An overview of top-down vs. bottom-up models for informal settlement upgrading in South Africa

The paper explores informal settlement upgrading approaches in South Africa and presents a review of top-down vs. bottom-up models, using experience and lessons learned from the Durban metropolitan area. Reflections on past upgrading efforts suggest that top-down policies in South Africa have not been successful to date. By contrast, participatory techniques, such as planning activism, can be used to enhance community empowerment and a sense of local ownership. This paper reveals that although the notion of ‘bottom-up’, participatory methods for community improvement is often discussed in international development discourses, the tools, processes and new knowledge needed to ensure a successful upgrade are under-utilised. Participation and collaboration can mean various things for informal housing upgrading and often the involvement of local communities is limited to providing feedback in already agreed development decisions from local authorities and construction companies. The paper concludes by suggesting directions for ‘co-producing’ knowledge with communities through participatory, action-research methods and integrating these insights into upgrading mechanisms and policies for housing and infrastructure provision. The cumulative impacts emerging from these approaches could aggregate into local, regional, and national environmental, social and economic benefits able to successfully transform urban areas and ensure self-reliance for local populations.

Final Evaluation of the Heart of Teesdale Landscape Partnership

A report on behalf of Durham County Council to the Heritage Lottery Funded in relation to the £2.7m Heart of Teesdale Landscape Partnership. The evaluation provides an independent assessment of what the Partnership has delivered (its outputs), what the benefits (outcomes) have been and what lasting impact it will have made (its legacy) for natural and cultural heritage and for local communities and visitors. This Report also considers what may not have worked so well and the lessons that may be drawn for the future.

Fronteras en construcción: Diferenciación social y desterritorialización en el Sur ibérico (siglos IX-VI a.C.)

Durante las tres últimas décadas, numerosos/as arqueólogos/as han discutido extensamente sobre el ritual funerario original de las poblaciones del sur ibérico entre los siglos ix y vi a.c., esto es, cremación o inhumación. Este debate está además conectado con la existencia o no de complejidad social antes de la llegada fenicia, con la aparición de una élite “orientalizada” y con la adopción de nuevos objetos y prácticas por las poblaciones locales. En este artículo hago uso del concepto deleuziano de “desterritorialización” y lo asocio con el de “frontera” desarrollado por anzaldúa para interpretar la sociedad del sur ibérico. Para ello, analizo la evidencia funeraria indígena y cuestiono la división estricta entre cremación e inhumación en la región; así como examino la profundidad y significado de los cambios funerarios en las comunidades locales.

From brown envelopes to community benefits: the co-option of planning gain agreements under deepening neoliberalism

The provision of physical and social infrastructure in the form of roads, green spaces and community facilities has traditionally been provided for by the state through the general taxation system. However, as the state has been transformed along more neoliberal lines, the private sector is increasingly relied upon to deliver public goods and services. Planning gain agreements have flourished within this context by offering another vehicle through which local facilities are privately funded. Whilst these agreements reflect the broader dynamics of neoliberalism, they are commonly viewed as a tool which can be employed to challenge these very dynamics by empowering local communities to secure more just planning outcomes. This paper counters such claims. Based on evidence gathered from 80 interviews with planners, councillors, developers and community groups in Ireland, the paper demonstrates how planning gain agreements have been strategically redeployed by the holders of political and economic power to serve their own ends. In seeking to understand why and how this has occurred, specific consideration is given to the changing power dynamics between the state and private capital under neoliberalism. The paper highlights how institutional arrangements have enabled developers to infiltrate the political sphere in more subtle and implicit ways than ever before. We conclude by arguing that planning gain must be understood as a mechanism which has been manipulated in ways which essentially work to preserve and enhance, rather than redress, existing power imbalances in the planning system by facilitating large scale transfers of wealth upwards in society.

Applying the security-development nexus on the ground: Land restitution in Colombia

The general consensus on the security-development nexus is that both are key to achieving sustainable peace in war-torn societies. However, this debate has largely taken place among international actors, with little empirical evidence about how security and development relate to each other or are even considered by local actors. The current paper applies the security-development nexus to the case of land restitution in Colombia. Following decades of internal armed conflict, in 2012 the national government passed sweeping land restitution legislation amid on-going violence. Through in-depth interviews and focus groups with multiple actors involved in this process, ranging from international organizations to national government units, from regional institutions to local communities, the paper analyses the objectives, impact, challenges and opportunities for land restitution related to security and development. Undermining peacebuilding, a lack of coherence in the integration of security and development priorities limits the extent to which either supports, or is promoted by, land restitution efforts in Colombia. The paper concludes with reflections on how the security-development nexus may promote peacebuilding amid on-going conflict.

Gestão de Recursos Humanos no Terceiro Setor: O Caso das Instituições Particulares de Solidariedade Social

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo geral estudar a gestão de recursos humanos (GRH) no terceiro setor, focando-se especificamente nas Instituições Particulares de Solidariedade Social (IPSS). Estas organizações têm vindo a demonstrar um papel cada vez mais relevante nas comunidades em que se inserem, pela sua missão em prestar serviços de cariz social e pela atual relevância como entidades empregadoras. A diversidade presente nas IPSS ao nível da estrutura, funcionamento, dimensão, organização e dinâmicas internas, proporciona o estudo e reflexão das especificidades na GRH. Para isso, abordam-se um conjunto de aspetos: i) diferenças entre meio empresarial e terceiro setor na GRH; ii) implicações da diversidade de respostas sociais e suas especificidades na gestão de pessoas; iii) o papel do Instituto de Segurança Social e as implicações legais na gestão de pessoas; iv) a localização geográfica e acesso a recursos humanos qualificados; v) a perspetiva das IPSS sobre os recursos humanos; vi) o perfil profissional dos colaboradores das IPSS; vii) práticas quotidianas na gestão de recursos humanos nas IPSS; viii) características da GRH nas IPSS (administrativa ou estratégica); ix) responsáveis pela GRH nas IPSS; x) o papel dos órgãos sociais na GRH; xi) profissionalização versus voluntariado; xii) a GRH, certificação e qualidade; xiii) as tendências do terceiro setor na gestão de pessoas. Foi utilizada uma metodologia qualitativa e aplicada a técnica de entrevista para recolher o conhecimento, experiências e perspetivas de diferentes interlocutores do terceiro setor, dirigentes, técnicos superiores, diretores de serviço, investigadores e representantes nacionais e distritais das IPSS. Da sistematização e análise dos dados recolhidos retiraram-se várias conclusões. As pessoas são consideradas o recurso mais importante para estas organizações, pela natureza social e humana das atividades desenvolvidas, prestadas por pessoas e destinadas a pessoas. Neste sentido, é demonstrada a importância do potencial humano aquando do recrutamento e seleção, pela primazia de requisitos como o relacionamento interpessoal em detrimento das qualificações. O perfil profissional característico das IPSS reconhece a importância da polivalência, disponibilidade, comprometimento, confiança, proximidade afetiva, voluntarismo e sentido de missão dos colaboradores, os quais tendem a ser são vistos como investimento tanto quanto reúnam estes aspetos; caso contrário podem ser encarados como custo. Quanto à acessibilidade a recursos humanos, surgem diferentes modalidades, consoante fatores de localização, dimensão, formação e estrutura organizacional, bem como o fenómeno da fuga de mão de obra, indício da dificuldade em captar e reter recursos humanos. O modelo de GRH nas IPSS é de cariz tradicional, caracterizado por uma gestão porimproviso com diferentes níveis de sensibilidade e capacidade das IPSS, no que concerne à implementação de processos de GRH, tais como sistemas de progressão na carreira, recrutamento interno e sistemas de avaliação de desempenho. Quanto aos aspetos da motivação e satisfação profissional, é assumida a importância da proximidade e apoio aos colaboradores, indicativos de um sistema de recompensas informal. É percetível a resistência na aplicação de técnicas de desenvolvimento organizacional, comprovada pela limitação na formação dos quadros de colaboradores. No entanto as IPSS são confrontadas com a rigidez dos instrumentos legais. A responsabilidade pela GRH é mais ou menos partilhada entre a direção técnica e os órgãos sociais, condicionada pelo estilo de liderança e relação de confiança entre si, em norma, pouco clara quanto aos papéis e funções desempenhadas. Por fim, é percebida a necessidade de coexistência de uma gestão profissionalizada e de direções voluntárias mais capacitadas e sensibilizadas para o desenvolvimento de metodologias e estratégias de gestão de pessoas, adaptadas às especificidades das IPSS. Este trabalho pretende contribuir com um espaço de reflexão para a elaboração de respostas mais eficazes e inovadoras que proporcionem o desenvolvimento organizacional, face às necessidades e transformações do terceiro setor. / This work main objective is the study of human resource management (HRM) in the third sector. It is focused specifically on Instituições Particulares de Solidariedade Social [Private Institutions for Social Solidarity] (IPSS). These kind of organizations have demonstrated an increased value in the communities they are inserted in, by providing social care services and by generating new jobs in the local communities. The study and reflection of HRM specificities is based on the variety in the structure, the purpose, the size, the internal organization and the dynamics of the different IPSS. For this purpose we explored the following aspects : i) the differences between business community and the third sector in HRM; ii) the implications of social responses diversity in people management; iii) the role of the National Insurance Institute and the legal impact on people management; iv) the geographic location and the IPSS access to skilled human resources; v) the understanding of IPSS on human resources; vi) the professional profile of IPSS employees; vii) the daily practices in human resource management on the IPSS; viii) the characteristics of HRM in IPSS (managerial or strategic); ix) who is responsible for HRM in IPSS; x) the role of executive board in HRM; xi) professionalization versus voluntary work; xii) HRM, quality and certification; xiii) the third sector trends in people management. The qualitative method and the interview technique were applied in order to gather knowledge, experiences and perspectives from several sources such as, different partners of the third sector, managers, service directors, technicians, researchers and national and local IPSS representatives. The results indicate several conclusions. Firstly the human resources are the most important resource of IPSS organizations due to the social nature of the services provided by them but also the importance of, the individual and social, skills required for these activities that are provided by people and are directed to people. This demonstrates the importance of interpersonal skills over professional qualifications during recruitment and selection. The IPSS recognize in their professionals the importance of versatility, availability, commitment, confidence, emotional proximity, voluntarism and sense of mission. If an employee fulfills these requirements, is considered an investment; otherwise might be seen as a cost. Regarding the accessibility of IPSS to qualified human resources, we consider different models, depending on location, size and training and organizational structure as well as the phenomenon run of hand labor, defined as the index of difficulty in capturing and retaining human resources. The model of HRM in IPSS is traditional in its nature and is characterized by management based on improvisation at different levels, regarding the implementation ofHRM processes such as career advancement systems, internal recruitment and performance evaluation. In regards to motivation and job satisfaction, it is valued the proximity and the support to the employees, showing therefore an informal system of rewards. There is a noticeable resistance to the application of organizational techniques which is demonstrated by controlling the formation of employees. However the IPSS are required to face the rigidity of legal instruments. The responsibility for HRM is shared between the technical direction and the management bodies, which depends on leadership style and mutual trust, and is generally unclear about the roles and duties performed. Finally, it becomes evident the need for coexistence between a professional management and a voluntary management, more capable and more sensible to the development of methods and strategies for people management, specifically adapted to each IPSS. This paper aims to contribute with space for reflection in the development of more effective and innovative responses for the organizational development, given the needs and transformations of the third sector.

Long-term community responses to droughts in the early modern period: the case study of Terrassa, Spain

New challenges posed by global environmental change have motivated scholars to pay growing attention to historical long-term strategies to deal with climate extremes. We aim to understand long-term trends in community responses to cope with droughts, to explain how many preindustrial societies coevolved with local hydro-climatic dynamics and coped with climate extremes over time. The specific goals of this work are: (1) to analyze how local communities experienced droughts over long periods of time and (2) to document the spectrum of recorded community responses to drought. Our research covers over one century (1605-1710) of responses to drought in the community of Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain. Data were collected through archival research. We reviewed and coded 2076 village council minutes. Our results show that the local community adopted a mixture of symbolic, institutional, and infrastructural responses to drought and that drought-related decisions varied through time. We discuss adaptation strategies on the basis of the distinct physical signals of drought propagation and the role of nonclimatic historical factors, such as warfare and public debt, in shaping responses. We conclude that long-term perspectives on premodern history and comparable empirical studies are fundamental to advance our understanding of past social responses to hydro-climatic extremes.

Creating restoration landscapes: partnerships in large-scale conservation in the UK

It is increasingly recognized that ecological restoration demands conservation action beyond the borders of existing protected areas. This requires the coordination of land uses and management over a larger area, usually with a range of partners, which presents novel institutional challenges for conservation planners. Interviews were undertaken with managers of a purposive sample of large-scale conservation areas in the UK. Interviews were open-ended and analyzed using standard qualitative methods. Results show a wide variety of organizations are involved in large-scale conservation projects, and that partnerships take time to create and demand resilience in the face of different organizational practices, staff turnover, and short-term funding. Successful partnerships with local communities depend on the establishment of trust and the availability of external funds to support conservation land uses. We conclude that there is no single institutional model for large-scale conservation: success depends on finding institutional strategies that secure long-term conservation outcomes, and ensure that conservation gains are not reversed when funding runs out, private owners change priorities, or land changes hands.

Adapting prospective structural analysis to strengthen sustainable management and capacity building in community-based natural resource management contexts

Local communities collectively managing common pool resources can play an important role in sustainable management, but they often lack the skills and context-specific tools required for such management. The complex dynamics of social-ecological systems (SES), the need for management capacities, and communities’ limited empowerment and participation skills present challenges for community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) strategies. We analyzed the applicability of prospective structural analysis (PSA), a strategic foresight tool, to support decision making and to foster sustainable management and capacity building in CBNRM contexts and the modifications necessary to use the tool in such contexts. By testing PSA in three SES in Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina, we gathered information regarding the potential of this tool and its adaptation requirements. The results suggest that the tool can be adapted to these contexts and contribute to fostering sustainable management and capacity building. It helped identify the systems’ dynamics, thus increasing the communities’ knowledge about their SES and informing the decision-making process. Additionally, it drove a learning process that both fostered empowerment and built participation skills. The process demanded both time and effort, and required external monitoring and facilitation, but community members could be trained to master it. Thus, we suggest that the PSA technique has the potential to strengthen CBNRM and that other initiatives could use it, but they must be aware of these requirements.

Evaluation of Tottenham Thinking Space Pilot: Final Report. Research Report 11.

This reports summarises research that began in March 2014 and was completed in October 2015 by an experienced inter-disciplinary research team from the Centre for Social Justice and Change and Psycho-Social Research Group, School of Social Sciences, the University of East London (UEL) and included Dr Yang Li from the Centre for Geo-Information Studies, UEL, for the first phase of the study. Tottenham ‘Thinking Space’ (TTS) was a pilot therapeutic initiative based in local communities and delivered by the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust and funded by the London Borough of Haringey Directorate of Public Health. TTS aimed to improve mental health and enable and empower local communities. TTS was situated within a mental health agenda that was integral to Haringey’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2012-2015 and aimed to encourage people to help themselves and each other and develop confident communities. On the one hand TTS was well-suited to this agenda, but, on the other, participants were resistant to, and were trying to free themselves from labelling that implied ‘mental health difficulties’. A total of 243 meetings were held and 351 people attended 1,716 times. The majority of participants attended four times or less, and 33 people attended between 5 and 10 times and 39 people attended over 10 times. Attending a small number of times does not necessarily mean that the attendee was not helped. Attendees reflected the ethnic diversity of Tottenham; 29 different ethnic groups attended. The opportunity to meet with people from different cultural backgrounds in a safe space was highly valued by attendees. Similarly, participants valued the wide age range represented and felt that they benefited from listening to inter-generational experiences. The majority of participants were women (72%) and they were instrumental in initiating further Thinking Spaces, topic specific meetings, the summer programme of activities for mothers and young children and training to meet their needs. The community development worker had a key role in implementing the initiative and sustaining its growth throughout the pilot period. We observed that TTS attracted those whose life experiences were marked by personal struggle and trauma. Many participants felt safe enough to disclose mental health difficulties (85% of those who completed a questionnaire). Participants also came seeking a stronger sense of community in their local area. Key features of the meetings are that they are democratic, non-judgemental, respectful, and focussed on encouraging everyone to listen and to try to understand. We found that the therapeutic method was put in place by high quality facilitators and health and personal outcomes for participants were consistent with those predicted by the underpinning psychoanalytical and systemic theories. Outcomes included a reduction in anxieties and improved personal and social functioning; approximately two thirds of those who completed a questionnaire felt better understood, felt more motivated and more hopeful for the future. The overwhelming majority of survey respondents also felt good about contributing to their community, said that they were more able to cooperate with others and accepting of other cultures, and had made new friends. Participants typically had a better understanding of their current situation and how to take positive action; of those who completed a questionnaire, over half felt more confident to seek support for a personal issue and to contact services. Members of TTS supported each other and instilled hope and build community-mindedness that reduced social isolation.

Beckton Sustainable Living Initiative, Working Paper 4.

This working paper reflects the authors’ involvement with a civic engagement project funded by the University of East London’s (UEL) Institute for Civic Engagement. It was a collaborative initiative between the Centre for Social Justice and Change, School of Social Sciences, and UEL’s Sustainability Research Institute. The initiative commenced in November 2015 and was completed in July 2016. The civic engagement project is part of an ongoing sustainable living project in Beckton. Situated in the hinterland of UEL’s Docklands campus in the London Borough of Newham this initiative provided an opportunity to work with communities local to UEL. Our involvement in a civic engagement initiative raised issues about what our role as students representing a University might involve, how we may contribute rather than replicate or duplicate ongoing local activities, and what additional skills we could bring to make a positive contribution. Our project was about taking practical actions; by completing a communal garden in a local park and distributing water-saving devices to enable households to reduce their expenditure and contribute towards sustainable living. Research findings informed these practical actions and we were able to use our knowledge concerning environmental sustainability and research in discussions with residents and local agencies. Our experience also raised issues about how best to do research that can be used to inform and facilitate social action. This is particularly challenging in local communities which are ethnically diverse and culturally fragmented. This working paper describes our experiences and reflections.

A Game of Horns: Transnational Flows of Rhino Horn

A multi-sectorial regime of protection including international treaties, conservation and security measures, demand reduction campaigns and quasi-military interventions has been established to protect rhinos. Despite these efforts, the poaching of rhinos and trafficking of rhino horn continue unabated. This dissertation asks why the illegal market in rhinoceros horn is so resilient in spite of the myriad measures employed to disrupt it. A theoretical approach grounded in the sociology of markets is applied to explain the structure and functioning of the illegal market. The project follows flows of rhino horn from the source in southern Africa to illegal markets in Southeast Asia. The multi-sited ethnography included participant observations, interviews and focus groups with 416 informants during fourteen months of fieldwork. The sample comprised of, amongst others, convicted and active rhino poachers, smugglers and kingpins, private rhino breeders and hunting outfitters, African and Asian law enforcement officials, as well as affected local communities and Asian consumers. Court files, CITES trade data, archival materials, newspaper reports and social media posts were also analysed to supplement findings and to verify and triangulate data from interviews, focus groups and observations. Central to the analysis is the concept of “contested illegality”, a legitimization mechanism employed by market participants along the different segments of the horn supply chain. These actors' implicit or explicit contestation of the state-sponsored label of illegality serves as a legitimising and enabling mechanism, facilitating participation in gray or illegal markets for rhino horn. The research identified fluid interfaces between legal, illegal and gray markets, with recurring actors who have access to transnational trade structures, and who also possess market and product knowledge, as well as information about the regulatory regime and its loopholes. It is against the background of colonial, apartheid and neoliberal exploitation and marginalization of local communities that a second argument is introduced: the path dependency of conservation paradigms. Underpinning rhino conservation and regulation are archaic and elitist conservation regimes that discount the potential for harmonious relationships between local communities and wildlife. The increasing militarization of anti-poaching measures and green land grabs are exacerbating the rhino problem by alienating communities further from conservation areas and wild animals. The third argument looks at how actors deal with coordination problems in transnational illegal markets. Resolving the coordination problems of cooperation, value and competition are considered essential to the operation of formal markets. It is argued that the problem of security provides an additional and crucial obstacle to actors transacting in markets. The systematic analysis of flows between the researched sites of production, distribution and consumption of rhino horn shows that the social embeddedness of actors facilitates the flourishing of illegal markets in ways that escape an effective enforcement of CITES regulations.

O papel do turismo desportivo no desenvolvimento sustentável das áreas costeiras

Atualmente, a rotina sedentária leva a que as pessoas procurem cada vez mais a prática da atividades diferentes, tais como a atividade desportiva, que se torna essencial como fuga a este estilo de vida. O turismo desportivo tem assim crescido nos últimos anos e, por isso, a oferta existente hoje em dia é bastante variada. No entanto, é necessário ter em atenção que o uso dos recursos naturais, muitas vezes na base destas atividades, não deve ser excessivo. Igualmente, a busca pelo desenvolvimento sustentável deve fazer parte dos planos de todos os intervenientes no desenvolvimento dos destinos turísticos. A presente dissertação foca-se num estudo exploratório, com análise qualitativa, com o objetivo de analisar a importância do turismo desportivo na região de Aveiro. Assim, pretende-se compreender se esta atividade pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento da região de Aveiro enquanto destino turístico, garantindo simultaneamente a sustentabilidade das áreas costeiras. Em concreto, esta investigação realizou-se através de um inquérito por entrevista a agentes de oferta de animação turística que oferecem atividades de turismo desportivo. A necessidade de colaboração com a comunidade local e de integração nesta, bem como a urgência de criar parcerias com empresas do mesmo sector, ou até de sectores diferentes, são dois dos pontos essenciais nesta área, que podem conduzir a um desenvolvimento do turismo desportivo nas áreas costeiras, em concreto na região de Aveiro, sem comprometimento da sustentabilidade local.

Health assets and active lifestyles during preadolescence and adolescence: highlights from the HBSC/WHO health survey and implications for health promotion

The present chapter discusses the assets model as a theoretical approach to the study of health behavior and health promotion. The model emphasizes people’s talents, competences, and resources. In this chapter, a health asset is defined as any factor or resource that maximizes the opportunities for individuals, local communities, and populations to attain and maintain health and well-being. This perspective expands and complements the current medical model as it focuses on the development of a sense of empowerment in community members to prevent and manage their own health. Therefore, in this chapter we address the concepts of salutogenesis, social support, resilience, coping, self-regulation, social capital, and personal and social competence, which are central to the development of individuals’ potential to manage and savor their own health, creating the conditions for self-fulfillment. Additionally, we demonstrate how the assets model guides the study of children’s and adolescents’ health in the Portuguese Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (www.hbsc.org), concentrating on areas such as active lifestyles and quality-of-life perception. Finally, we present a roadmap for action that emphasizes the need to identify the factors that make children and adolescents happy and healthy individuals, while minimizing risks and problems they naturally encounter throughout their development. We also argue for the need to involve young people in discussions concerning their health and health promotion practices, focusing on the development of talents, capabilities, and positive expectations for the future.

Understanding stakeholder participation in post-disaster recovery (case study: Nagapattinam, India)

Stakeholder participation is widely acknowledged as a critical component of post-disaster recovery because it helps create a shared understanding of local hazard risk and vulnerability, improves recovery and mitigation decision efficacy, and builds social capital and local resilience to future disasters. But approaches commonly used to facilitate participation and empower local communities depend on lengthy consensus-building processes which is not conducive to time-constrained post-disaster recovery. Moreover, these approaches are often criticized for being overly technocratic and ignoring existing community power and trust structures. Therefore, there is a need for more nuanced, analytical and applied research on stakeholder participation in planning for post-disaster recovery. This research examines participatory behavior of three stakeholder groups (government agencies, non-local non-government organizations, local community-based organizations) in three coastal village communities of Nagapattinam (India) that were recovering from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The study found eight different forms of participation and non-participation in the case study communities, ranging from 'transformative' participation to 'marginalized' non-participation. These forms of participation and non-participatory behavior emanated from the negotiation of four factors, namely stakeholder power, legitimacy, trust, and urgency for action. The study also found that the time constraints and changing conditions of recovery pose particular challenges for how these factors operated on the ground and over the course of recovery. Finally, the study uses these insights to suggest four strategies for recovery managers to use in the short- and long-term to facilitate more effective stakeholder participation in post-disaster recovery.