Power, Partnership and Power, Partnership and Participation:Participation:

Engaging Communities and Community Engaging Communities and Community AssetsAssets

Michael WoodsMichael Woods

Aberystwyth UniversityAberystwyth University

Community Assets – Delivering on the Potential?

Roundtable, Inverness, 23 November 2010

The new rural development The new rural development paradigmparadigm

““Rural development is not just about ‘new things’ Rural development is not just about ‘new things’ being added to established situations. It is about being added to established situations. It is about newly emerging and historically rooted realities that newly emerging and historically rooted realities that are currently reappearing as rural development are currently reappearing as rural development experiences avant la lettre. Rural development experiences avant la lettre. Rural development policies should focus on strengthening proven policies should focus on strengthening proven constellations and supporting emergence of new constellations and supporting emergence of new ones. A particularly decisive element will be the ones. A particularly decisive element will be the combination of the ‘old’ with the ‘new’”combination of the ‘old’ with the ‘new’”

Van der Ploeg et al. (2000) in Van der Ploeg et al. (2000) in Sociologia RuralisSociologia Ruralis, p 400, p 400

The new rural development The new rural development paradigmparadigm

‘‘Old’ paradigmOld’ paradigm Inward investmentInward investment Top-down planningTop-down planning Sectoral modernizationSectoral modernization Financial capitalFinancial capital Exploitation of natureExploitation of nature Transport Transport

infrastructureinfrastructure ProductionProduction IndustrializationIndustrialization Social modernizationSocial modernization ConvergenceConvergence

‘‘New’ paradigmNew’ paradigm Endogenous developmentEndogenous development Bottom-up innovationBottom-up innovation Integrated developmentIntegrated development Social capitalSocial capital Sustainable developmentSustainable development Information infrastructureInformation infrastructure ConsumptionConsumption Small niche industriesSmall niche industries Valorization of traditionValorization of tradition Local embeddednessLocal embeddedness

Source: Woods (2010) Rural, p 140

Natural

Land

Minerals

Forestry

Water

Wind

Wildlife

TANGIBLE ASSETS

Natural

Land

Minerals

Forestry

Water

Wind

Wildlife

TANGIBLE ASSETS

Achieved

Property & buildings

Livestock

Financial capital

Natural

Land & landscape

Minerals

Forestry

Water

Wind

Wildlife

TANGIBLE ASSETS

Achieved

Property & buildings

Livestock

Financial capital

INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Cultural

Heritage

Tradition

Folk culture

Natural

Land & landscape

Minerals

Forestry

Water

Wind

Wildlife

TANGIBLE ASSETS

Achieved

Property & buildings

Livestock

Financial capital

INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Cultural

Heritage

Tradition

Folk culture

Environmental

Tranquillity

Carbon sequestration

Biodiversity

Natural

Land & landscape

Minerals

Forestry

Water

Wind

Wildlife

TANGIBLE ASSETS

Achieved

Property & buildings

Livestock

Financial capital

INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Cultural

Heritage

Tradition

Folk culture

Environmental

Tranquillity

Carbon sequestration

Biodiversity

Human

Skills

Enthusiasm

Cooperation

Natural

Land & landscape

Minerals

Forestry

Water

Wind

Wildlife

TANGIBLE ASSETS

Achieved

Property & buildings

Livestock

Financial capital

INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Cultural

Heritage

Tradition

Folk culture

Environmental

Tranquillity

Carbon sequestration

Biodiversity

Human

Skills

Enthusiasm

Cooperation

ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT

Natural

Land & landscape

Minerals

Forestry

Water

Wind

Wildlife

TANGIBLE ASSETS

Achieved

Property & buildings

Livestock

Financial capital

INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Cultural

Heritage

Tradition

Folk culture

Environmental

Tranquillity

Carbon sequestration

Biodiversity

Human

Skills

Enthusiasm

Cooperation

ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT

Power

Participation

Partnership

Benefits of approachBenefits of approach

Reduced dependency on external investment Reduced dependency on external investment and reduced vulnerability to external and reduced vulnerability to external decision-makingdecision-making

Increased retention of wealth generated in Increased retention of wealth generated in the localitythe locality

Maintenance of local culture and traditions, Maintenance of local culture and traditions, and environmental sustainabilityand environmental sustainability

Empowerment of local communities with Empowerment of local communities with control over development paths and projectscontrol over development paths and projects

Three challengesThree challenges

Defining the ‘community interest’Defining the ‘community interest’ Bringing communities together in Bringing communities together in

inclusive partnershipsinclusive partnerships Reflexivity in rural developmentReflexivity in rural development

Complex communities Complex communities

Assumption of geographically-coherent Assumption of geographically-coherent communities able to express a singular communities able to express a singular view or set of interestsview or set of interests

Rural communities have always been Rural communities have always been more dynamic and diverse than more dynamic and diverse than popularly assumedpopularly assumed

Rural communities have become more Rural communities have become more complex with greater mobility and complex with greater mobility and social and economic restructuringsocial and economic restructuring

Complex communities Complex communities

Different members of community Different members of community may value community assets may value community assets differentlydifferently

Different viewpoints on the Different viewpoints on the enrolment of community assets in enrolment of community assets in development projectsdevelopment projects

Internal opposition to the Internal opposition to the valorization of community assetsvalorization of community assets

Them vs. Us?Them vs. Us?

Local support out-Local support out-shouted by non-local shouted by non-local opposition?opposition?

Them vs. Us?Them vs. Us?

Local support out-Local support out-shouted by non-local shouted by non-local opposition?opposition?

Defensive localism Defensive localism against exploitation by against exploitation by large transnational large transnational companies?companies?

Them vs. Us?Them vs. Us?

Local support out-shouted Local support out-shouted by non-local opposition?by non-local opposition?

Defensive localism Defensive localism against exploitation by against exploitation by large transnational large transnational companies?companies?

Antipathy towards Antipathy towards landowners and sections landowners and sections of community gaining of community gaining financially from schemesfinancially from schemes

Community betrayal?Community betrayal?

““during foot and mouth, when it was acting during foot and mouth, when it was acting as a community he was obviously very as a community he was obviously very happy for the community to be round happy for the community to be round helping him, and now he’s gone and he’s helping him, and now he’s gone and he’s now having wind turbines on his land, and now having wind turbines on his land, and people feel very, very betrayed by that”.people feel very, very betrayed by that”.

Windfarm campaigner, DevonWindfarm campaigner, Devon

CamddwrCamddwr

CamddwrCamddwr

Opposition to community-led Opposition to community-led wind energy schemeswind energy schemes

““Community-led or owned schemes have Community-led or owned schemes have had to wrestle with [local opposition] had to wrestle with [local opposition] alongside the largest commercial wind alongside the largest commercial wind energy projects, albeit often with greater energy projects, albeit often with greater difficulty in funding the necessary advice difficulty in funding the necessary advice and support.”and support.”

Munday, Bristow & Cowell, Munday, Bristow & Cowell,

forthcoming in forthcoming in Journal of Rural StudiesJournal of Rural Studies

Different community Different community attachmentsattachments

Natives:Natives: Long-standing family attachments Long-standing family attachments to placeto place

Investors:Investors: Made financial and emotional Made financial and emotional investment in joining communityinvestment in joining community

Pilgrims:Pilgrims: Return repeatedly to places of Return repeatedly to places of personal emotional importancepersonal emotional importance

Different community Different community attachmentsattachments

Sensuous:Sensuous: e.g. as a site of solitude or tranquillity e.g. as a site of solitude or tranquillity

Performed:Performed: Stage for performed actions that Stage for performed actions that articulate a sense of identity, e.g. crofting, hunting.articulate a sense of identity, e.g. crofting, hunting.

Communal:Communal: Site of interaction, evoking security, Site of interaction, evoking security, belonging, solidarity.belonging, solidarity.

Symbolic:Symbolic: Represents wider values or meanings, e.g. Represents wider values or meanings, e.g. Scottish national identity.Scottish national identity.

SensuousSensuous PerformedPerformed CommunalCommunal SymbolicSymbolic

NativeNative

InvestorInvestor

PilgrimPilgrim

Source: ‘Grassroots Rural Protest and Political Activity in Britain’, ESRC Grant RES-000-23-1317, M. Woods, J. Anderson. S. Guilbert, S. Watkin.

SensuousSensuous PerformedPerformed CommunalCommunal SymbolicSymbolic

NativeNative

InvestorInvestor

PilgrimPilgrim

Windfarm opponentsWindfarm opponents

SensuousSensuous PerformedPerformed CommunalCommunal SymbolicSymbolic

NativeNative

InvestorInvestor

PilgrimPilgrim

Community wind energy projectCommunity wind energy project

Community dynamicsCommunity dynamics

Issues of ownership and financial benefit Issues of ownership and financial benefit are important in shaping attitudes towards are important in shaping attitudes towards asset valorization, but do not fully explain asset valorization, but do not fully explain community responsescommunity responses

Consensus on valorizing community assets Consensus on valorizing community assets requires an understanding of the requires an understanding of the emotional dynamics of belonging and emotional dynamics of belonging and sense of place within the communitysense of place within the community

Managing Community Managing Community DevelopmentDevelopment

Participation in community Participation in community developmentdevelopment

Who gets empowered?Who gets empowered? Issues of accountability and inclusionIssues of accountability and inclusion

Harnessing the intangible human Harnessing the intangible human assets of the communityassets of the community

Example: Tapping SkillsExample: Tapping Skills ““The community centre – that’s brought a lot The community centre – that’s brought a lot

more people out, professional people who’ve more people out, professional people who’ve come out and said, ‘well, we can help you with come out and said, ‘well, we can help you with fundraising; we can help you with drawing up fundraising; we can help you with drawing up plans for the internal remodeling, for things plans for the internal remodeling, for things that you might need to do to extend’. When that you might need to do to extend’. When the need is there, people come forward…. the need is there, people come forward…. Retired professionals from various industries, Retired professionals from various industries, from construction industry, from management, from construction industry, from management, from fundraising. I mean, we’ve got one chap, from fundraising. I mean, we’ve got one chap, lives locally, who worked for the Lotteries grant lives locally, who worked for the Lotteries grant board for quite a while and he’s helping us put board for quite a while and he’s helping us put together an application for Lottery funding.” together an application for Lottery funding.”

(Councillor, Winchcombe)(Councillor, Winchcombe) Source: ‘Participation, Power and Rural Community Governance in England and Wales’, ESRC Grant L215252052, M. Woods, B. Edwards, J. Anderson. G. Gardner, E. Fahmy.

Example: Superficial Example: Superficial empowermentempowerment

“ “People came into the town in 1995, they immediately started People came into the town in 1995, they immediately started to take on all the key roles, and then they created themselves to take on all the key roles, and then they created themselves into a role, and one of the things you will be asking yourself into a role, and one of the things you will be asking yourself today is, there is this regeneration partnership, how did this today is, there is this regeneration partnership, how did this regeneration partnership come about, do I, as a member of regeneration partnership come about, do I, as a member of the public, know who the members of this regeneration the public, know who the members of this regeneration partnership is, no I do not know, have we ever been talked to partnership is, no I do not know, have we ever been talked to about this regeneration partnership, no.”about this regeneration partnership, no.”

(Community activist A, England)(Community activist A, England)   “ “Some incomers moved in and took over the Development Some incomers moved in and took over the Development

Trust, but some of the oldcomers wouldn’t go and [laughs] sat Trust, but some of the oldcomers wouldn’t go and [laughs] sat there very firmly um…and so it was closed down, the there very firmly um…and so it was closed down, the Development Trust, prematurely, and they started the single Development Trust, prematurely, and they started the single regeneration company.”regeneration company.”

(Community activist B, England)(Community activist B, England)

Challenge of community Challenge of community developmentdevelopment

Combining the individual drive of (social) Combining the individual drive of (social) entrepreneurshipentrepreneurship

……with a responsibility to collective engagement and with a responsibility to collective engagement and ownershipownership

Visionary leadershipVisionary leadership Mechanisms for inclusive planning and governanceMechanisms for inclusive planning and governance Transparency and accountability in the management Transparency and accountability in the management

of financial earnings from asset valorizationof financial earnings from asset valorization

Need for stable structures and partnershipsNeed for stable structures and partnerships Ability to engage professionally with different scalesAbility to engage professionally with different scales

“ “the ostensibly ‘local’ nature of community the ostensibly ‘local’ nature of community renewable energy inevitably involves negotiating renewable energy inevitably involves negotiating with and coordinating complex networks of with and coordinating complex networks of regulatory institutions and actors at wider spatial regulatory institutions and actors at wider spatial scales. One of just three community-owned wind scales. One of just three community-owned wind farms operating in Wales at the time of our farms operating in Wales at the time of our research was the Bro Dyfi Community research was the Bro Dyfi Community Renewables Ltd, with two single turbine schemes, Renewables Ltd, with two single turbine schemes, each developed and owned wholly by the Dyfi each developed and owned wholly by the Dyfi Valley community. The development of this small Valley community. The development of this small scale project benefited from a stable end-user scale project benefited from a stable end-user contract and good rates of return (with the contract and good rates of return (with the supportive Centre for Alternative Technology near supportive Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth) and proponents were able to draw Machynlleth) and proponents were able to draw upon existing community knowledge of green upon existing community knowledge of green energy, and possessed the skills to access EU energy, and possessed the skills to access EU aid.”aid.”

Munday, Bristow and Cowell, Munday, Bristow and Cowell, forthcoming in forthcoming in Journal of Rural StudiesJournal of Rural Studies

Reflexive rural developmentReflexive rural development

Knowing the community and its dynamicsKnowing the community and its dynamics Building a collective understanding of Building a collective understanding of

community assets and their potentialcommunity assets and their potential Agreeing a consensual way forwardAgreeing a consensual way forward Repeatedly referring back to the Repeatedly referring back to the

community and reflecting on progress and community and reflecting on progress and outcomesoutcomes

Reflexive rural developmentReflexive rural development

Learning as a communityLearning as a community Sharing specialist knowledge Sharing specialist knowledge

and expertise in collective and expertise in collective problem-solvingproblem-solving

Drawing appropriately on Drawing appropriately on external resources and external resources and assistanceassistance

www.derreg.eu

Rural Learning RegionsRural Learning RegionsDirk Roep &

Wiebke Wellbrock

Westerkwartier

Dirk Roep & Wiebke Wellbrock

‘region’

‘knowledge’

WSI

Local organisations:-AVN-Vereiniging Gr. Dorpen-Boeren & Natuur S.W.-Abel Tasman Kabinet-VVV Leek-SBB-Gr. Landschap

Examples ofNetworks/Initiatives:

-Biomass-Wichterwest

-MEI- Dwarsdiep

‘public administratio

n’

EducationResearch

Advice

Knowledge Institutes

(public funded)&

Agencies

CountrysideExchange

Brug Toekomst

Atelier

Example:GKC

A-programme(RegionalTransition)

Publicfunded

Research,Education &

Advice

EULNVOWC

LAG

Inte

grated

Dev.

Pro

. Wstkw

tier

SteeringGroup

GroningenWest

Communalhouse

RegioLokket

Touristicpromoters

Brug ToekomstBrug Toekomst

‘‘Bridge to the Future’Bridge to the Future’ Exchange of (local) knowledge to support Exchange of (local) knowledge to support

sustainable developmentsustainable development Established by Wageningen University and Van Established by Wageningen University and Van

Hall-Larenstein UniversityHall-Larenstein University Universities acted as facilitators of knowledge Universities acted as facilitators of knowledge

exchange and discussion between local actorsexchange and discussion between local actors Collective learning about the region and its Collective learning about the region and its

potential & identification of prioritiespotential & identification of priorities Led to creation of the ‘Westerkwartier Initiative Led to creation of the ‘Westerkwartier Initiative

Group’ (WSI)Group’ (WSI)

MEI projectMEI project

‘‘Environment, Energy and Innovation’Environment, Energy and Innovation’ Knowledge sharing platform for farmersKnowledge sharing platform for farmers Collaboration of Aves-Tura (a consultancy Collaboration of Aves-Tura (a consultancy

company), LEADER, regional and local company), LEADER, regional and local government and farm organizationsgovernment and farm organizations

Delivery of ‘social learning’ tools to Delivery of ‘social learning’ tools to encourage farmers to think about encourage farmers to think about opportunities, including sustainable opportunities, including sustainable energy productionenergy production

Biomass projectBiomass project

Initial stages of developmentInitial stages of development Stimulate cooperation between farmers and Stimulate cooperation between farmers and

organizations involved with nature conservation organizations involved with nature conservation and land managementand land management

Using ‘biomass’ produced by landowners, water Using ‘biomass’ produced by landowners, water boards and farmers as an energy source as a boards and farmers as an energy source as a community projectcommunity project

Emerging from the process of ‘regional learning’Emerging from the process of ‘regional learning’ Building on established collaborations, but also Building on established collaborations, but also

looking to draw in additional partners with looking to draw in additional partners with technical expertise (e.g. Groningen University)technical expertise (e.g. Groningen University)

ConclusionsConclusions

Issues of power, participation and Issues of power, participation and partnership are essential to the successful partnership are essential to the successful valorization of community assetsvalorization of community assets

‘‘Community ownership’ is more than a Community ownership’ is more than a legal conditionlegal condition

Financial benefits alone may not be Financial benefits alone may not be sufficient to ensure community supportsufficient to ensure community support

Process of engaging and understanding Process of engaging and understanding the community and building consensusthe community and building consensus

Communities ‘learning Communities ‘learning to doto do together’ together’