News from the CEPA e-mail list

Call for case studies in participatory methods (29/09/04)

Dear CEPA list members:

Here’ a message from Elroy Bos, Senior Communication Officer with IUCN’s Wetlands and Water Resources Programme. Perhaps some of you have practical experiences in using participatory tools in this vital area of water management that may be appropriate for this publication and would like to consider submitting a case study.

Best wishes, Sandra Hails, Ramsar Secretariat

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IUCN is in the process of producing the book “POWER – Overcoming power differences in water management negotiations”. This guide aims to provide practical tools for government officials, NGOs and local communities to create platforms for negotiations that are balanced and open, in order to arrive at collaborative action to improve water resources management.

The book will contain a brief overview of theory in this field, followed by practical tools and steps to change power relations. It describes how to analyse the issues and political play involved, convince colleagues and stakeholders, set up campaigns and advocacy, set in place participatory methods, enter negotiations, and move towards a multistakeholder platform for action.

For this book, we are very interested to receive case studies of how very specific interventions have contributed to change power relations in water management. How have discussions with parliamentarians changed the law? How has a campaign mobilized civil society? How has a participatory process to influence a government process been set up?

We are looking for very practical examples of very specific interventions, not huge case studies or scientific contributions. Attached form serves as guidance for submitting a case study. [Note from Ed: this is not attached to this e-mail but it’s available on-line as a Word doc or PDF file here http://www.waterandnature.org/power.html]

We would very much appreciate if you could forward this email, and the attached form, to anyone who you think could contribute such cases.

Thank you very much in advance for your collaboration,

Elroy Bos, Wetlands and Water Resources Programme - IUCN Global Programme.

http://www.waterandnature.org/

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Sandra Hails, CEPA Programme Officer
Ramsar Convention Secretariat
Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 999 0176; Fax: +41 22 999 0169
E-mail: hails@ramsar.org
Web Site: http://ramsar.org
CEPA mini-Web site: http://ramsar.org/outreach_index.htm

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