Resources

Esta edici¾n de En Acci¾n de la organizaci¾n Vecinos Mundiales se concentra en los efectos del huracßn Mitch en 1998 y los 10 years' de lluvia que baj¾ en cinco dÝas trajo la devastaci¾n ambiental y agrÝcola a AmÚrica Central. Los Vecinos Mundiales habÝan trabajado por muchos a±os en la promoci¾n de la conservaci¾n del suelo y del agua; el huracßn proporcion¾ una oportunidad para estudiar la eficacia de este trabajo en combatir los efectos desastrosos de un clima potencialmente destructivo y este boletÝn de noticias da a detalles su trabajo. DecidÝan realizar Investigaci¾n Acci¾n Participativa (IAP), un nivel del estudio que permita no solamente la implicaci¾n de Úsos lo mßs afectados por el clima - la gente local û pero tambiÚn otros participantes que ampliaron su propio conocimiento de los mÚtodos y los resultados de la investigaci¾n. El sistema usado era un apareamiento de lo parcelas de tierras con caracterÝsticas similares tales como sitio y vegetaci¾n, pero que proporcionaron el comparte de datos con una comparaci¾n directa de la cultivaci¾n agro-ecol¾gica y lo convencional. Se invit¾ a otras organizaciones de participar en el estudio y formar equipos con los granjeros, y todos los participantes atendieron a un taller para aprender las metodologÝas. Los mÚtodos usados para analizar diversas variables tales como vertiente, grueso del suelo superior, textura, materia orgßnica, insectos y animales, vegetaci¾n, erosi¾n, derrumbamientos de tierra, y prßcticas de la conservaci¾n son detallados junto con los resultados y las lecciones aprendidos.

The Rural Community Network (RCN) in Northern Ireland embarked on a six-month feasibility study that examined the potential use and benefits of participatory research techniques to policy change and conflict resolution. This article discusses the findings of this research and critically assesses how participatory techniques can contribute to the aforementioned two areas. It also discusses consultation fatigue and the key contributing factors. The article concludes by describing a follow up action research programme, which will address some of the issues raised in the feasibility study.

Colombia's new Constitution of 1991 gave the status of citizen and participant to a people which had not historically enjoyed it. This implied the need for citizenship education and formation to enable people to take advantage of their new status. Many non-governmental organizations in Colombia immediately rose to the challenge. Some of these were newcomers to this field. Others, among them the Instituto Popular de Capacitaci¾n (IPC, Popular Training Institute), came to this task with a long history of working to deepen democracy in a range of ways. Christian Aid Colombia began to support IPC in the area of citizenship education in 1992. This case study represents a collaborative attempt, by Christian Aid with IPC's Democracy and Citizenship Team, to document the experience of IPC in promoting citizen participation from 1991 to the present. It aims to be, on the one hand, a piece of applied research that informs future practice in the field of citizen participation in local urban governance, and on the other, an advocacy resource for IPC and Christian Aid in Colombia and the UK, that illustrates the challenges faced in holding open spaces for democratic participation in a country in conflict. After an introduction the study sets the context and then moves on to look at the legal framework for citizen participation in local governance. Next, IPCÆs experiences in promoting citizen participation are documented, followed by a look at some key variables (gender, armed conflict and other challenges). The final section looks at learning from the experience.

This toolkit draws on the lessons generated from learning projects and case studies supported under the Citizens and Governance programme of the Commonwealth Foundation. It offers practical guidance on how to promote the participation of citizens in governance. The contents of the toolkit include: the meaning of inclusive governance; ways for citizens to organise and engage in governance; strategies for multi-sectoral partnerships; key themes that emerge in governance, such as conflict, gender and power; suggestions for participatory methods in governance, including learning circles, popular theatre and role play; and methods for inclusive governance capacity building of citizens, intermediaries and government officials. Brief summaries of action-learning projects and case studies from the Citizens and Governance Programme from: India, the Caribbean, Vanuatu, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Jamaica, Zimbabwe, UK, New Zeeland, Africa, Malaysia, Canada and Belize; are presented. A toolkit CD-ROM designed to run on Windows 95/98/XP and MacOS9 is also incorporated. The CD-ROM contains the toolkit in an electronic format and has a resource bank of downloadable materials, such as relevant publications, materials used by the project partners and a word bank which provides explanations of, and proverbs illustrating terms common in the debate about civil society and governance which project partners themselves have furnished.

This book presents the role of communication in 8 case studies of natural resource management situations in developing countries. The case studies included are: Community based natural resource management in Namibia; Pastoralist communication in Kenya; Indigenous forest management in Cambodia; Recovering from conflict in Vietnam; Internet radio in Sri Lanka; Regional networking in Nicaragua and Costa Rica; Creating local organic markets in Turkey; Environmental education and Communication in El Salvador. It is designed as a learning tool and each case-study has specific learning objectives for the reader focussed around different aspects of communication in natural resource management. Questions are posed as every case-study develops serving as a base of discussion and inviting the reader to reflective thinking and drawing their own conclusions.