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Key Text Speaking Out: Case Studies on How Poor People Influence Decision-Making

Author: Nikki van der Gaag and Jo Rowlands (eds)
Date: 2009
Size: 148 pages (670 KB)

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Summary

How can poor and marginalised people break through the material, organisational, systemic, and psychological barriers that prevent them from being heard by those in power? This book draws on Oxfam GB’s global programme of work on ‘the right to be heard’. Only strategies which address the many-layered nature of power and the specific power inequalities of a particular context can lead to effective, sustainable change.

In supporting poor women and men to realise their rights and voice in decisions that affect them, it is useful to look beyond visible and formal power relationships. Four different forms of power should be considered:

Power over: This power is often hidden – for example, what elites manage to keep off the table of political debate
Power to: The capability to decide actions and carry them out
Power with: Collective power, through organisation, solidarity, and joint action
Power within: Personal self-confidence, often linked to aspects of collective identity, which influence what thoughts and actions appear legitimate or acceptable.

Spaces successfully opened up for ‘voice’ and participation are often ‘captured’ by elites and lead to little real change for poor people. Power-holders can then claim that change has already been made. There is a useful role, therefore, for supportive action to prevent ‘capture’. Other issues and challenges include:

Establishing legal identity and citizenship: Lack of a legal identity, or having a stigmatised legal identity, makes it very difficult to claim rights or exercise ‘voice’. Legal identity, however, is not necessarily enough to give full citizenship rights.
Developing personal power (confidence and self-esteem): People may lack the confidence to claim their citizenship rights. Changes in personal power are often linked with actions that also strengthen ‘power with’ or ‘power to’.
Developing collective power: This enables the individual voice to be amplified and projected
Increasing transparency and accountability of governments and institutions: Technical work such as budget monitoring can provide an entry point, but this needs to be combined with advocacy, awareness-raising, and economic-literacy work.
Developing a state that is capable and responsive to the needs and priorities of its citizens: It is often necessary to work with both citizens and their organisations and the institutions of the state.
Changing the attitudes and beliefs that underlie poverty, discrimination, and prejudice: Cultural and attitudinal changes can facilitate higher expectations of probity and accountability from power-holders.

The following recommendations need to be linked up ‘vertically’ with work designed to have a greater impact on underlying rules, structures, institutions, attitudes, and beliefs.

Recognise that change is long-term. Regular follow-up action is needed to consolidate learning, as well as forward planning in order to institutionalise change.
Understand that attitudinal change is important. A culture of respect and inclusiveness promotes participation.
Put local priorities first. Priorities must be built from local, regional, and national contexts and then draw on international frameworks.
Work at a number of levels and build alliances. Build alliances at local, national, and international levels with people in poverty, in power, and with those responsible for implementing policy. Pay attention to implementation as well as policy change.
Bring policymakers face to face with poor and marginalised people.
Use a range of strategies to build success. Information, research, training, capacity-building of local-level organisations and an empowering methodology are all important.
Take different perspectives into account and acknowledge gender differences. The national framework has to consider socially and economically marginalised groups, plus those cutting across gender and age.
Use language that people understand and want to respond to.
Monitor and evaluate projects. This shows what influences change processes.

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Source: van der Gaag, N. and Rowlands, J., (eds), 2009, 'Speaking Out: Case Studies on How Poor People Influence Decision-Making', Practical Action/Oxfam, Rugby/Oxford
Author: Jo Rowlands , JRowlands[at]oxfam.org.uk
Organisation: Oxfam, http://www.oxfam.org.uk