Including the excluded: marginalised poor communities and development practices in rural Nepal

Abstract

The participation of beneficiaries in development programs is widely seen as a potential means for empowerment and inclusion of socially marginalised peoples, and democratisation of the grassroots. International development agencies such as the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program, and critics of conventional centralised 'top-down' development approaches, emphasise the role of participatory practices in social transformation through inclusion and empowerment. However, some empirical studies scrutinising the unequal power relationships between external development experts and marginalised peoples in participatory development processes, point out the potential risks of strengthening unequal power relationships, despite the emphasis on empowerment and inclusion. A key research gap was identified: that the experiences of the socially marginalised people themselves, who have increasingly been involved in participatory development programs are generally underexplored in development research. This research set out to examine whether participatory development programs targeted at socially marginalised poor communities of Nepal did in fact contribute to their inclusion and empowerment. A qualitative multiple case study research design was employed in three highly marginalised rural poor communities-Madhesi Dalits, landless fishers' community (Fishers), and Chepangs of South-Central Nepal. An actor-oriented perspective and social interface analysis approach was adopted to comprehend the marginalised peoples' experiences of development interventions in their particular contexts. The case study methodology involved in-depth interviews, focus groups and observation. The study findings showed that various state and non-state agencies have increasingly adopted and promoted participatory approaches and invested resources for the socioeconomic development of marginalised peoples; however, the equity and empowerment implications of these efforts for the local communities were limited. Collaboration of marginalised peoples' organisations with external development agencies, particularly non-governmental organisations (NGOs), provided opportunities for them to access development resources, engage in networks and develop leadership. On the other hand, NGOs also contributed to the 'professionalisation' of community organisations by valuing leaders with professional or academic knowledge, rather than those with indigenous wisdom. In several instances NGOs advocated on behalf of those they considered 'ignorant' people and displaced them from their prior collective participation in social struggles against systemic discrimination and oppression. Interactions of community groups with NGOs led to the co-option of community leaders, creating elite groups and turning them into local brokersa different social categoryrather than facilitating their roles as active agents to encourage grassroots mobilisation for social transformation.

Spatial Transformation of a New City in 2006–2020: Perspectives on the Spatial Dynamics, Environmental Quality Degradation, and Socio—Economic Sustainability of Local Communities in Makassar City, Indonesia

“…The functions of economic activities, large-scale settlement development activities, and transportation systems in the new city area of Metro Tanjung Bunga have a significant impact on reducing the carrying capacity of the environment and environmental pollution over time. Therefore, choosing an effective method has become an important issue for analyzing the relationships between regional resources, the environment, and human activities, as well as providing operable and effective regulatory counter measures to achieve a sustainable regional strategy [106,107].…”

From Blueprints to Empowerment of Disadvantaged Groups in Natural Resource Governance: Lessons from Nepal and Tanzania

“…Our data from both the interventions in Nepal and Tanzania confirm this similar trend of contemporary international development. Acharya (2018) says "it seems to be that the ultimate aim of empowering poor people is to enhance the capacities of the individuals in order to enable them to engage effectively in the market, not to transform the oppressive social relationships of power". Being disadvantaged in a community is often a result of a long socio-cultural and historical process of subordination, reducing also power and access to resources and opportunities.…”

“…Being disadvantaged in a community is often a result of a long socio-cultural and historical process of subordination, reducing also power and access to resources and opportunities. The individualistic approach is important but undermines the prospects of collective fights for equity and justice, which can lead to change in culture (Acharya 2018).…”

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“…In some societies within Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, women, old and sick people including young children are prohibited from eating certain foods due to taboos and cultural beliefs, and this may include nutritional foods (Adhikari, 2010;Acharya, 2013;Acharya et al, 2015;2017). Food beliefs are a systematised set of rules about which combinations of foods or foods one may or may not consume (Adhikari, 2010;Acharya, 2013;Acharya et al, 2016).…”