Community Empowerment

The Politics of Civil Society Review

by tino buchholz

Buchholz, Tino (2009): Review of The Politics of Civil Society. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie. 100/ 2: 268-270.

Fereydoon Kenar Community Participation and Development of Local Environment Programmes through Community-based Organizations

by Saeid Nouri Neshat

The paper has been submitted within the framework of the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetland Project, and published in the Project Completion Workshop Proceedings held in Harbin, China October 14-15, 2009.

To achieve sustainable and systematic management regimes at the sites of the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetlands Project... more To achieve sustainable and systematic management regimes at the sites of the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetlands Project (SCWP) in Iran, the national consultant on community participation put much more efforts into building the capacity of local stakeholders in terms of developing community-based
organizations in Fereydoon Kenar, as local groups that can act as facilitators during the process of empowerment. In the present paper, while trying to define the concept of local participation in conservation activities in general, the author will try to open up a debate on empowerment at different levels in Fereydoon Kenar site in Iran, focusing more on Community-based organizations as local groups that can play the role of facilitators in the process of local participation.
In Fereydoon Kenar, the process of empowerment entered into a new phase when such small community groups shaped through using action research methodologies in villages, however the groups are yet to be more empowered to play an active
facilitating role in near future.

Koshin Wines

by Puneet Gupta

Co-authored with Pallavi Deshpande and Aman Dewan

Value addition to fruits in a State where horticulture is the mainstay of the local economy, is an essentiality.... more Value addition to fruits in a State where horticulture is the mainstay of the local economy, is an essentiality. Keeping this in mind and that 30-40% of the locally grown fruits get wasted owing to high perishability and poor transport facilities, we propose setting up of a basic winery. The winery will use fruits like apples, mangoes, peaches, plums, apricots, and pears. The following proposal provides a holistic assessment of the feasibility of the project along with the specifications of the planning and implementation process. We aim to lower the high dependence on migration and promote optimum utilization of fruits along with making ‘fruit growing’ a viable and profitable occupation.

Rural empowerment through the arts: the role of the arts in civic and social participation in the Mid West region of Western Australia

by Julia Anwar McHenry

Journal of Rural Studies, 2011, p245

To combat social and economic inequity in rural Australia, governments, communities, and policy makers are seeking... more To combat social and economic inequity in rural Australia, governments, communities, and policy makers are seeking ways to empower local residents to find local solutions to local problems. Through an exploratory review of the literature and semi-structured interviews conducted in the Mid West of Western Australia, this research examined the role of the arts as a vehicle for increased social and civic participation to build resilience to inequity. For those interviewed, the arts were observed to strengthen sense of place and community identity. The arts were utilised as a means for encouraging and enabling civic participation, as well as providing opportunities for social interaction and networking, which are essential for the health and wellbeing of rural and remote residents. While providing a context for civic and social participation, the arts were viewed by several of those interviewed as a means for facilitating understanding between divisive and disparate groups. Yet, it was noted that the execution and drive for arts activities and events was dependent on the availability of human capital, but also on support from governance and funding authorities to build capacity to sustain these activities. If, as suggested by this exploratory review, the arts are a vehicle for building resilience in rural Australia, then further research is needed to support these claims to enable continued and future support for not just the arts, but the capacity of communities to engage in the arts.

Community-focused Urban Development

by Tom Moore

Published in November 2010 by the Resource for Urban Design Information, part of an Urban Intelligence Network for public and private sector officials. The article appears on p23 of the PLACEmaking publication.

Community Land Trusts (CLTs) offer a potential solution to delivering development at local scales in urban and rural... more Community Land Trusts (CLTs) offer a potential solution to delivering development at local scales in urban and rural areas. A typical CLT will acquire land, develop housing and amenities and sell the properties at an affordable price, usually linked to local incomes or fixed at a low percentage of market value.