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Community Empowerment (community + empowerment)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Humanities and Social Sciences	75%

Selected Abstracts

Cooperation and Community Empowerment in Myanmar in the context of Myanmar Agenda 21

ASIAN-PACIFIC ECONOMIC LITERATURE, Issue 1 2003
Helen James
Since embracing the market economy in 1988 Myanmar has attempted to involve its civil society organisations, particularly in the health, education and welfare sectors. Both domestic and international non-government organisations play a key role in service delivery, poverty alleviation and capacity building in these areas. Civil society is regarded as a partner in Myanmar's nation-building processes. As Myanmar emerges from its decades of isolation (1962,88) and seeks to find its place amongst the family of nations, it set out, in Myanmar Agenda 21 (1997), a policy framework for sustainable development consistent with the identified principles of good governance based on cooperation and participative practices. This paper discusses how far this framework has been implemented; the obstacles to continued evolution of the socio-political structures; and whether civil society, domestic and international, can foster the ,coming out' process in a way consistent with Myanmar's concept of nation building and holistic security. [source]

Poverty, Partnerships, and Privilege: Elite Institutions and Community Empowerment

CITY & COMMUNITY, Issue 3 2005
Mary-Ellen Boyle
During the 1990s, universities and foundations separately entered into community partnerships with the intent of revitalizing poor urban neighborhoods. We describe the historical context that preceded their involvement in these partnerships, outline the evolution in ideas about "community empowerment" integral to such partnerships, and explain the partnership model's attractiveness. We then analyze how and why these partnerships embraced the rhetoric of community empowerment and discuss the paradox of elites attempting to empower poor people. Our analysis suggests that these partnerships allowed for the appearance of an inclusive solution to community problems, while maintaining the legitimacy and privilege of their elite sponsors. [source]

Civil Society Development Versus the Peace Dividend: International Aid in the Wanni

DISASTERS, Issue 1 2005
Vance Culbert
Donors that provide aid to the Wanni region of Sri Lanka, which is controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), are promoting initiatives that seek to advance the national peace process. Under the rubric of post-conflict reconstruction, the actions of political forces and structural factors have led to the prioritisation of two different approaches to peace-building: community capacity-building projects; and support for the ,peace dividend'. Both of these approaches face challenges. Cooperation with civil society actors is extremely difficult due to intimidation by the LTTE political authority and the authoritarian nature of its control. Peace-building successes with respect to the peace dividend are difficult to measure, and must be balanced against the negative effects of misdirected funds. Aid organisations must be careful not to consider the tasks of peacebuilding, humanitarian relief and community empowerment as either interchangeable or as mutually reinforcing endeavours. [source]