary data analysis. Notes from Participatory Rural Appraisal workshops with community leaders in 2004 and 2005 were reinterpreted. The key themes to emerge were that the communities have a great need for basic facilities (education, transportation, telecommunications, medical infrastructure and water supplies) and they see tourism as an economic means to develop those facilities. They would like to build more guesthouses and provide food for tourists to increase revenue however, they are unsure of the extent to which this will be supported by trekkers. A comparative analysis of the findings from research questions 1 and 2 was employed to address the third research question. The quantitative needs of the tourist market segment were matched to the qualitative expectations of the communities. It was found that the current Kokoda tourist is in favour of many of the outcomes that the Kokoda communities envisage. These include the provision of locally made food and guesthouses. Further to this, the empirical results from the questionnaire found that ecotourists and cultural tourists are the tourist types that need to be targeted by operators. They indicated a strong match with the desires and needs of the Kokoda communities. For example, they indicated that the KT can cater for a much smaller number of trekkers than the other three pre-determined tourist types (adventure, organised and historic tourists). Additionally, the natural and cultural environments are more important to these tourist types inferring that the protection of these resources is of primary importance. Consequently, it was established that ecotrekking can play an important role in development in less developed countries, if the right market segment is targeted to meet the needs of the community. Generally this can then ensure a slower rate of development, which allows the communities to adjust to the changes that occur at both a socio-cultural level and also in the infrastructure within their communities. In the longer term it also allows them to see how tourism can provide long term benefits not offered in extractive industries such as forestry and mining.

The central argument of this thesis is that participative approaches to evaluating voluntary rural community-based organisations are an effective tool for organisational learning and ensuing rural community development. This proposition is explored through the evaluation and strategic planning of the Southern Riverina Rural Advisory Service, a community-based counselling organisation. The Service works with families experiencing financial hardship and associated stress. The thesis is multi-faceted and generic issues included: the importance of commitment by rural communities and organisations to creating frameworks for understanding and acting in integrated ways to the diversity, inter-relatedness and conflict of issues, wishes and needs of members, and to develop the capacity to transform contexts of dependency-oriented crisis situations to ones of self-responsible, interdependent change; the need to view contexts through integration of local, regional, national and global perspectives and to develop networks to integrate understanding and action; and to continue learning how to better enhance organisational and community-based learning. / Master of Science (Hons)

Thesis Summary COMMUNITY-BASED EVIDENCE ABOUT THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN RURAL VIETNAM This thesis contributes further evidence for policy-making on health care system reform in Vietnam. The author aims to provide insights into the provincial rural health system ten years after health sector reform was launched, through assessing availability of health care services, patterns of access of health care services when people are ill, and the costs of care and the performance of public and private providers. The following questions are addressed: 1. Which health care providers, i.e., public or private, are dominant in providing curative services to rural people when they are ill? 2. How much inequality exists between the poor and the non-poor in access to health care services in general, and public health care services in particular, when they are ill? Which factors explain the gap in use of services between the poor and the non-poor? 3. What policy and strategies should Vietnam consider implementing in order to reach the goals of better equity and quality of care for rural populations? These research questions were addressed using community-based survey data collected in 2001 from Hung Yen province, in which three components of the system -- user, provider, and community context -- are described and linked together in analysis. In addition, a supplementary health care provider survey collected in 1999 in three other provinces (Thai Binh, Binh Thuan, An Giang) is used to provide evidence about the availability of healthcare services in general and of private health care providers. The thesis is divided into two parts with a total of 9 chapters. Part A (chapters 1-4) provides background for the research questions raised about the commune health care system in rural Vietnam, the framework used in evaluating this health care system, and the data sources used in this thesis. Part B consists of five chapters (chapters 5-9) that presents research results on various dimensions of the rural health care system. It also provides conclusions on the health care system in rural Vietnam, and proposes policies and strategies for strengthening this system toward equity and efficiency. Chapter 1 presents the research rationale and objectives. It examine the international context of health sytem research, the Vietnamese context of health sector reform since the ?Doi Moi?, and the current trend of health sector reform, and the previous research done so far related to health system reform in Vietnam. The research questions addressed by the thesis are presented at the end of this chapter. Chapter 2 describes the historical development of rural health care system in Vietnam. It startes with an overview of social changes in the rural Vietnam including revolution and wars and both the positive and negative impacts on the health of rural populations. The evolution of the rural health care system is then outlined, from the single national provider system (public) to the reforms of 1989 where a public-private model for rural health care was introduced. Chapter 3 provides frameworks for analysis of availability, health accessibility, quality and efficiency of the rural health care system, and inequality of healthcare service utilization. It starts with a statement about the concept of health care system used in this thesis. Then five theoretical models for assessing the health care systems (health service utilization model, triangular model, model for improve quality of care, health care services as an open system, and the World Bank?s framework for assessing the performance of the health sector in serving the poor) are presented. The strategy of using these frameworks to assess the rural health system in Vietnam is explained. The link between the research questions and methodology used was described. Chapter 4 provides detailed descriptions of the two data sources and analysis strategies used to address the thesis research questions. The design and data collection methods of the health care provider surveys and household surveys in the four provinces are presented, followed by the specific strategy of using information from each database for the thesis objectives. The chapter ends with a presentation of the overall strategy of data analysis. Chapter 5 assesses availability of the commune health care system in rural areas of Vietnam with empirical data from all the four provinces. The findings show that both public and private health care providers are available in rural Vietnam, with a slight dominance of private services. There were commune health centers (CHCs) in all communes with at least one private physician in the majority of the communes. The average number of private providers ranged from 2.7 to 7.7 per 10,000 population in the four provinces. Many of them practiced without formal registration and under limited government supervision. Chapter 6 estimates perceived need of care by measuring the burden of non-fatal health problems with data from 3,498 people of 900 households randomly selected in Hung Yen province. Compared to the better off, the poor suffered significantly more long-term health ailments (an excess of 78 cases per thousand population) and more short-term morbidity (an excess of 112 cases per thousand population). The study found that the gap in household wealth index contributed approximately 55% of the explained gap in prevalence of long-term health conditions, equivalent to the gap of 60 cases per thousand population, and also 55% of the explained gap in short-term morbidity, equivalent to the gap of 38 cases per thousand population between the two groups based on the Oaxaca decomposition (D=0). Gaps in education, gender, health insurance, and occupation played a minor role in explaining the wealth-related inequalities in non-fatal health burden. Chapter 7 describes patterns of use of health care services when people are ill by type of providers, by type of illnesses, and by poverty ranking level. Findings in this chapter reveal a high level of self-medication, greater access to private than public services, and less use of public services or any health care services by the poor in comparison to the better off. Self-funded purchases of drugs for self-medication and use of private curative services were even common in those with health insurance. A single private provider contact for treatment of illness costs on average 2.6% of the total annual expenditure per capita, and self-medication with drugs purchased at private health care facilities costs 1.0% of total annual expenditure per capita, similarly these at district hospitals and commune heath centers were similar. Finally, the percentage of ill people with no access to any health care providers during their illness episode was high, regardless of their wealth or health insurance status. Chapter 8 compares the quality of private and public health services using a framework proposed by the World Bank for evaluating the quality of health care in developing countries. Results from this chapter show that technical quality of care was poorer in the private sector than among public providers while costs for patients were similar in private and public facilities, and client satisfaction was similar in public and private facilities. Chapter 9 summarizes the results from Chapters 5-8 to identify the main characteristics of the rural health system with a view to system sustainability and proposes policies and strategies for strengthening the quality of the public health care sector and improving its equity and efficiency. The main features of the current rural health care system in Vietnam identified from the community-based evidence found in this research are: (1) primary health care services are available and there is equality in physical access; (2) financial resources for the CHC system are diversified with Government resources the key contributors; (3) private health care providers for outpatient services, public providers for inpatient services; (4) quality of treatment services is below the national standard; (5) public services are available but under utilized; (6) the rural health care system is not a pro-poor system; (7) direct payment is the main component of total health care expenditure; and (8) the economic relationship of the rural health care system is a user-provider model rather than a health care triangular model. Nine recommendations to strengthen the rural health care system were then developed based on a critical view of the objectives of the Vietnam health sector reform for the period 2001-2010 supported by evidence found in this research. This chapter ends with a section to remind readers about the limitations of this study and then proposes future research with specific questions covering three main dimensions of health care system reform in Vietnam (accessibility, quality of care, and overall management). A study with a sentinel site approach to follow-up the impact of the social and health sector reform policies is also proposed to help the government make timely adjustments to their policies to protect the poor. / PhD Doctorate

Education for sustainability (EFS) is emerging as a key strategy for learning and action towards sustainability. Community-based environmental groups are potentially important providers of, and contexts for, educating adults for sustainability because they engage the community in activities such as public awareness raising, advocacy and lobbying, community education, and participatory learning (UNESCO, 2004, p. 25). These groups have been identified as key stakeholders of EFS in UNESCO's strategic plan for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, from 2005-2014 (UNESCO, 2004). Despite this recognition, there are few models or precedents to guide groups or programs in developing and implementing EFS in their strategies or activities. Additionally, education commonly associated with community-based environmental groups has been rather narrowly conceived as public awareness raising and individual behaviour change, and disconnected from advocacy (Clover, 2002a; Whelan, pending). This thesis addressed this gap in understanding by investigating the dimensions of education and learning in two community-based environmental groups in South-East QueensIand. The aim of this research was to develop a framework to explain and understand the role of education and learning within and by community-based environmental groups. The research inquiry was motivated by an interpretive interest in uncovering the educative dimensions arising from group members' engagement in the activities of community-based environmental groups. This aim was addressed through an investigation of: (1) the community education initiatives of community-based environmental groups; and (2) the learning that occurs within these groups through participation in social action, Two community-based environmental groups that participated in this study were Smogbusters, an environmental advocacy group, which focused on air quality and transport issues in Brisbane; and the Pumicestone Region Catchment Coordination Association, (PRCCA) a community-based natural resource management group. Information was gathered through participant observation, interviews with group members and project staff, and the collection of relevant documents from both groups. A conceptual framework based on five convergent themes in the contemporary EFS literature was used to interpret and analyse the activities of these groups, These are: (1) participation; (2) critical thinking; (3) local relevance; (4) holistic, interdisciplinary and systemic approaches; and (5) values-driven approaches. The analysis of both groups' community education initiatives revealed the use of approaches that extend beyond pubhc awareness, didactic, and information-based approaches to strategies that engaged the community more actively than was possible with conventional approaches. This reflects a more sophisticated and considered approach that connects education with advocacy as an integral part of groups' strategy and practice. The two case studies illustrate the use of participatory learning and action that incorporates adult learning approaches to enhance participation and learning. These findings contribute to knowledge that can help bridge the gap between education and advocacy in the activities of community-based environmental groups (Clover, 2002a; Whelan, 2005). The findings strongly suggest that the two groups engaged a form of education and action that approaches the potential of EFS as envisaged in policy documents and vision statements. The groups provided opportunities for action learning through advocacy and lobbying for policy change, and through a range of activities associated with addressing issues of natural resource management. In Smogbusters, participation in advocacy and education contributed to building the capacity of individuals to engage in social action for sustainable transport and air quality. In the PRCCA, group members' participation in natural resource management related activities developed their skills, knowledge and capacity to advocate for sustainable natural resource management practices. These findings confirm that local participation in environmental action and decision making builds on the individual and collective experiences of participants. Participation in action empowered and enabled group members to engage in action and change. In particular, participants developed a strong sense of their capacity to enact change, and to engage in social action. The findings of this research suggest that community-based environmental groups are important places for adults to gain a stronger sense of personal and collective agency towards sustainability. Further, participation in these groups is an important mechanism for environmental change to be brought about through collective action (Apel & Camozzi, 1996). The research findings confirm that adult and popular education pedagogies can optimise learning in community-based environmental groups (Foley, 1999; Clover & Hall, 2000; Clover; 2002a; Follen & HaIl, 1998; Newman, 1995a). The framework may be able to assist project coordinators in developing and implementing community education strategies into their programs. Finally, the findings have implications for policy and program development in the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

Doctor of Philosophy / The population size and range of giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis have been greatly reduced in Africa in the past century, resulting in geographical isolation of local populations and some herds surviving at the edge of the species’ preferred range. Numerous factors have contributed to these declines, but historical analysis indicates that habitat loss and fragmentation, human encroachment, disease and poaching are the main threatening processes. These processes can be expected to continue to impact on giraffe populations, particularly as human populations grow and needs for land and resources increase. This study used field data and laboratory analyses to investigate the taxonomy, behaviour and ecology of desert-dwelling giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis in the northern Namib Desert. This population resides at the extreme of the giraffe’s range. My research also complements the community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) program of the Namibian government, and provides baseline data on the current population status and structure of giraffe in the Kunene Region. The field data, genetic, habitat and forage samples used in this study were collected by myself and a number of research assistants over a period of two years (2001 to 2003), following preliminary research that I undertook between 1999 and 2001. Laboratory analysis of genetic samples was conducted by Dr R. Brenneman and his team at Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, NB., as well as by Mr D. Brown at UCLA, CA. Mr W. Gawa!nab and his team at the agricultural laboratory, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Affairs, Namibia, conducted chemical analyses on plant samples that form part of the giraffe’s diet. The genetic architecture of Namibian giraffe was investigated, including the samples from the desert-dwelling giraffe of the northern Namib Desert and giraffe from Etosha National Park. The results were compared with genetic profiles of giraffe subspecies throughout Africa, but in particular with G. c. giraffa which is the currently-accepted nomenclature of the Namibian giraffe. Results indicated that the Namibian giraffe has five unique haplotypes and is genetically distinct from G. c. giraffa or any other extant subspecies; it is considered here, tentatively, to represent G. c. angolensis. Furthermore, the Namibian Abstract iv giraffe has been separated from other populations for an extended period. Some gene flow has occurred between the desert-dwelling and Etosha NP giraffe population, and can be attributed to recent translocations between these regions. Within the study region, a sharing of haplotypes between three studied subpopulations indicated gene flow among giraffe throughout the northern Namib Desert, and this was confirmed by field-based monitoring. Taken together, these findings suggest that Namibian giraffe should be viewed as important for the conservation of overall genetic variation within Giraffa camelopardalis, although further investigation into the taxonomy of the Namibian form is warranted. Following these findings, I then investigated the behaviour and ecology of the desert-dwelling giraffe. As no previous study has been published on the ecology of G. c. angolensis, there is an information gap in our knowledge of this subspecies. One hundred and fifty six giraffe were identified individually using field-based identification methods and digital imagery. An assessment of the population structure and dynamics indicated marked variation in numbers, sex and age structure, herd structure and densities between three study areas. These variations possibly arose from differences in study area size, aridity, availability of forage and human impacts. I also investigated levels of associations between giraffe within the population using a simple ratio technique, and observed that increased association occurred in smaller populations; there appeared to be a matrilineal social structure. In one bull-biased population, a higher degree of association between bulls was observed compared to bulls in the other two populations. To gain further insight into the distribution and range of giraffe, I collected GPS locations from a combination of field-based monitoring and GPS satellite collars. The GPS satellite collars were the first trial of this technology on giraffe in Africa. Using Range Manager, a MapInfo animal location analysis extension program, I estimated 100% and 95% minimum convex polygon for daily, monthly and annual home range sizes of giraffe in the northern Namib Desert. Giraffe were observed to have large home ranges, with the largest individual range for a bull, Africa-wide, being recorded in this study. Large home ranges correlated with low population density, reduced diversity of forage and, in bulls, increased search areas for receptive cows. Giraffe movements occurred predominantly along riparian woodlands, although seasonal use of other habitats was recorded. Observations Abstract v Abstract vi and data from four GPS satellite-collared giraffe provided high-resolution data on daily movements, and indicated a pattern of highly biphasic movement behaviour that correlated with ambient temperatures. Diurnal activity budgets varied between the sexes, with cows spending more time feeding and resting, while bulls walked and ruminated more frequently. Juveniles rested more often than other giraffe. Seasonal variation in activity budgets was evident, perhaps reflecting use of an energy maximiser strategy for cows and an energy minimiser strategy for bulls. The establishment of artificial water points in the Hoanib River during the study period appeared to alter the seeming independence of giraffe on water in the northern Namib Desert, and also resulted in small-scale shifts in use of the riparian woodland by elephant. To investigate the diet of giraffe, I observed animals feeding in the field and also carried out laboratory analyses of the chemical content of preferred plant species. Seasonal changes in the abundance, moisture and protein content of available food plants correlated with shifts in the diet of giraffe. Giraffe impacted on their preferred forage source, Faidherbia albida, causing distinct structural changes in the individual plants and the F. albida population. This impact, combined with elephant damage and seasonal flood events, has resulted in a shift in the age structure and dynamics of the F. albida population over the past two decades. Finally, I present a brief overview on the history of conservation and management in the Kunene Region. The established CBNRM program provides a baseline for future wildlife conservation and management, of which the desert-dwelling giraffe could be an integral component for non-consumptive tourism. Long-term research on the population’s status, range, behaviour, social structure, habitat requirements, and ecology would help to provide a better understanding of the giraffe’s adaptation to the arid environment, while focussed legislation would enable increased control of communal lands and continue to benefit community-based conservancies.

Community participation takes place when community members act together as subjects. It is argued here that community participation empowers when community members take decisions, or negotiate an equitable share in making the decisions that affect them. However, since participation takes place within a network of power relations it is not necessarily empowering but can take a range of forms from enforcement to empowerment, whereby empowerment may involve not only willing cooperation, but also resistance to outsider project objectives. This thesis explores these issues through a study of how people in three Philippine upland communities participated in soil conservation and livelihood restoration projects initiated by three different NGOs. The principal aim of the study was to identify and examine the changing discourses of development and participation held by the NGOs and by the members of the subject communities. The development discourses revolved around socio-ecology, described as the relationship between the culture and society of Filipino subsistence smallholders and the ecological units of their local environment. The failure of this existing socio-ecology under the pressure of increasing population density on a limited upland resource base was the stimulus for change in the study communities. The thesis compares the NGOs’ practice of engaging with the communities with their discourses of participation, and examines the importance of the relationships between the NGOs, government agencies and the communities for the success of the projects. The study identified several key factors in the empowerment of subject groups. Firstly, the need for a discourse that enables them to embark on socio-ecological change. For the Filipino communities examined here, the discourse of sustainability was validated by enabling the restoration of their livelihoods. Secondly, outside agencies, either NGO or government, may be needed to catalyse community change processes. Thirdly, the subjects need leaders who have the vision and skills to work for the desired livelihood and social development outcomes. Training activities of livelihood restoration proved highly significant in expanding women’s political space that led to opportunities for them to take up leadership, as well as giving capacity-building training for existing and future leaders which helped to equalize gender relations between men and women. Fourthly, the policy and program initiatives of host government agencies can synergize with community and partner agency activities at several levels, including resourcing and building the capacities of leadership.

Tourism as an industry in the 20th and 21st Century has primarily been an international money-making industry which has attracted many governments of less developed countries as a fast mechanism for development. This has often involved a trade-off between the pursuit of economic wealth and support for the social, cultural and natural environments. The negative impacts of mass tourism in these economies are countless and well documented, especially as many of these countries are still trying to deal with impacts caused during colonial occupancy. Consequently, alternative tourism has been presented as a way to manage tourism development which is economically, social and ecologically sustainable. One manifestation of this trend is community-based tourism, which aims to be inclusive of the host communities as they plan for tourism and considers the socio cultural and natural resources and desires of tourists in a more equitable manner. The aim of this thesis is to determine how ecotrekking as a form of community-based tourism can provide a foundation for development for remote rural communities in developing countries. It was conceptually determined that if the needs of the community matched those of the tourists, then a sustainable ecotrekking industry can evolve. To explore this issue contextually, a case study of the Kokoda Track (KT) in Papua New Guinea is presented based around three research questions: 1. What role can market segmentation play in sustainable tourism development in remote rural communities? 2. What outcomes do the Kokoda Track communities envisage for the future of tourism on the Kokoda Track? 3. Do Kokoda tourists meet the outcomes envisaged by the community? A review of the literature found that market segmentation is a tool used in destination planning to assess visitor characteristics and match these to resource capabilities. It was employed in this study to determine the characteristics and needs of Kokoda tourists through a questionnaire survey distributed to trekkers via the tour operators. It was found that the Kokoda tourist is a university educated, middle-aged man who visits the KT for adventure and historical reasons. They have higher-order needs of personal development and knowledge and value the authenticity of the experience. The second research question was approached using secondary data analysis. Notes from Participatory Rural Appraisal workshops with community leaders in 2004 and 2005 were reinterpreted. The key themes to emerge were that the communities have a great need for basic facilities (education, transportation, telecommunications, medical infrastructure and water supplies) and they see tourism as an economic means to develop those facilities. They would like to build more guesthouses and provide food for tourists to increase revenue however, they are unsure of the extent to which this will be supported by trekkers. A comparative analysis of the findings from research questions 1 and 2 was employed to address the third research question. The quantitative needs of the tourist market segment were matched to the qualitative expectations of the communities. It was found that the current Kokoda tourist is in favour of many of the outcomes that the Kokoda communities envisage. These include the provision of locally made food and guesthouses. Further to this, the empirical results from the questionnaire found that ecotourists and cultural tourists are the tourist types that need to be targeted by operators. They indicated a strong match with the desires and needs of the Kokoda communities. For example, they indicated that the KT can cater for a much smaller number of trekkers than the other three pre-determined tourist types (adventure, organised and historic tourists). Additionally, the natural and cultural environments are more important to these tourist types inferring that the protection of these resources is of primary importance. Consequently, it was established that ecotrekking can play an important role in development in less developed countries, if the right market segment is targeted to meet the needs of the community. Generally this can then ensure a slower rate of development, which allows the communities to adjust to the changes that occur at both a socio-cultural level and also in the infrastructure within their communities. In the longer term it also allows them to see how tourism can provide long term benefits not offered in extractive industries such as forestry and mining.

<p>The overall aim of this qualitative study is to investigate the area of new sustainable tourism in theory and practice. The theoretical part, which consisted of a literature study, was made to help find the essence of new sustainable tourism. To bring out tourisms impact on society and environment in practice, a case study was made during an excursion with Södertörn University College to Babati in Tanzania. Semi structured interviews were held with people in Babati. The excursion is being evaluated according to WTO’s sustainable tourism development guidelines and management practices, and finally, these guidelines are analysed. The result of the literature study showed that there is no absolute true core in new sustainable tourism. It is a highly subjective judgment if a tourism venture is sustainable or not, depending on personal values, ideology and personal interests. There is features commonly associated and used in new sustainable tourism, like the sustainability of the three pillars of sustainable development, and the focus on the local, educational and conservational effects, but the essence is subjective. The evaluation of the excursion showed that it is by two third a sustainable tourism venture. It is the economic part that fails, since the guidelines put much focus on stable employments and frequency; ingredients that the excursion lacks. The analysis of the WTO guidelines resulted in confusion. They could be both very useful, but also very poor, according to how they were interpreted and used. The results highly depend on the user. Positive is that the guidelines address all pillars of sustainable development equal, and that the interaction between host and guest gets highlighted. Shortages are that the guidelines lack a gender perspective, a historical and political sensibility, a place specific flexibility and a perspective of inter- and intra-generational equity.</p>

<p> </p><p>Local participation, especially in managing systems of socio- natural resources, has been promoted as the answer to the puzzle about sustainable development. Community-Based Nature Resource Management (CBNRM) is an approach that has generally praised as the way to support genuine participation of ‘local people’ and empower them through the process. This paper examines how local participation in conservation projects works in practice. To do this literature around the rise of people-centred conservation models and participation are reviewed. This information is then used to consider a CBNRM case study in Pete, Zanzibar to reveal actions that promote or constrain local participation. The conclusions of this paper suggest that without a secure means of delegated power or the ability to influence meaningful decisions it is unlikely that a community will mobilize itself for the sake of common resources. In Pete, the conditions around the establishment and operation of the CBNRM have not facilitated effective local participation, which has resulted in widespread frustration and uncertainty amongst the community.</p><p> </p> / past with distinction