An Assessment of the Impact of Community Participation and Empowerment through Non-Governmental Organisations and International Volunteering on Local Communities. The case of Honduras Child Alliance in El Porvenir, Honduras.
Author
d' Alo, Simone
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2018
Submitted on
2018-04-02
Pages
57
Abstract
This thesis examines how community participation and empowerment, facilitated by an NGO and international volunteering, affect a local community in Honduras. Using Honduras Child Alliance (HCA) in El Porvenir as a case study, it situates the analysis within the history of development thinking—from modernization and dependency to neoliberalism and post-development—and adopts an alternative development lens emphasizing participation, empowerment, and non-formal education. The study maps HCA’s child-focused and broader community programs, investigates the extent and forms of stakeholder participation, assesses the organization’s response to basic local needs, and considers the effects of short-term volunteers. Methodologically, it employs a qualitative design combining semi-structured interviews, qualitative surveys, direct observation, and text analysis. The aim is to understand how HCA’s activities may strengthen community capabilities to manage their own development. While NGOs and alternative approaches are widely viewed as positive, the thesis also addresses critical issues and potential unintended consequences.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan fællesskabsdeltagelse og empowerment, faciliteret af en NGO og internationalt frivilligt arbejde, påvirker et lokalsamfund i Honduras. Med Honduras Child Alliance (HCA) i El Porvenir som casestudie placeres analysen i en historisk udviklingsdebat, der spænder fra modernisering og afhængighed til neoliberalisme og post-udvikling, og der anlægges et alternativt udviklingsperspektiv med fokus på deltagelse, empowerment og ikke-formel uddannelse. Studiet kortlægger HCA’s børnecentrerede og bredere fællesskabsaktiviteter, undersøger graden og formen af interessentdeltagelse, vurderer organisationens respons på lokale basale behov samt belyser effekter af korttidsfrivillige. Metodisk anvendes et kvalitativt design med semistrukturerede interviews, kvalitative spørgeskemaer, direkte observation og tekstanalyse. Formålet er at forstå, hvordan HCA’s indsatser kan styrke lokalsamfundets kapacitet til at styre egen udvikling. Afhandlingen anerkender den udbredte opfattelse af NGO’er og alternative tilgange som positive, men adresserer også kritiske problemstillinger og mulige utilsigtede konsekvenser.
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