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Participation of rural communities in development policy and practice : the South African experience and its relevance for Rwanda

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLIAH ABSTRACT: Several indispensable variables for effective community development include, among others:
development skills, networking and partnership, and community participation in the development
project life cycle. The study aimed to derive relevant lessons about these factors for Rwanda from
the South African community development experience.
A literature study was first undertaken on key concepts such as participation, rural community,
development, and policy and practice. Literature on principles and policies guidelines for
community development in both the South African and Rwandan contexts was also reviewed.
Within the perspective of comparative analysis, the socio-political and historical backgrounds of
both countries served as the basis of criteria for selecting four case studies. From South Africa,
three case studies were selected from both the apartheid and post-apartheid periods. One postapartheid
study was regarded as unsuccessful and one was successful. The third is a successful
ongoing case that straddles the apartheid and post-apartheid periods. From Rwanda, a postgenocide
ongoing case was selected on the grounds of its perceived success. A comparative
analysis was undertaken of practical results and the South African experience provided actual
relevance for Rwanda in specific ways.
In complete contrast to the current view that community driven development depends on the
political context, the study shows that it depends rather on a number of objective principles for
active community participation. What is demonstrated is that community driven development
cannot be adequately supported by the developer-centred, consultation, and blueprint approaches
because they fail to inspire active community participation. Nor can community participation be
seen merely as cheap labour or superficial involvement. Instead, it implies empowering the
community with development skills that enable people to acquire more choices and gain control
of their community life.
To achieve such empowerment, the study stresses the need for a shift toward the bottom-up
approach to the planning and implementing of rural-based development projects. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verskeie onmisbare veranderlikes vir doeltreffende gemeenskapsontwikkeling sluit, onder
andere, die volgende m: ontwikkelingsvaardighede, netwerk en vennootskap, en
gemeenskapsdeelname aan die lewensiklus van die ontwikkelingsprojek. Die studie het gepoog
om relevante lesse omtrent hierdie faktore vir Rwanda af te lei uit Suid-Afrika se ondervinding
ten opsigte van gemeenskapsontwikkeling. 'n Literatuurstudie oor sleutelbegrippe soos
deelname, landelike gemeenskap, ontwikkeling en beleid en praktyk, is eers onderneem.
Literatuur oor beginsels en beleidsriglyne vir gemeenskapsontwikkeling in sowel die Suid-
Afrikaanse as Rwandese omgewings is ook bestudeer. Binne die perspektief van vergelykende
analise, het die sosio-politiese en historiese agtergrond van albei lande gedien as die basis van die
kriteria waarvolgens vier gevallestudies gekies is. Drie Suid-Afrikaanse gevallestudies is uit die
apartheids- en die post-apartheidsera gekies. Een post-apartheidstudie is as onsuksesvol beskou
en een as suksesvol. Die derde geval is 'n suksesvolle, voortgaande een uit die apartheidsera en
daarna. Uit Rwanda is 'n voortgaande geval uit die era na die volksmoord op grond van sy
sigbare sukses gekies. 'n Vergelykende analise van die praktiese resultate is onderneem, en die
Suid-Afrikaanse ondervinding het op spesifieke maniere wesenlike toepassings vir Rwanda
verskaf.
In algehele teenstelling met die huidige opvatting dat gemeenskapsgedrewe ontwikkeling afhang
van die politieke omgewing, wys hierdie studie dat dit eerder van 'n aantalobjektiewe beginsels
vir aktiewe gemeenskapsdeelname afhang. Wat gedemonstreer word, is dat gemeenskapsgedrewe
ontwikkeling nie voldoende deur ontwikkelaargesentreerde, konsultasie- en bloudrukbenaderings
ondersteun kan word nie, aangesien hulle nie daarin slaag om aktiewe gemeenskapsdeelname te
inspireer nie. Net so kan gemeenskapsdeelname nie bloot gesien word as goedkoop arbeid of
oppervlakkige betrokkenheid nie. Dit impliseer eerder die bemagtiging van die gemeenskap met
ontwikkelingsvaardighede wat mense in staat stelom meer keuses te bekom en om beheer oor
hulle gemeenskapslewe te verkry.
Die studie beklemtoon dat, ten einde hierdie bemagtiging te bereik, daar 'n skuif moet plaasvind
na die benadering waar die gemeenskap betrokke is by die beplanning en implementering van
landelikgebaseerde ontwikkelingsprojekte.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52986
Date12 1900
CreatorsBangwanubusa, Theogene
ContributorsBekker, S. B., Groenewald, C. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format190 p. : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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