The research analyses local participation as it is implemented within the Lilongwe District Council. The study explores decentralisation in the council by examining important facets that contribute to good local governance with a special interest in local participation. The study finds that while local participation is a recognized feature in the decentralisation policy, lack of proper involvement and integration has limited the efficacy of local participation. The neglect of government in conducting local government elections to have ward councillors in place is brought to the fore as a major setback to the implementation of decentralisation reforms. The study therefore notes that decentralisation must not be seen as just a policy goal, with the aim of shifting development to the communities, but as a policy instrument which aims to improve local democracy, efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of social services. In order to achieve this, the study proposes five key recommendations and a proposed model for the attainment of good governance in the Council.

Orientador: Jorge Sidney Coli Junior / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T18:58:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lopes_FannyTamisa_M.pdf: 12613948 bytes, checksum: 8648c42747874be58f17bd91a6e8acfa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Tendo como ponto de partida a análise do Monumento a Carlos Gomes (1922), presente no Vale do Anhangabaú, e destacando a questão da cenografia como elemento chave para compreensão deste espaço e da própria concepção do citado conjunto monumental, este trabalho desdobrou-se num estudo acerca da obra do escultor italiano Luigi Brizzolara (Chiavari, 1868- 1937), o autor do monumento, cuja destacada atuação na cidade de São Paulo suscitou um justo interesse acerca deste pouco conhecido artista, mas também sobre o cenário geral que possibilitou ou motivou sua vinda ao Brasil / Abstract: Having as its starting point the Carlos Gomes Monument (1922) at the Vale do Anhangabaú (São Paulo) and highlighting the cenography issue as a key element to the understanding of this space and even of the monumental set itself, this work consists of a study about the italian sculptor Luigi Brizzolara (Chivari, 1868 - 1937), responsible for making the monument. His important performance in the city of São Paulo has produced not only a keen interest about this little known artist but also about the overall picture that made it possible and prompted him to come to Brazil / Mestrado / Historia da Arte / Mestra em História

Magister Legum - LLM / South Africa

Public Participation is widely accepted as a way to strengthen the pillars of democratic and accountable governance. In South Africa, public participation is receiving prominence and increasing attention especially at local government level as this level is regarded as the sphere of government closest to the people. The new democratic government in South Africa regards public participation as a cornerstone of democracy. Ackerman (2004:448) asserts that the opening up of the core activities of the state to societal participation is one of the most effective ways to improve accountability and governance. Such accountability and involvement can be better achieved when communities are part of decision making processes in their communities. In South Africa, public participation was heralded by various pieces of legislations which obligated the public to participate and have a say in the decisions taken by their communities. Section 152 of the constitution: Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No 108 of 1996) requires local authority to “encourage the involvement of local communities and community organizations in matters of local government” Informed by the broad principles of the Constitution, the White Paper on Local Government 1998 introduced the notion of developmental local government. According to this Paper, “developmental local government is defined as local government that is committed to working with citizens and groups within the community to find sustainable ways to meet their social, economic and material needs and improve the quality of their lives”. It is through the process of public participation that citizens are given the opportunity to provide input and partake in decision making on service delivery and governance matters of their municipalities. It is widely acknowledged that active public participation is evidence of deepened democracy and can assist municipalities in i) enhancing service delivery ii) making government and officials more effective and accountable and most importantly involve the communities in decisions affecting their lives and communities. By and large, community involvement through public participatory systems ensures that municipalities incorporate the developmental needs of the people. Theseneeds are expressed and consolidated in municipal integrated development plans. To realise the above, the White Paper on Local Government 1998 suggests that “municipalities should develop mechanisms to ensure citizen participation in policy initiation and formulation, and the 3 monitoring and evaluation of decision-making and implementation”. As outlined above various laws gave a new meaning and a legitimised mandate to the role of local communities in the development of their communities. Informed by the above, this study examines the extent to which public participation influences decision making within the IDP processes and by association its impact on service delivery. This study is premised on the widely accepted view that public participation is a process involving the community or the public to gather opinions, investigate the needs, desires and wishes of the local community and to ensure that they as the community are involved in the decision making processes of their municipality. The study is of the view that the IDP processes represent a structured vehicle to enable citizens and groups to influence decision making through institutionalised municipal participatory structures. By so doing, the public and the government form a pact/partnership to ensure that the needs and aspirations of the community receive priority in the IDP processes.