Resources

A look at how PRA can be used in a conflict situation in a national park to deal with sensitive information on illegal park exploitation. The authors discuss how the information generated through PRA had to be used carefully and sensitively given its potential to disrupt the ongoing dialogue with stakeholders.

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.

This article outlines a project that took place in Newcastle, in the UK in 2000. Instigated by Community Services in Newcastle City Council, it brought Local Authority officials, University staff, students and local residents together to try and solve the problems created by areas of high student concentration. These problems included increased noise, parked cars and a general perception of anti-social behaviour which led to resident complaints. The paper describes this process, including the staff training that was needed, the participatory methods used, the move from analysis to action and the results and lessons of the project.

This guidebook is part of a research toolkit produced by the International Save the Children Alliance to support the UN Study on Violence against Children (the other part is called So you want to consult with children? A toolkit of good practice). It gives guidance on ways to encourage meaningful and ethical participation by children in research related to violence against children. It promotes research that sees children as active agents in their own lives, not passive victims or research subjects. Specifically, it presents techniques and pointers for the involvement of children in secondary and primary research, including experiences of children participation in research from case studies in Malawi, Vietnam, Yemen, U.K., Tanzania, Bangladesh, Brazil and Canada. General tips for the incorporation of children in research include e.g. considering the risks and costs to children of their participation and acting in their best interests; building in benefits for children who choose to become involved in research; thinking through how to recruit children; exploring with children what are appropriate roles for adults and children in the work; sharing goals and expectations with each other so that everyone can understand the needs, interests and pressures of each member of the team; drawing up ground rules to set the stage for your work together; recognising that children may not want to be involved in all steps of secondary research; practicing talking about the research without using any jargon or academic language; considering whether children should be paid or given another type of incentive to participate; accommodating children of varying ages, skills and abilities; and creating ongoing opportunities for sharing views and experiences about how the process is working.

This article gives account for a domestic violence study conducted in 12 haor areas (areas that flood regularly) in the northeastern region of Bangladesh. Concern Worldwide (an international NGO) has been implementing integrated rural development projects in three remote sub-districts- Khaliajuri, Itna, and Gowainghat- or the last ten years. Key project activities include the formation of community groups with the poor for raising awareness, human development training, skill training, non-formal education, saving and credit schemes, and rural infrastructure development. Roughly 96% of the group participants are women and the activities aim to contribute to the socio-economic empowerment of poor women. A research study was undertaken in 2003 in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme; to determine the socio-economic factors contributing domestic violence; the most common types of abuse and their health consequences; reductions of physical and mental abuse of housewives due to Concern's interventions. The research methodology used was based on PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) methods with social mapping of poverty; family relationships diagrams; focus group discussions; and Venn diagrams. The results are presented defining the fabric of inter-household relationships; analysing abuse in family relationships; and looking at defence strategies. The authors go on to the effectiveness of the Concern Project, examining housewives' feelings about power and ways to achieve power. Lessons learned form the project are summarised and it is concluded that processes of change in gender relations and attitudes are ongoing and take time and that it is equally important to work with both women and men to change attitudes.

This paper gives account of a do-it-yourself citizensÆ jury (DIY CJ) where a group of researchers and a ôjuryö picked at random from the local population of Blackburn and Darwen, Lancashire, undertook a series of deliberative workshops during April and May 2004. The subject of this DIY CJ was the role of the police and drink and drug use among young people, a topic which was chosen by the jury itself at the first of these workshops. Having heard a wide range of perspectives from a diverse set of ôwitnessesö the jury sought to recommend a number of solutions to the problems highlighted during the process. Among their specific recommendations, the jury called for: changing social services rules for drug users; the introduction of a tougher enforcement regime for drugs and alcohol regulations; more community policing; new local education authority-driven alcohol and drugs education programmes. The authors reflect on issues of cultural integration and ethnicity and suggest that the re-building of democratic engagement in Northern England, as in many other parts of the UK, will be greatly enhanced by an increase of face-to-face meetings such as those that form the essence of a grassroots citizensÆ jury. They point out that in areas targeted either by race hate groups or religious fundamentalists there is an urgent need for sensitively planned initiatives that move beyond condemnation of the divisive ideologies of such extremists; and that policy-makers should take practical steps to develop innovative new mechanisms of accountability.

This issue of Natural Resource Perspectives from ODI (Overseas Development Institute) considers the role of æconflict management assessment in community-based natural resource projects. The importance of conducting an assessment of the potential for conflict and its management in relation to a project intervention is stressed, and an assessment framework described. Within this framework the advantages of managing conflict through a consensual æwin-winÆ process of stakeholder negotiation are discussed. The following policy conclusions are made. Interventions to assist in the management of conflict within community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) should be preceded by a æconflict management assessment (CMA). This assessment should consider: (a) whether the conflict is likely to overwhelm the existing customary, institutional and legal approaches to conflict management, and if so whether it is appropriate to try to strengthen these; (b) whether, if the conflict is left alone, new conflict management mechanisms will organically materialise within an acceptable time-frame; and (c) whether the long-term benefits of allowing the conflict to transform itself into a positive force for social reform are outweighed by the short-term costs. Interventions for improved conflict management should be guided by an overall strategy which considers the full range of management options. Capacity building is a critical component of effective conflict management and a process of stakeholder negotiations is where the most creative and durable solutions will be found. Two factors support consensual æwin-winÆ negotiations as an effective strategy for managing conflicts in CBNRM: (a) the multi-stakeholder nature of such conflicts; and (b) the common ground that exists for sustaining renewable natural resources. Implementation of an overall strategy of conflict management will need to be periodically monitored to ensure that new external forces are neutral to the conflict, and that either a ædo-nothingÆ strategy is having the expected impact, or that the commitments embodied in a negotiated agreement are implemented in full and are effective.