Community & Rural level governance

The local governments in a federal country play a very important role in providing various basic services to the local people, especially in rural areas by the rural local governments. Our country (India) has also no exception to this, where (68.1%) of our population according to the 2011 census lives in rural areas. However, despite having constitutional status because of the 73rd constitutional amendment act, the rural local governments (panchayats) can’t able to function effectively, the main reason being inadequate resources. Against this backdrop, the article attempts to study the recent 15th Finance Commission recommendations related to grants for rural local governments in India.

In light of longstanding challenges to our ʻāina (land), cultural traditions, and lifestyle, community members joined together to articulate a vision for the future of Molokai. The process was innovate yet organic, bringing together individuals from different generations and with ʻike (knowledge) from a wide range of sources. The emerging document describes a desired state fore the island, where the question of development is secondary to the promise to mālama (protect and nurture) natural and cultural resources. Utilizing a community-based, holistic approach, "Molokai: Future of a Hawaiian Island" identifies critical needs and outlines specific steps to achieve change and sustainability.

Resumen: este artículo explora las acciones que los habitantes de Palmirita —espacio rural del municipio de Cocorná, departamento de Antioquia, Colombia— han adelantado colectivamente para tratar de reparar los daños que la crisis humanitaria derivada del conflicto armado ocasionó a sus lazos afectivos y comunitarios. El objetivo es mostrar que la reactivación de prácticas comunitarias cotidianas se constituye en una vía de reparación de dichos daños. Mediante la metodología Investigación Acción Participativa (IAP), basada en la implementación de talleres y observaciones participantes, se integran la reflexión y la práctica para reconocer tanto los daños ocasionados como las acciones y expectativas encaminadas a la reparación. El enfoque participativo de la metodología conllevó, además, el hecho particular de restaurar la escuela de Palmirita —a través de convites (trabajos colectivos)— como una forma de reparación colectiva. De la realización de los convites surgió el término la juntadera, expresado por uno de los habitantes de Palmirita, al querer denotar la importancia y satisfacción de juntarse de manera asidua para trabajar colectivamente en favor de la comunidad. Se plantea que, al hecho de juntarse para realizar prácticas cotidianas que contribuyan a la recuperación de vínculos afectivos y sociales, le es complementaria la necesidad de juntarse con otras comunidades que, de manera asociada, puedan adelantar la defensa y el cuidado de esas espacialidades rurales comunitarias, que se han visto afectadas tanto por el conflicto armado como por intereses económicos exógenos que buscan la explotación de recursos naturales. El artículo muestra que el estudio de las prácticas comunitarias cotidianas, así como el análisis de su incidencia y persistencia en la producción de lo común, en un espacio específico, es útil para comprender los procesos de reparación de los vínculos morales y sociales afectados por el conflicto armado.

Palabras clave: conflicto armado colombiano, daño, espacios rurales comunitarios, producción de lo común, reparación moral.

The Juntadera. The Recovery of Daily Community Practices as a Form
of Reparation in Palmirita, Municipality of Cocorná – Antioquia

Abstract: This article explores the collective actions taken by the inhabitants of Palmirita —a rural area in the municipality of Cocorná, in Antioquia, Colombia— to try to repair the damage caused by the humanitarian crisis resulting from the armed conflict to their emotional and community ties. The objective is to show that the reactivation of daily community practices constitutes a way to repair such damages. In this respect, the Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology, based on the implementation of workshops and participant observations, integrates reflection and practice in order to recognize both the damage caused and the actions and expectations needed to repair. The methodology’s participatory approach also entailed collective work to restore the Palmirita school as a form of collective reparation. The term juntadera was used by one of Palmirita’s inhabitants to denote the importance and satisfaction of getting together on a regular basis to work collectively for the benefit of the community. It is suggested that, in addition to coming together to engage in daily practices that contribute to the recovery of affective and social ties, there is a complementary need to come together with other communities that, working in partnership, can advance the defense and care of these rural community spaces that have been affected both by the armed conflict and by exogenous economic interests intended to exploit natural resources. The article shows that the study of everyday community practices, as well as the analysis of their incidence and persistence in the production of the common in a specific space, is useful in understanding the restoration of moral and social bonds affected by the armed conflict.

Keywords: Colombian armed conflict, community rural areas, harm, moral reparation, production of the common.

A juntadera: recuperação de práticas comunitárias cotidianas como forma de reparação em Palmirita, município de Cocorná, Antioquia
Resumo: neste artigo, exploram-se as ações que os moradores de Palmirita — zona rural do município de Cocorná, Antioquia, Colômbia — vêm realizando de forma coletiva para tentar reparar os dados que a crise humanitária derivada do conflito armado ocasionou em seus laços afetivos e comunitários. O objetivo é mostrar que a reativação de práticas comunitárias cotidianas se constitui numa via de reparação desses danos. A partir da metodologia da pesquisa-ação participativa, baseada na implementação de oficinas e observações participantes, são integradas a reflexão e a prática para reconhecer tanto os danos ocasionados quanto as ações e as expectativas encaminhadas à reparação. A abordagem participativa da metodologia implicou, além disso, o fato particular de restaurar a escola de Palmirita, por meio de acordos (trabalhos coletivos), como forma de reparação coletiva. Da realização dos acordos, surgiu o termo “juntadera”, expresso por um dos moradores de Palmirita, ao querer denotar a importância e a satisfação de se juntar assiduamente para trabalhar de forma coletiva em favor da comunidade. Nesse contexto, ao fato de se juntar para realizar práticas cotidianas que contribuem para reparar vínculos afetivos e sociais, torna-se complementar a necessidade de se juntar com outras comunidades que, de maneira associada, possam realizar a defesa e o cuidado dessas espacialidades rurais comunitárias que vêm sendo afetadas tanto pelo conflito armado quanto por interesses econômicos exógenos que procuram a exploração de recursos naturais. Este artigo mostra que o estudo das práticas comunitárias cotidianas bem como a análise de sua incidência e persistência na produção do com num espaço específico são úteis para compreender os processos de reparação dos vínculos morais e sociais afetados pelo conflito armado.

Palavras-chave: conflito armado colombiano, dano, espaços rurais comunitários, produção do comum, reparação moral.

Los conflictos, las disputas y los vínculos entre Ambiente y Economía son una de las principales problemáticas en los territorios latinoamericanos, por la forma en la que repercuten en la reproducción de la vida de sus ecosistemas y comunidades.
Una de las afirmaciones más conocidas sobre los bienes comunes es que están ubicados detrás del estado y el mercado (Ostrom 2010). En este sentido, el espacio de los bienes comunes es el de la acción colectiva de los sujetos auto-organizados, que pertenece a una esfera social distinta, pero no separada herméticamente, de la de las autoridades públicas y los actores privados que explotan los recursos de acuerdo con criterios orientados a las ganancias. El estado y el mercado no se evaporan, dejando pacíficamente un "espacio en otro lugar" para los bienes comunes. El nudo teórico es, por lo tanto, cómo la auto-organización social interactúa con esos dos polos. En otras palabras, este es el tema de la relación entre lo público, lo privado y lo común. Necesitamos abordar esta dialéctica para no evadir el nudo político que los bienes comunes ponen en evidencia, es decir, si representan una palanca para enfrentar o evadir el problema de la sostenibilidad ecológica y moral del sistema capitalista.

The public and the academic debates about the pros and cons of militias are beset with controversy and tend to ask in general terms whether militias do more good than harm or vice versa. The academic research on militias made significant progress in recent years. However, the conditions under which militias perform better or worse from the perspective of the civilian population are still not well understood. Our paper sets out to explore the factors that contribute to a better or worse performance of militias with regard to civilian wellbeing. We use three waves of quantitative and qualitative survey data from NorthEast Afghanistan to test four hypotheses derived from our qualitative research. The four hypotheses relate to mechanisms which are expected to influence militia behaviour in the sense of making militias less threatening to the civilian population. Using our survey data, we found that the integration of informal local militias into the Afghan Local Police (ALP) was associated with a less threatening behaviour of the militias and a more positive contribution by them to (local) security – as perceived by respondents. We also found that the inclusion of local elders into the vetting procedure of militias (be they informal or formal) has a positive effect on militia performance. Community cohesion and the quality of communal leadership also showed strong correlations with militia behaviour, but their effect was mostly limited to restraining local armed groups (including the Taliban) and making them less threatening. They had only very limited influence on their perceived security contribution. We used extensive qualitative material to explain and contextualise these findings. The report concludes on a set of practical implications for states and international organisations interested in protecting the civilian population from abuses by militias.