The social inclusion emphasis of recent British policy has renewed community development efforts for capacity building and civic participation. Funding remains precarious and the independence of the community development sector be continuously asserted. (Contains 26 references.) (SK)

Examines the current fashion for tenant participation in British housing policy and draws on recent Scottish experience to speculate about the prospects for tenant participation in the future. Explores the meaning of tenant participation, the nature of the change needed to bring it about, and the prospects for such change. (JOW)

The authors describe their experiences working with a community organization to get their landlords to make needed repairs on their rental units. (JOW)

The author presents an account of participatory research and argues for its relevance and development in Europe. He includes two illustrations showing that the knowledge that people themselves produce opposes abstract theories about them. The author concludes that the two main types of participatory research are those of professional intervention…

Do the actions and agency of citizens in civil society affect the public sphere? Whether these people and their activities contribute a discourse of the public or only a marginal realm is critical to understanding the relationship among community development, civil society, and social change. (Author/JOW)

This description of the Canadian government's assessment of the social impact of hydrocarbon exploration in the Arctic demonstrates barriers to citizen involvement: ad hoc nature, travel and child care problems, and lack of enough volunteers. Recommendations for community participation in impact assessment are given. (SK)

Argues that community development is an appropriate arena for using participatory research techniques, since community development depends strongly on citizen involvement. Features a case study of use of the participatory research technique in a project aimed at attacking rural poverty in Nigeria. (CH)

The Sheffield (England) City Council used an advisory group approach to solicit citizen participation in community planning. Two important lessons were: ensuring that all target groups are represented and providing training and information to prepare citizen representatives for their consulting role. (SK)

Mobilization of citizen participation in grassroots organizations can be adversely affected when grassroots leaders perceive a lack of support. Periodic organizational diagnosis can lead to more equitable division of responsibilities and recruitment of more leaders and skilled participants. (SK)

The Australian state of Victoria has adopted a privatization approach to human services that is destroying the infrastructure of community services. Without a dynamic community services core, it is difficult for social citizenship to flourish. (SK)

Research was conducted on a British housing estate where children had opportunities to comment on their neighborhood and develop a voice in local government. Results suggested that barriers to adult participation might be avoided if they are encouraged to participate when young. (SK)

Describes the residents' committee in China as a form of neighborhood organization that acts as a linking mechanism between the bureaucracy and ordinary citizens. Argues that the residents' committee can reflect community problems and needs to policymakers and, conversely, help the grassroots government explain or implement public policies. (CH)

Despite contrasts between capitalist Hong Kong and socialist Guangzhou, the two cities' community work is similar in terms of superficial emphasis on citizen participation, maintenance of status quo, and consensus orientation. The imminent changeover in Hong Kong's sovereignty will change social welfare services in both cities. (SK)

A case study of health reform in British Columbia followed four health-planning groups' efforts to foster community participation by developing local community health plans. Findings from the case study can inform the theory and practice of community development. (JOW)

The community development program, initiated in 1952, failed, in the author's opinion, because no sustained attempt was made to involve the people in the development process. Discussed are: program objectives, implementation, administrative structure, an evaluation of 15 program aspects, a community development strategy, and the failure of the…