Participation: how and why

1
Participation how and why

• Presentation by the Drylands Coordination Group
  on thematic topic 1 at CRIC3.
• May 3rd 2005
• www.drylands-group.org

2
The Drylands Coordination Group

• An NGO driven network with partners in Eritrea,
  Ethiopia, Mali, and Sudan and a coordinating
  secretariat in Norway.
• Major areas of work food security and natural
  resource management in the drylands of Africa.
• Platform for sharing ideas and knowledge.
• Engage in field studies, training, and
  information diffusion.

3
Participation

• Meaningful participation is key to an efficient
  implementation of NAP.
• Positive and promising participation is possible
  and the way forward.

4
Understanding participation

• What will people participate in?
• Who will participate?
• When will participation take place?
• Where will it take place?
• How will it be carried out?
• Addressing these questions is a prerequisite for
  evaluating and analyzing a participatory process.

5
The hillside distribution to landless youth
project

• Support landless youth by creating income
  generating activities.
• Activities aimed at halting soil degradation
  through environmental rehabilitation and natural
  resource management.

6
What are the roles and responsibilities in this
participatory process?

• Beneficiaries assess, identify, and prioritize
  needs
• Associations forward needs and suggestions to
  the village representatives
• Surrounding communities Suggest land and
  contribute free labor
• Village governmental administration Distribute
  and register land to selected beneficiaries
• NGOs Provide and facilitate provision of input
  and training. Arrange experience sharing.
• Regional government of Tigray Issue land
  certificates.

7
Our main messages

• Local institutions exist and can be built on.
• Peoples voices can be expressed in oral and
  written ways.
• Local communities and their institutions are
  capable of deciding on needs and suggesting
  solutions.
• Through local participation and decision making
  communities are given recognition.
• Understanding of contextual factors and presence
  of institutions are necessary for participatory
  consultation processes leading to mutually based
  understanding.

8
Further discussion

• Please join us at the eniD side-event today at
  6pm in the Wasserwerk meeting room
• More case studies and participatory discussions
• For more information on the Drylands Coordination
  Group network, please visit our stand and website
  
• www.drylands-group.org