Seminar 2: Power and the Social Dimensions of Poverty
& Natural Resource Management
This seminar focused on improving
participants’ understanding of power and social capital, and their dynamic, mediating effect on natural resources management and poverty reduction at multiple levels—from the farm to the policy boardroom. In exploring levels of inequality and power related to the natural environment, participants were encouraged to think in more nuanced and complex fashions regarding labels used by USAID and many development practitioners, such as “the poor,” “traditionally marginalized people,” “women,” “local communities,” and “indigenous groups.” How does our use and internalization of terms such as “pro-poor” impact our programming in poverty reduction and natural resources management, especially given that rural people in many locations may be cash-poor but resource-rich in terms of their social capital and networks?
Building on the participants’ own experiences and expectations, this seminar used a workshop format to explore our understandings of power and social
(in)equality and to discuss the implications for our day-to-day work. With valuable insights and reflections from two experienced practitioners, participants will use a case study and small-group work to analyze possible programmatic responses to a natural resource management and poverty reduction challenge.
At the end of the session, participants were able to:
- Define the following terms and their relation to poverty reduction and natural resource management:
- Participation and empowerment
- Social capital
- Decentralization
- Relate these terms and concepts to their respective USAID roles and responsibilities.
The seminar’s facilitators were Ruth Meinzen-Dick from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and USAID’s Margaret Sarles in the Office of Democracy & Governance; Democracy, Conflict & Humanitarian Assistance Bureau.
Seminar 2:
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