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Editor: Holly Ashley
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Summary

This general issue covers a variety of themes, from capacity building in Vietnam and social mapping in India, to transforming participatory facilitation in centres of education. There is also a Tips for Trainers that draws on the experience of Malawi's National Forestry programme, and our usual In Touch section, which includes book reviews, events, and e-participation.

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1. Prisoners with HIV/AIDS: A Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) initiative in Malaysia

C J Townsend

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Abstract
Working with HIV infected prisoners within the Malaysian prison system, this paper describes how participation was used to bring groups of infected prisoners together to form support networks and to help them prioritise their needs. This led to established support groups in two prisons, no longer dependent on outside facilitation.

2. Assessment of the people-predator conflict through thematic PRA in the surroundings of Waza National Park Cameroon

H. Bauer and S. Kari

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Abstract

Investigating levels of livestock predation in villages around a National Park in Cameroon, Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques were used to assess local knowledge of carnivore species and whether this had a correlation to levels of livestock loss. Results of this analysis, and the benefits and challenges of using such a technique, are presented.

3. Multidisciplinarity in the PLA Context: Eight lessons from a research project on tourism and the environment

Levis M. Kavagi

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Abstract
This paper details the trials and tribulations of a multidisciplinary Participatory Learning and Action programme to establish the effects of tourism in Kenya. Initially timetabled over two years, the team faced many challenges, and learnt many lessons, which are shared here.

4. Lessons from capacity building at Ha Giang, Vietnam

Neela Mukherjee, Nguyen Thi Mai Huong and Le Van Hong

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Abstract
Drawing on experiences from Vietnam, the authors describe their attempts to establish bottom-up participatory planning to help build capacity of rural communities. Lessons learnt from the process are documented, particularly those learnt from using participation in areas with low levels of literacy.

5. Standing up to the limits and challenges of participatory methods and approaches in Cameroon

Michael Boboh Vabi

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Abstract

This paper looks at community participation, specifically in relation to conservation and development in Cameroon, and the limitations to such a process. Many of the key weaknesses are listed, including trouble with problem diagnosis and selectivity of available information, and the implications the author sees these having in future research.

6. The use of 'typical families' to explore livelihoods and service provision in urban informal settlements, South Africa

Lucy Stevens and Sue Case

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Abstract
As part of a wider programme of socio-economic data collection, the use of 'typical family' cards - sets of silhouettes depicting different family set-ups, ranging from simple two parents with children to more complex cards involving four generations - were used to gather information on social networks and people's perceptions of family.

7. Transforming participatory facilitation: Reflections from practice

Lori Hanson and Cindy Hanson

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Abstract
This paper tries to move 'educators' away from seeing their students as objects to seeing them as subjects, and to looking at teaching as a reciprocal process, with teacher and student both participating in and learning from the experience. Examples from the author's experience are given.

8. Social mapping at Thenganayakanahalli village

Paranita Bhattachajee

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Abstract
Using social mapping as a tool to include marginalized groups in development direction, this paper describes the success the author had in a village in India in gathering social and physical data about households, while also realising the limitations of such a process.

9. Community participation in health: How does it work?

Grindl Dockery, Lyn Barry and Erica Hedley

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Abstract
People in poor communities often have high rates of illness but poor access to health care. Therefore, when a clinic was threatened with closure in a socially deprived area of Liverpool, UK, a group of local people formed a lobby group to try and keep it open. Three of the group members describe the campaign in this paper.

10. 'Washirika': Raising awareness without mass media

Paul Vare

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Abstract
How do you raise awareness of current issues that could have a huge bearing on people's welfare without the use of media sources? This paper describes a project in Tanzania that employed 'field neighbours', people that visit neighbouring villages and engage people in conversations about current issues, as a way of making people more aware.

11. Participatory as can be. A case study of an evaluation

Joanne Harnmeijer

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Abstract
Looking at an Adolescent Reproductive Health Education Project in Zimbabwe, where a fictional agony aunt 'Auntie Stella' was used to inform young adults about sexual health issues, this paper looks at the opinion of the participants when asked to evaluate this concept, and how these judgments could be used to improve the project.

12. LogFrames made easy

Martin Butcher

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Abstract
In an attempt to secure funding for community-based projects in socially deprived areas in New South Wales, Australia, community groups turned to LogFrames as a way of preparing their funding proposals. However, these proved problematical and archaic, and therefore sought to re-define the LogFrame to meet their objectives.

Tips for trainers

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Abstract
Using extracts from the IIED Forestry and Land Use Programme's book 'Forestry tactics: Lessons from Malawi's National Forestry Programme' gives examples of how to move towards a more sustainable national forestry policy, describing some of the participatory techniques that were used in Malawi as it worked to achieve better management.

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