Nature-based tourism is centered on the idea that local communities living within and around protected areas should derive benefits from nature resources. Likewise nature resources will simultaneously benefit from their interaction because the community will develop an understanding and appreciate the importance of conserving nature through various benefits derived. The research focus was on assessing the perception of residents of Chiawa, Zambia, regarding the benefits derived from nature-based tourism. This is the first study of this nature to be conducted in Chiawa. The overall aim of the research study was to examine the perceptions of the Chiawa community of the impacts of nature based tourism and its implications on the livelihood of the Chiawa residents and on the conservation of nature, upon which tourism is anchored. The three specific objectives were:- 1. To examine the perceptions of the community on economic impacts of nature based tourism on the livelihood of Chiawa Community. 2. To examine the perceptions of the community of the effects of nature based tourism benefits on support towards conservation of nature in Chiawa and Lower Zambezi National Park. 3. To examine perceptions on nature and extent of constraints limiting household participation in nature-based tourism. Various research methods were used to address the objectives of this study. These methods included quantitative and qualitative research techniques. Structured questionnaires with multiple choice type answers were administered to households and safari operators to collect data. These techniques were complemented with five focus group meetings conducted in village action groups (VAGs) of Chiawa GMA, and both participant and direct observation techniques were used during household surveys. The elements of analysis of the study looked at various factors that influence the perception of households on tourism benefits and conservation efforts by the community. Elements such as tribe, gender, education, length of stay, age and spatial distribution were analyzed. Elements of analysis from tour operators looked at business types, types of benefits filtering to the community through employment and community projects. It was established during the course of the research that both positive and negative perceptions on the impacts of nature-based tourism on residents of Chiawa GMA exist. However, the few residents who derived benefits from nature based tourism operations were positive and the rest were negative. The perceptions of the respondents on support towards conservation are above average. The study found that the most significant silent factor that may influence negative attitudes or perceptions is high levels of human – wildlife conflicts. This is not surprising considering that farming is the major livelihood strategy for most households. Demographic variables were not found to be useful predictors of perception responses. Several factors were established as limiting to household participation in nature based tourism, these established factors included, lack of working and start up capital, lack of understanding of nature based tourism business, lack of interest and lack of support from tourism agencies. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

The dawn of democracy and adoption of the new constitution heralded in a new political dispensation for South Africa. These development set local government in a new path as various pieces of legislations and policies were passed to transform local government from fragmented and racially – based municipalities into democratic and non – racial entities. Transformation did not end on amalgamation of racial municipal entities and change to racial composition of the administration staff but has to transcend beyond to ensure accountability, transparency, responsive and participation of communities in the affairs of local government to promote good governance. The Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM) established various structures, systems and processes intend on promoting transformation. However, its process of transformation is limited only to the structure and composition of the administration. Little was done to transform the reigning culture which has its roots in the apartheid past, despite the existence of policies including the White Paper on the Transforming Public Service Delivery (Batho Pele). Accordingly, the existence of new structures, systems and processes failed to curb corruption in the ranks of Sedibeng District Municipality. Currently, a number of staff members are facing various charges of fraud and corruption. The Auditor – General have found that millions of rands have spent without proper procedure being followed. The state of affairs give indications that existing structures, systems and processes are not solid enough to curb corruption. Furthermore, the situation is accentuated by the municipality’s failure to involve communities in the affairs of the local government. Communities are only used to rubber – stamp processes and programmes that are imposed by the municipality. This renders communities and community organisations useless and ineffective in holding the councillors accountable. Against the background of the problem statement, the hypotheses of the study were formulated as follows: * There is a non – compliance of municipal regulations required for transformation and good governance at Sedibeng District Municipality. * The leadership of the municipality does not possess adequate knowledge and the political will to monitor and ensure consistent adherence to regulations as required by law to promote transformation and good governance. The study utilized both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The study involved a number of techniques to gather information which includes literature study and empirical research. The findings of the study prove that there is a high level non – compliance of municipal regulations required to promote good governance at Sedibeng District Municipality. The responses of senior management also prove that there is a clear lack of leadership in the Sedibeng District Municipality. The study offers significant recommendations to improve the situation. The intend of the study was to explore and open avenue for further research in the field of change management (transformation of behaviour and culture), impact of cadre deployment in municipal performance and idea of public participation and involvement in the affairs of local government. / M Development and Management (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Much discourse on the issue of development communication has focused on participation and its role in improving the lives of developing communities. This line of thought emanates from the theories of Paulo Freire and Martin Buber. Freirean dialogue, which emphasises dialogue and conscientisation emanated from Martin Buber's l-Thou and l-lt relationships and are relevant in this study because these concepts are pivotal in the endeavour to develop grassroots communities. For purposes of this study participatory communication is associated with dialogue, self-reliance, empowerment, the communities' socio-cultural context and strategic communication. In an effort to improve service delivery in the public sector, the South African government resolved to provide communities across South Africa with both information and services through the establishment of Thusong Service Centres. The Thusong concept refers to 'a place to get help or assistance' in Sesotho, and has been the focus of government in carrying out its mandate in respect of development communication in South Africa. This study adopted a qualitative research approach to gather data, to determine how the communication of Thusong Service Centres in Tshwane compare with the normative principles of participatory development communication. This study used purposive sampling and focused on the six Thusong Service Centres in Tshwane. The empirical study comprised document analyses of government policies, semi-structured interviews with senior Government Communication and Information Services (GCIS) personnel and personal observations at the six Thusong Service Centres. An analysis of the communication of Thusong Service Centres with Tshwane communities show that there is inadequate alignment with the theoretical underpinnings of participatory development communication. Against the backdrop of Chin Saik Yoon's four ways of observing participation in development projects, namely, participation in implementation, evaluation, benefit and decision-making, the study indicates that Tshwane communities do not partake in participation in evaluation and participation in decision-making. Furthermore, using Freirean dialogue as a benchmark, it was concluded that Thusong Service Centres do not fully meet the required principles of dialogue. Although the abovementioned results indicate that development communication practised by GCIS at Thusong Service Centres is in the main linear in nature, the study makes practical recommendations on how the normative principles of participatory development communication may be implemented at these centres in order to fast track the development process. / Thesis (M.A. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Much discourse on the issue of development communication has focused on participation and its role in improving the lives of developing communities. This line of thought emanates from the theories of Paulo Freire and Martin Buber. Freirean dialogue, which emphasises dialogue and conscientisation emanated from Martin Buber's l-Thou and l-lt relationships and are relevant in this study because these concepts are pivotal in the endeavour to develop grassroots communities. For purposes of this study participatory communication is associated with dialogue, self-reliance, empowerment, the communities' socio-cultural context and strategic communication. In an effort to improve service delivery in the public sector, the South African government resolved to provide communities across South Africa with both information and services through the establishment of Thusong Service Centres. The Thusong concept refers to 'a place to get help or assistance' in Sesotho, and has been the focus of government in carrying out its mandate in respect of development communication in South Africa. This study adopted a qualitative research approach to gather data, to determine how the communication of Thusong Service Centres in Tshwane compare with the normative principles of participatory development communication. This study used purposive sampling and focused on the six Thusong Service Centres in Tshwane. The empirical study comprised document analyses of government policies, semi-structured interviews with senior Government Communication and Information Services (GCIS) personnel and personal observations at the six Thusong Service Centres. An analysis of the communication of Thusong Service Centres with Tshwane communities show that there is inadequate alignment with the theoretical underpinnings of participatory development communication. Against the backdrop of Chin Saik Yoon's four ways of observing participation in development projects, namely, participation in implementation, evaluation, benefit and decision-making, the study indicates that Tshwane communities do not partake in participation in evaluation and participation in decision-making. Furthermore, using Freirean dialogue as a benchmark, it was concluded that Thusong Service Centres do not fully meet the required principles of dialogue. Although the abovementioned results indicate that development communication practised by GCIS at Thusong Service Centres is in the main linear in nature, the study makes practical recommendations on how the normative principles of participatory development communication may be implemented at these centres in order to fast track the development process. / Thesis (M.A. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

This thesis examines the relationships between participation and project sustainability. By using the Participatory Integrated Development in the Rain-fed Areas (PIDRA), an integrated rural development project, in three districts of East Java, Indonesia, as a case study, it addresses the question about what kind of participation will lead the intended beneficiaries to continue to use and benefit from the services that remain beyond the project period. The research found that the project mostly targeted the poor, marginalised, and vulnerable people, and widows as household heads. However, some high school graduates and wealthy villagers were also included as target beneficiaries. Most participants were actively involved and participated in the project implementation activities, but rarely participated in project planning and design as well as monitoring and evaluation. The results also show that factors influencing participation of the intended beneficiaries of the PIDRA Project in the target areas were: the responsibility of the beneficiaries to the groups as members and as leaders part of the management team; the level of education, knowledge, and skills of participants; incentives provided to access credits; the availability and use of sanctions; the geographical situation; poverty; age; support from the government; and the role of facilitators. Analysis of the case study shows that the PIDRA Project in East Java will likely have some sustainable activities and benefits in the short term. Furthermore, participation is likely lead to the project sustainability of some project elements when participation is not only used as a means but also as an end. However, the results also suggest the increasing cooperation and collaboration of government and the NGOs, and defining participant groups based on similar educational background and socio-economic situation will enhance participation and project sustainability. This study would also raise the attention of development practitioners of the dangers of the participatory approach in their practice because it could be manipulative, harm people who are supposed to be advantaged, and hence create “new tyranny” in development interventions.

The thesis 'Civil Society in the Chi River, Northeast Thailand', aims to answer the questions of what civil society means in the Northeast Thai village context, which factors make civil society proactive and how civil society is activated. Participatory action research (PAR) was carried out in two communities in the Chi River Basin to answer the inquiries. The research discusses the contexts of the Northeast Region and the two communities in the Chi River Basin. The people in this area are of the Thai-Laos ethnic group and hold particular beliefs in an amalgam of Buddhism and animism which creates cultural rituals that are different from other regions. The society is based on kinship ties. The economic situation has transformed from an agrarian society to a commercial agriculture society. Through the research process the new term of 'grounded civil society' was created. It means 'the sphere of an autonomous group of local people who actively participate in collective action to deal with their struggles and promote their common interests by mobilizing cultural and social capitals in consort with other people to productively solve their problems. Grounded civil society may include traditional forms of mutual assistance, and formal or informal social associations. It seeks to have a significant influence on public policy at any level'. The research found that grounded civil society was activated by both outside and inside factors. The outside factors included the negative effect of government development projects and the intervention of the participatory action research, which stimulated local people to engage in civil society. The inside factors activating civil society were the poor economic conditions of the villagers and the social capital existing in the communities. The social capital was built up around kinship ties and cultural capital, which generated the social values and norms of the local people. The research concluded with an analysis of the causal links between social capital and civil society claiming that social capital facilitated the creation of civil society. Further research possibilities are suggested.

Esta tese analisa a emergência histórica da participação comunitária no campo da saúde e as ressonâncias contemporâneas desta experiência na prática política do Fórum em Defesa do SUS do Rio Grande do Sul, em sua luta contra a privatização da saúde. A participação comunitária emerge como um foco de experiência no contexto de irrupção da Reforma Sanitária e de defesa de um sistema público de saúde. As condições de possibilidade para a emergência deste foco de experiência vinculam-se à produção histórica dos diferentes lugares que ocuparam os sujeitos, como foco de investimento, na construção das políticas públicas de saúde brasileiras desde o século XIX. Esse foco de experiência produz os sujeitos como força política ativa na formulação e implementação da política pública de saúde. Ele tem como parte de seu regime de veridicção a distinção entre público e privado, contornando o privado como aquilo do qual o público deve afastar-se, demarcando fronteiras dicotomizadas. O foco de experiência da participação comunitária, ao aproximar-se do direito, como estratégia política de luta e de institucionalização nas malhas do Estado, percorre o caminho em direção à imunização negativa do direito à saúde pelo Estado. A participação comunitária, quando encontra o direito, insere-se nesse universo dual do sistema de propriedades e passa a generalizar o comum de sua reivindicação em um sentido de propriedade pública, ou seja, propriedade estatal. Nesse sentido, propomos uma participação comunitária que não se limite a reproduzir modelos e que rompa com a dicotomia público/privado, em prol da noção de comum e da afirmação de uma norma de vida. Isso pressupõe uma inversão, não mais o direito e seu regramento reproduzindo modelos de vida, mas a vida produzindo normas de vida sem cessar. / This thesis analyzes the historical emergence of community participation in the health field and contemporary resonances of that experience in the political practice of the Forum in Defense of SUS of Rio Grande do Sul, in its fight against health privatization. Community participation has emerged as a focus of experience in the context of the Sanitary Reform and defense of a public health system. The conditions of possibility for the emergence of such focus of experience are linked to the historical production of different places the subjects have occupied, as a focus of investment, in the construction of Brazilian public health policies since the nineteenth century. This focus of experience has produced the subjects as an active political force in both the formulation and implementation of the public health policy. As an integral part of its veridiction regime, it has the distinction between public and private delineating the private as something from which the public should be moved away, thus drawing dichotomized borders. The focus of experience of community participation, by approximating to law, as a political strategy of fight and institutionalization in the State meshes, follows the path of negative immunization of the right to health by the State. Community participation, by associating with law, enters this dual universe of the system of properties and starts generalizing what is common in its claim as being public property, i.e. State property. In this sense, we have proposed a kind of community participation that is not limited to the reproduction of models and is able to disrupt the public/private dichotomy in favor of both the notion of common and the affirmation of a life norm. This presupposes an inversion - instead of the reproduction of ways of life by law and its rules, the incessant production of life norms by life itself.

The study analyzes the speech of people from marginal urban areas of Lima for the meanings and their assessment of organizational processes and participation in their localities. Twenty two in-depth interviews were conducted in 3 settlements in the southern cone of Lima. The results show that family and community networks are valued as resources that can face the challenges of living in an environment perceived as precarious. The organization and community participation are important strategies to overcome their difficulties. Interviewees identify a number of weaknesses in the strategies, like the lack of recent positive experiences and the wear from over-use of these local resources to answer collective problems. / Se analizan los significados y las valoraciones de pobladores de zonas marginales de Lima Metropolitana respecto a los procesos de organización y participación en sus comunidades. Se realizaron 22 entrevistas en profundidad en 3 asentamientos del cono sur. Los resultados evidencian que las redes familiares y comunitarias son valoradas como recursos para afrontar los desafíos de un contexto percibido como precario y lleno de limitaciones. La organización y la participación comunitaria ocupan un lugar importante en el discurso como estrategias para la superación de las dificultades y se valoran positivamente, a pesar de la falta de experiencias positivas recientes y de un probable desgaste debido a la sobreutilización de estos recursos locales en la resolución de problemas colectivos.

Esta tese analisa a emergência histórica da participação comunitária no campo da saúde e as ressonâncias contemporâneas desta experiência na prática política do Fórum em Defesa do SUS do Rio Grande do Sul, em sua luta contra a privatização da saúde. A participação comunitária emerge como um foco de experiência no contexto de irrupção da Reforma Sanitária e de defesa de um sistema público de saúde. As condições de possibilidade para a emergência deste foco de experiência vinculam-se à produção histórica dos diferentes lugares que ocuparam os sujeitos, como foco de investimento, na construção das políticas públicas de saúde brasileiras desde o século XIX. Esse foco de experiência produz os sujeitos como força política ativa na formulação e implementação da política pública de saúde. Ele tem como parte de seu regime de veridicção a distinção entre público e privado, contornando o privado como aquilo do qual o público deve afastar-se, demarcando fronteiras dicotomizadas. O foco de experiência da participação comunitária, ao aproximar-se do direito, como estratégia política de luta e de institucionalização nas malhas do Estado, percorre o caminho em direção à imunização negativa do direito à saúde pelo Estado. A participação comunitária, quando encontra o direito, insere-se nesse universo dual do sistema de propriedades e passa a generalizar o comum de sua reivindicação em um sentido de propriedade pública, ou seja, propriedade estatal. Nesse sentido, propomos uma participação comunitária que não se limite a reproduzir modelos e que rompa com a dicotomia público/privado, em prol da noção de comum e da afirmação de uma norma de vida. Isso pressupõe uma inversão, não mais o direito e seu regramento reproduzindo modelos de vida, mas a vida produzindo normas de vida sem cessar. / This thesis analyzes the historical emergence of community participation in the health field and contemporary resonances of that experience in the political practice of the Forum in Defense of SUS of Rio Grande do Sul, in its fight against health privatization. Community participation has emerged as a focus of experience in the context of the Sanitary Reform and defense of a public health system. The conditions of possibility for the emergence of such focus of experience are linked to the historical production of different places the subjects have occupied, as a focus of investment, in the construction of Brazilian public health policies since the nineteenth century. This focus of experience has produced the subjects as an active political force in both the formulation and implementation of the public health policy. As an integral part of its veridiction regime, it has the distinction between public and private delineating the private as something from which the public should be moved away, thus drawing dichotomized borders. The focus of experience of community participation, by approximating to law, as a political strategy of fight and institutionalization in the State meshes, follows the path of negative immunization of the right to health by the State. Community participation, by associating with law, enters this dual universe of the system of properties and starts generalizing what is common in its claim as being public property, i.e. State property. In this sense, we have proposed a kind of community participation that is not limited to the reproduction of models and is able to disrupt the public/private dichotomy in favor of both the notion of common and the affirmation of a life norm. This presupposes an inversion - instead of the reproduction of ways of life by law and its rules, the incessant production of life norms by life itself.

India and many other developing countries confront serious problems of declining water tables. In India there is no real water shortage, but ineffective use of surface water leads to freshwater run-off. By building dams and irrigation water systems the Indian government has been trying to find a more effective use of surface water and thereby increase the agricultural productivity. But mismanagement of irrigation systems by local governments called for alternative management techniques, and during the last decades the central Indian government has been trying to decentralise management and governance of irrigation water to local water users. This Minor Field Study (MFS) focuses on a local implementation of Participatory Irrigation Management in the Indian state Madhya Pradesh. The aim of the thesis is to analyse the way the local government handles the decentralisation of irrigation water management, by identify and illuminate communication channels. The thesis is built on the basic idea that functioning environmental communication is the key to reach a functioning decentralised and sustainable water management. Interviews with local government officials, citizens of a local village, and staff from a locally involved NGO within a case study constitute most of the empirical data. Theories of decentralisation of natural resource management, community participation, communication, and NGO cooperation are presented. With starting point in the empirical material and the presented theories has way the local government handles the decentralisation process, and the role of the locally involved NGO, been analysed. The study shows shortcomings in: education of stakeholders, communication training among government officials, trust in the capability of local water users, and communication between stakeholders. The study also enlighten the government officials fear of losing political power, the NGOs role as communication channel, and the formation of locally rooted organisations.