Public participation and active involvement of stakeholders in environmental governance is widely promoted. My intention is, if some disadvantages regarding (environmental) NGOs participation in public decision-making have been detected and described with the reference to particular case-studies. Thanks!
The short answer is: yes. See e.g.:
Participation in environmental governance: legitimate and effective? By: Newig, Jens; Kvarda, Eva; Edited by: Hogl, K; Kvarda, E; Nordbeck, R; et al.; ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE: THE CHALLENGE OF LEGITIMACY AND EFFECTIVENESS Pages: 29-45 Published: 2012
Or in German: Newig, Jens; Kuhn, Katina & Heinrichs, Harald (2011): Nachhaltige Entwicklung durch gesellschaftliche Partizipation und Kooperation? – eine kritische Revision zentraler Theorien und Konzepte. In: H. Heinrichs, K. Kuhn, J. Newig (Hrsg.). Nachhaltige Gesellschaft. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, S. 27-45.
The long answer is: Only, if you believe that “participation” is always good. In my view (and many others working in the field of participation research) it depends how the participation process (or procedure) is set up. Quite often from a scientific perspective real participation processes have lot pitfalls. Most important is the question what is meant with “participation”: information, consultation, or cooperation. Some say (like I do) one should only use the term “participation” if power is transferred. Most often power should be transferred from the few (administration, politics) to the many (stakeholder, citizens) (what is simple framed). Quite informative is to look in Sherry Arnstein (1969!) paper “Ladder of Citizens’s Partizipation” and to read it carefully (what some who cite this paper seem not to do :-).
All the best,
Manuel
From an NGO point of view I have described the limitations to accepting responsibility - maybe relevant for your issue
pls find attached the file,
und auf deutsch ein Kapitel aus dem Handbuch nachhaltige Entwicklung, das verschiedene Beteiligungsformen mit Vor-und Nachteilen benennt
Another good resource for you may be the Property and Environmental Research Center (http://perc.org/). They do many policy papers on the difference between market based vs. control based solutions.
We studied how participatory approaches in the governance of the Danube Delta, promoted and introduced by NGOs, often had disempowering effects because they co-create a 'local' that is scrutinized, silenced, exoticized, subjugated and marginalized (see the article Delineating Locals).
In another study we heard about a participatory process in the UK where member of the RSPB tried to capture the process by sending many participants to the workshops that were organised to discuss various issues, who then tried to influence the discussion between the stakeholders. Since the facilitators were aware of this development and the possible backslash for the project the managed to deal with it.
Article Delineating Locals: Transformations of Knowledge/Power and t...
We published a critical article about NGOs role in the Mexican Chiapas context. I am currently doing fieldwork abroad so I dont have a copy, but it is published in Human Ecology: The Biodiversity Discourse: Categorisation of Indigenous People in a Mexican Bioprospecting Case. If you dont have access I can send a copy later, just email me in March ([email protected])
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