Research presented at Tropentag 2011 (Conference on International Research on Food Security, Natural Resource Management and Rural Development), Bonn 5-7 October 2011.
In countries where the majority of the population is comprised of one ethnic group, the remaining minority communities can remain or become further marginalised when the benefits of development projects accrue to the elite of the dominant ethnic group. This paper examines Vietnam’s ethnic minority communities who live in such marginal situations. Since doi moi (renovation) in 1986, an array of policies, programmes and projects have been implemented to empower people, in particular ethnic minorities. Despite applausive achievements especially in poverty reduction, ethnic minorities continue to be poorer and more disadvantaged than the majority Kinh community, elucidated by the lack/lower return of endowments and/or community characteristics (cf. Baulch et al. 2007).
This paper focuses on the relation between internal community structure and power relations, and development outcomes on ethnic minority villagers. Three case studies covering two of Central and Southern Vietnam’s most underprivileged ethnic communities – the Pahy and the Khmer – are examined. Ethnographic field research was conducted in August 2010 in Thua Thien Hue Province and March 2011 in the Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. In Rum Soc Village the case of the agricultural club illustrates how Kinh managers prominently represent and make decisions for the majority of Khmer farmers. The development story in Tri Ton District presents a contrasting picture of two neighbouring Khmer villages: while one village became a regional “model” of development through a disproportionately large receipt of knowledge, technology and financial transfer, the neighbouring “normal” village continues to confront harsh modern-day challenges with their backward farming techniques. Finally, Khe Tran Village provides a good example of the momentous changes brought about by 20 years of governmental projects, yet close investigation reveals that the beneficiaries are just a few powerful Pahy-Kinh households with the majority lagging behind.
The paper substantiates that the benefits of development projects, in the name of the common good, are reaped by just a few powerful elites. Poorly designed and monitored development interventions that ignore power relations and are biased in their beneficiary selection vigorously back up and strengthen the local-level structural power inequity. This pushes ethnic minorities to the second layer of marginalisation.
Research presented at the Conference “Responses of religious communities to environment protection and climate change – Plans and solutions to 2020”, 15 September 2017, Hue City.
This study is grounded in an analysis of new challenges as we move towards climate change and argues that we can apply Buddhist teachings and the leadership of the Buddhist community to our climate response, and through this grow dialogue and action for all of us – as a community, and between Humans and Nature.
“Climate change is a global phenomenon that humans might never suspend, but only better manage. Climate change is more of a problem because of anthropocentric causes, but climate change would happen even if there were no such causes. Our goals must be more limited to reducing effects and improving adaptability, but avoid higher ambitions to “end” future change’’ (Brooks 2013, 11).
Under the sponsorship of Solidarity International E.V. (SODI) and German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the project “Extension of a vocational training center and vocational training for people with disabilities and improvement of the agricultural production in A Luoi” was implemented from January 1, 2016 to April 30, 2018, under the management of the Vocational Training and Job Generation Center for disabled and disadvantaged children, or Hope Center with the coordination of the Thua Thien Hue Union of Friendship Organizations (HueFO). The project covers four communes of A Luoi district, including Hong Kim, Hong Thuong, Bac Son and Dong Son, consisting of three major components: (1) Extension of the vocational training center in A Luoi, vocational training and development of off-farm income opportunities; (2) Capacity building for representatives of local institutions, personnel of the vocational training center and staff of Hope Center; (3) Improvement of agricultural production and support for local small scale farmers.
The independent evaluation of the project “Extension of a vocational training center and vocational training for people with disabilities and improvement of the agricultural production in A Luoi” aims to (1) assess the degree to which project objectives were achieved; (2) document the effectiveness and socio-economic impacts of the project to beneficiaries and other stakeholders; (3) capture constraints, difficulties and challenges faced by the implementing partners, government authorities, local people, and beneficiaries; (4) offer recommendations to inform and strengthen future interventions of this kind; and (5) provide input to guide decision making for the upcoming renewal and extension of project activities.
The evaluation had been implemented from 01 January 2016 to 30 April 2018 in four communes of A Luoi district including Hong Kim, Hong Thuong, Bac Son, and Dong Son with 03 semi-structured interviews, 20 in-depth interviews with local authorities, project staffs, and local community and 03 focus group discussions.