Reference
Engaging citizens to re-build their communities :
experiences from rural Thailand, presented at
the 7th International Conference on Thai Studies, Amsterdam 4-8 July, 1999
Authors :
Opart Panya
Summary :
The purpose of this study is to draw on lessons learned
from rural communities, focusing is on community's capacity building. It
covers 8 tambons (a cluster of 10-12 villages), consisting of a cluster of
villages spread out in Thailand's 4 regions, with two communities in each.
The first 4 tambons in each region are chosen for the case studies. Useful
experiences gained from these cases are then introduced to the latter 4
pilot areas. Drawn from Thai national NGOs and regional universities, a
combined team of researchers is responsible for developing initiatives and
documenting the changes taken place in those communities.
We have identified 5 development initiatives most
effective for improving TAO-citizens partnership and participation. They
are 1) conducting rural systems research, 2) creating change facilitators,
3) creating visionary agents of change, 4) building TAO's capacity through
the use of effective consultative techniques, and 5) enhancing civic
culture.
We stress that civil society development should be viewed
as a complex process of reserve cultural change. It involves learning to
share power among stakeholders, allowing the rural citizens to exercise
their choices in the social, economic, and administrative spheres.
Building a "sense" of community should be given priority. This
would enhance community pride in the individuals and promote collective
engagement in re-creating the community in which they want to live.
Finally, the use of traditional learning methods to help
rural people reach consensus may not be sufficient to overcome some
cultural biases, particularly on age, gender, social status and so on.
Effort should be made to develop more effective techniques to be used in
brainstorming of ideas are finding consensus decision-making in the
community.
Keywords :
Local development, rural communities
Contacts :
Opart Panya
Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies
Mahidol University, Thailand
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