Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
autonomy in the decision making of territorially organized communi-
ties. It thereby brings about local self-reliance (but not unrestricted
power), direct (participatory) democracy in communal affairs, and expe-
riential social learning. With people empowered by participatory demo-
cratic involvement at the local level, they will become engaged in the
larger processes of representative governance and experience progres-
sive alternative development.
Capacity Building
The central idea behind local institutional capacity building is about
how 'outsiders' such as NGOs and private-public partners in develop-
ment projects can help foster community authority and managerial
expertise in the provision of social capital, social welfare and services,
agricultural extension services, urban neighbourhood community
projects and the like (Eades, 1997). With governmental involvement
being an enabler, rather than an active participant or as leaders and
managers, this people-centred strategy seeks to strengthen institu-
tional and social capacity to support greater local control, accountabil-
ity, transparency, initiative and self-reliance for urban and rural
communities of the global South (Korten, 1987). A recent reflective
assessment by Oxfam UK and Ireland summarizes the potential of this
current 'development mantra' this way:
79
The concept and practice of capacity building has to be tested against
whether it can contribute to creating the synergy between different
actors which can confront and challenge existing imbalances of power.
(Eade, 1997: v)
Women's Role in People-centred
Development
This chapter has not explicitly dealt with gender issues, and the essential
part that women's roles and radical feminism's 'activism' played in the
emergence of many of the radical alternatives to the predominant
Western-directed, development from above that this account has detailed.
Such issues are discussed in Chapter 4.1. Two points of note, however,
concern the fundamental changes that eventually occurred in the recog-
nition and incorporation of women's empowerment and the essential
