DOI
10.13140/RG.2.2.22723.81443

Summary
This article is concerned with community, development and community participation. The article aims to deliver a justification and recommendation for indigenous community development. Schutte brings the reader through a review and discussion of the approach to development in pre- and post-apartheid times in South Africa. He makes the observation and argument that the issue with community development projects is the lack in understanding pf the difference between social and development and social engineers.

Schutte describes the “Tools for Sustainability’ – he makes reference to Integrated Environmental Management (IEM). IEM includes environmental impact assessment and environmental auditing. It is of potential significance in less developed regions where people often avoid environmental problems associated with uncontrolled development.

“IEM has an important role to play in ensuring that a particular development does address the needs of all people, including the poor, as public participation is an essential part of the process”. Schutte goes on to explain indigenous community development and lists the community development elements relevant.

Full community participation
Bottom-up development approach
Addressing the real needs of the community
Initiated by the community
Planned by the community
Executed and driven by the community
Accommodating local knowledge, cultures, norms and values
In interaction with the capacity of the social environment
Timeously executed

 

There were four perceptions found to deal with the question on how development should be administrated by a developmental organisation. In summarised fashion, these perceptions were:

Downward decision-making

Development can be best administered by central planning and decision making.

Upwards decision-making

Local participation is central to decision-making on development.

Learning process management

Development as a learning process

Adjustable administration

Governments should operate decentralised and sensitively to the target group. More work is done by officials but good quality communication channels are required to encourage inclusion.




The following considerations for development are delivered (taken from General Reflections on Development)




The development should be to the advantage of the people who are targeted

by the development.

The advantage which is promised to the target group, should be determined

by the parties involved in continuous open communication.

Development should be according to the purpose of existence of each institution.
Development happens in different ways.
Development is not the transferring of Western rationalism and technology. Cultural superiority leads to the failure of development.
Development is not only a local case, but should also be regarded in view of broader divisions between rich and poor, which can actively maintain underdevelopment. Development should take note of broader powers, which are harmful.
National and local elites can use development for their own benefit and harm their subordinates.
Development has to actively overcome the harm which was brought about by apartheid in South Africa.
In development the differences among regions, urban and rural areas, among generations, genders, ethnic groups, religious groups, governments, climatic regions, political climates and among resources available should be understood and considered.
Governments have the most important responsibility in regard to development.
Development has to take place with the consideration of the nature and impact of the international economy.
Nature conservation and sustainable development is non-negotiable characteristics of development.
In the past men were more benefited by development than women. This inequality should be corrected actively by development.
Local culture should be acknowledged and used in development.
Local potential should be actively promoted.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This study is relevant to the community development topic. It offers insight into indigenous community development in the context of South Africa. Sustainable development play an integral role in the article also.

Schutte offers three basic area descriptions for sustainable development:

Economic growth as a continuing necessity for developing countries, i.e. economic sustainability
People-centred development and the alleviation of poverty and inequality, an explicitly humanistic redistribute orientation aimed at the consistent improvement of human well-being, which entails the requirement of social sustainability
Environmental management, both within nation-states ad globally, in order to sustain ecological systems and resources – the requirement of ecological sustainability

The perceptions and considerations for development as shown above present themselves as valuable references for further study on indigenous community development or community development inclusive of culture and belief. The paper could be used a case study example in a teaching context. The mention and description of IME could be used as teaching resource.

Point of Strength
The listing of perceptions on administering development by a developmental organisation could prove useful for another study or as a valuable teaching resource on various approaches to demonstration. These concepts could be transferable to another developmental study. Similarly, the list of considerations adds value to understanding the complexity of South Africa’s societal developmental issues and due consideration requirements.

Schutte provides an alternative description for sustainable development.