The Role of Community Development in Slum Electrification Efforts in Ashaiman, Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-215
Author(s):  
Jamal Appiah-Kubi ◽  
Emmanuel Owusu Amoako

Upon its introduction into slums in Ghana as a result of its contribution to development in rural communities, community development has been adopted to provide some basic amenities such as houses and toilet facilities in such informal communities. With limited access to electricity being a major problem in Ashaiman slums, various stakeholders such as the Electricity Company of Ghana and non-governmental organizations have employed community development mechanisms to assist the inhabitants in electrification projects in Ashaiman slums. This qualitative study was conducted to investigate how community development has fared in the electrification efforts, focusing on the contributions it has made and the challenges encountered. The practice has improved the dialogue and relationship between the communities and officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana and led to the electrification of some neighbourhoods. However, slum electrification efforts have been impeded by tribal differences among the inhabitants due to the high ethnic diversity, and lack of resources. It is therefore important that leaders of the tribes work towards uniting their subjects for their participation in electrification efforts.

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-135
Author(s):  
Siraj Bashir

Community Development (CD) is an approach aimed at improving the quality of life of the community. The approach for improvement can be achieved through a number of ways and organizations which includes, the Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) "a private organization that pursue activities to reduce suffering, promote the interest of the poor , protect the environment, provide basic social services or undertake community development". This paper discusses the role and contribution of NGOs towards development in Balochistan. NGOs have several projects, programs and roles which support people to bring development in communities. In addition, NGOs mobilize the communities to be self-dependent. The study includes interviews, document analysis and field studies with staffs and the beneficiaries of NGOs. The study helps the communities to find out their own problems and solve them according to their own local resources. Recommendations made as to the best practices of community development programs for NGOs to improve the living standard of people in province of Balochistan.


Author(s):  
Dominic Shimawua ◽  

The aim of the study is to assess the contributions of Aisha Buhari Foundation in the alleviation of rural poverty in Nigeria. Population explosion was identified as one of the problems confronting poverty alleviation efforts in Nigeria. It goes without saying that uncontrolled population growth magnifies the problem of poverty and naturally, renders insignificant, poverty alleviation efforts. To check this menace, Nigerians, especially the rural folk should be enlightened on the imperative of birth control. The assistance of Aisha Buhari Foundation, other non-governmental organizations, institutions and government at all levels is needed in this regard. The rural folk need to be told that inasmuch as children are gifts from God, giving birth to as many children as God is willing to give one would merely compound the problem of poverty. Affordable family planning facilities should be provided for Nigerians especially the rural folk. Only when this is done can we hope to control the country’s population which according to the UNDP, is projected to grow to 230 million, that is double that present figure by 20152 (a mere 15 years away). Education is a very useful weapon against poverty. Ironically, poverty is a major weapon against education. In other words, poverty limits the ability of individuals to acquire education. Due to escalating costs of education in the face of dwindling income, many children are withdrawn from school by their parents to indulge in street hawking and unskilled labour. This tendency no doubt helps to compound the problem of poverty. Poverty alleviation efforts in Nigeria will receive a boost if educational opportunities are expanded to benefit as many people as possible.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 479-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Rezaul Islam

Despite significant contributions from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in socio-economic development in Bangladesh, the evidence in community development is little known. The findings of this article are based on two NGOs working with two indigenous communities. The study used a qualitative case study research approach, where a multi-method data collection procedure was applied. The analysis of the findings underscored the role of these two NGOs in four ingredients of community development: improving participation, social networking, partnership and development ownership. The results showed that the NGOs’ contributions in community development were credible. The findings provide important guidelines for social workers, NGO workers and development practitioners.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 199-207
Author(s):  
SANAZ ETEMADIBOUSHERI

Iran is a country of great ethnic diversity. Although the official language of the country is Farsi, more than 8 other languages and hundreds of dialects are spoken throughout the country. This great ethnic diversity has led to emergence and growth of different cultures and religions (both official and non-official). This great diversity has potential for cultural growth and development. In recent years, many non-governmental organizations have made great efforts to teach children peace in different ways. The biggest motivation for these trainings are: to end misbelieves toward education, and professing to equal citizenship rights for all the ethnic groups. In the past 20 years, the issue of the right to equal education has been a hot topic of discussion in most non-governmental children’s researches. This refers to the promotion of peace culture, by peace-based educational programs for all age groups, from the beginning pre-school education stages. A group of active consultants and educational planners did a lot of work in this way. They held lots of workshops and meetings, and achieved successful programs with positive results.


2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devrimi Kaya ◽  
Robert J. Kirsch ◽  
Klaus Henselmann

This paper analyzes the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as intermediaries in encouraging the European Union (EU) to adopt International Accounting Standards (IAS). Our analysis begins with the 1973 founding of the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), and ends with 2002 when the binding EU regulation was approved. We document the many pathways of interaction between European supranational, governmental bodies and the IASC/IASB, as well as important regional NGOs, such as the Union Européenne des Experts Comptables, Économiques et Financiers (UEC), the Groupe d'Etudes des Experts Comptables de la Communauté Économique Européenne (Groupe d'Etudes), and their successor, the Fédération des Experts Comptables Européens (FEE). This study investigates, through personal interviews of key individuals involved in making the history of the organizations studied, and an extensive set of primary sources, how NGOs filled key roles in the process of harmonization of international accounting standards.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Maureen Schneider

Purpose Scholarship on the contact hypothesis and peacebuilding suggests that contact with marginalized ethnic and racial groups may reduce prejudice and improve opportunities for conflict resolution. Through a study of dual-narrative tours to Israel/Palestine, the purpose of this paper is to address two areas of the debate surrounding this approach to social change. First, past research on the effectiveness of contact-based tourism as a method to change attitudes is inconclusive. Travel to a foreign country has been shown to both improve and worsen tourists’ perceptions of a host population. Second, few scholars have attempted to link contact-based changes in attitudes to activism. Design/methodology/approach Through an analysis of 218 post-tour surveys, this study examines the role of dual-narrative tours in sparking attitude change that may facilitate involvement in peace and justice activism. Surveys were collected from the leading “dual-narrative” tour company in the region, MEJDI. Dual-narrative tours uniquely expose mainstream tourists in Israel/Palestine to Palestinian perspectives that are typically absent from the majority of tours to the region. This case study of dual-narrative tours therefore provides a unique opportunity to address the self-selecting bias, as identified by contact hypothesis and tourism scholars, in order to understand the potential impacts of exposure to marginalized narratives. Findings The findings of this study suggest that while these tours tend to engender increased support for Palestinians over Israelis, their most salient function appears to be the cultivation of empathy for “both sides” of the conflict. Similarly, dual-narrative tours often prompt visitors to understand the conflict to be more complex than they previously thought. In terms of activism, tourists tend to prioritize education-based initiatives in their plans for post-tour political engagement. In addition, a large number of participants articulated commitments to support joint Israeli–Palestinian non-governmental organizations and to try to influence US foreign policy to be more equitable. Originality/value These findings complicate debates within the scholarship on peacebuilding as well as within movements for social justice in Israel/Palestine. While programs that equate Israeli and Palestinian perspectives are often criticized for reinforcing the status quo, dual-narrative tours appear to facilitate nuance and universalism while also shifting tourists toward greater identification with an oppressed population. Together, these findings shed light on the ability of tourism to facilitate positive attitude change about a previously stigmatized racial/ethnic group, as well as the power of contact and exposure to marginalized narratives to inspire peace and justice activism.


2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALAINE A. BALL ◽  
PEDRO H.S. BRANCALION

SUMMARYWhile conservation and development projects focusing on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) remain popular approaches to address complex issues of livelihood improvement and conservation, governance of NTFPs is still poorly understood. In the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot of Brazil, non-governmental organizations, researchers and community leaders are encouraging the commercialization of fruit pulp-based products from the endangered palm Euterpe edulis, known as juçara, to replace income from illegal heart of palm extraction. In order to assess the governance of development of juçara pulp as an NTFP and the potential to increase conservation of juçara through management on smallholder properties, we conducted qualitative research in São Paulo State from October 2012 to October 2013. Major challenges include policy barriers, difficulties integrating production and commercialization, problematic assumptions about poverty alleviation and the inability of the most disadvantaged members of communities to benefit. These governance challenges are a function of poor access, or the ‘bundle of powers’ that enables the ability to benefit. However, engagement with juçara fruit pulp production links farmers and former poachers with sustainable agricultural concepts and with networks, changing their perceptions of conservation and enhancing ability to benefit from improved policy.


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