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Books Recieved

The following books are a few recent publications which may be of interest to our readers. ADPC Information and Research section can offer assistance in locating these publications.

PARTICIPATION

Resource Book on Participation. Inter-American Development Bank. 1996. Write to IDB Bookstore, Inter-American Development Bank, 1300 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20577, USA; Tel: +1-202-6231753; Fax:+1-202-6231709; e-mail: idb-books@iadb.org. Also available on the World Wide Web. Please refer to the "WWWsites" section of this issue.

This resource book is designed to foster an understanding of what participation in development means. It is not meant to give a comprehensive coverage of all participatory initiatives by the Bank or other organizations. It has been designed as a binder so that more information can be added on as it comes to our attention. The resource book begins (Section I) with an overview of participation in development - its definition, its scope and limits, why it is important and who must be involved. Section II looks at how the concept and practice of participation in development has evolved over the past few decades in the Bank. In Section III, eight case studies of IDB-financed activities are presented to provide concrete examples of the benefits of participatory approaches to development. Section IV looks at the project cycle, and discusses opportunities for, and potential pitfalls of, stakeholder participation in each step. Section V presents some of the initiatives in participation taken throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Section VI presents some participation initiatives in other development agencies. Finally, Section VII includes an overview of some frequently used participatory methodologies and techniques.

World Bank Participation Sourcebook. The World Bank. 1996. 276 pp. US $ 15.95 (for air mail delivery outside the U.S. add US$8.00). Order from The World Bank, Box 7247-8619, Philadelphia, PA 19170-8619, USA.; Tel: +1-202-4731155; Fax: +1-202-5222627; e-mail: books@worldbank.org.

Presents contributions from more than 200 World Bank staff members and consultants on their experiences with participatory approaches to development activities. The Sourcebook serves as a reference guide to participatory development, featuring country case studies, pointers for participatory planning and decision-making, and ways of enabling the poor to participate. Pointers for participatory planning cite examples from the case studies. It also discusses the role of nongovernmental organizations in this area. Annexes include descriptions of methods and summaries of background papers. The Sourcebook constitutes a thorough and sophisticated compilation of development experience and would be as interesting and appropriate to the seasoned participation professional as to relative newcomers.

Assessing Participation. Sunil Bastian and Nicola Bastian, Editors. 1996. 288 pp, US$10.00 (Excluding Postage). Order from Nihal Rajakarunanayake, 41/18 1st cross Street, Pagoda, Nugegoda, SriLanka; Tel: +94-1-810357.

'Participation', or 'Participatory Development' has become one of the orthodoxies of the mainstream discourse of development. Participation is not only expected to allow the involvement of wider sections of the population in the development process, but also contribute to the distribution of fruits of economic growth. As part of an on-going research on participatory development, a group of researchers and practitioners of development took a fresh look at the notion of participatory development at a workshop organized by Duryog Nivaran in November 1995. (Duryog Nivaran is a South Asian network promoting participatory approaches in situations of natural disasters and internal conflicts). Assessing Participation brings together the papers presented at this workshop. The starting point of some of the papers in analyzing the theme of participation is development. They look at the conceptual basis of the notion of participatory development as well as concrete experiences of its use in specific projects. For others participation is essentially a concept relevant for civil society politics. Almost all the papers point to the need to understand the limitations of participation. These limitations arise both at conceptual level, and, in what could be achieved through participation at project level. The editors hope that this volume will contribute to a debate on participatory development, and will help, us to assess its potential in more realistic terms.

Power, Process, and Participation: Tools for change. Rachel Slocum, Lori Wichhart, Dianne Rocheleau, and Barbara Thomas-Slayter, Editors. 1995. 272 pp. US$ 17.50 (add 20% to the price of the book to cover post and packing). Order from Intermediate Technology Publications, 103-105 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4HH, UK; Tel: +44 -171-4369761; Fax: +44-171-4362013; e-mail: itpubs@gn.apc.org.

Powerlessness, marginality, and dispossession are found in all corners of the world. Power, Process, and Participation aims to enable facilitators from inside, as well as outside, communities to empower those people who are frequently omitted from the decision-making process. The book explores participatory approaches to development and offers innovative, collaborative tools for working with local groups and communities. The tools described here are sensitive to cultural and social differences, and have been designed to increase the capacities of local communities, NGOs, and public sector agencies by integrating applied and analytical methods for consciousness-raising, data-gathering, community decision-making, advocacy, and development activities. The book focuses on participatory capacity-building in ways that address the practical needs of the disadvantaged and disempowered, and it pays particular attention to gender issues. Other issues include how differences in class, ethnicity, race, caste, religion, age and status may also lead to the 'politics of exclusion' that this book aims to avoid.

Developing Building for Safety Programmes: Guidelines for organizing safe building improvement programmes in disaster-prone areas. Yesemin Aysan, Andrew Clayton, Alistair Cory, Ian Davis and David Sanderson.. 1995. 159 pp. US$15.50 (add 20% to the price of the book to cover post and packing). Order from Intermediate Technology Publications, 103-105 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4HH, UK; Tel: +44 -171-4369761; Fax: +44-171-4362013; e-mail: itpubs@gn.apc.org

Developing Building for Safety Programmes, the concluding book in the 'Building for Safety' series commissioned by the Overseas Development Administration (ODA), summarizes the basic principles to be considered in the planning and implementation of community-based building improvement programmes for small dwellings in disaster-prone areas. The book is structured in four parts: the first part deals with the why, how and what of building improvement programmes; the second part discusses the educational, social, management and technical issues; the third part takes up broad guidelines for planning and implementation; and finally the fourth part illustrates the suggestions made through twelve case studies.

GENERAL

Emerging Asia: Changes and Challanges. Asian Development Bank. 1997. 337 pp. US$ 30.00. Order from Publications Unit, Information Office, Asian Development Bank, P.O. Box 789, 0980 Manila, Philippines; Tel: +63 -2 -6325895; Fax:+63 -2 -6362648; e-mail: adbpub@mail.asiandevbank.org.

During the last three decades life in Asia has changed considerably: its people have become richer, healthier, better fed, and more educated. At the same time, some Asian countries, regions within countries, and groups within societies lag behind. Past three decades have also been marked by continuous environmental degradation. Emerging Asia, an Asian Development Bank publication, looks at this great transformation and analyzes the prospects for its continuation. Taking a forward-looking and broad view of the development process, the book identifies the major trends that are likely to influence AsiaÕs future. It then asks how these might affect future policy and institutional choices.

Reconstruction after Disaster: Issues and Practices. Adenrele Awotona. 1997. 200 pages Hardback. UK Pound Sterling 35.00 + p&p. Order from Ashgate Distribution Services, Gower House, Croft Road, Aldershot, hants., GU11 3HR, UK; Tel: +44-1252-331551; fax: +44-1252-344405.

Disasters, whether natural or man-made, inflict dramatic impacts in terms of loss of life, disruption to livelihoods and destruction to the built environment . This is especially so in the case of developing countries where the impacts of disasters are exacerbated by the lack of adequate relief and emergency plans, lack of resources and by inappropriate reconstruction programmes. So, what can be done to alleviate the suffering of the victims? How can future disasters be prevented? How can tragedy turn into an opportunity for development? Reconstruction after Disaster tackles these questions by providing an understanding of the different phases of disaster management and planning including emergency preparedness, rehabilitation, mitigation and reconstruction.

Engineering in Emergencies: a practical guide for relief workers. Jan Davis and Robert Lambert. 1995. 600 pp. US$ 32.50 (add 20% to the price of the book to cover post and packing). Order from Intermediate Technology Publications, 103-105 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4HH, UK; Tel: +44 -171-4369761; Fax: +44-171-4362013; e-mail: itpubs@gn.apc.org.

This handbook provides basic practical information to implement an effective engineering response in the aftermath of an emergency. The book is relevant to a broad range of emergencies and disasters. It has been prepared on behalf of RedR (Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief) and reflects both the field experience of these relief workers and the experience that RedR has accumulated through training and debriefing. RedR selects, prepares and supplies engineers and technicians to frontline relief agencies. The book deals in depth with ÔhardÕ subjects (water, sanitation, roads and shelter). There is also an emphasis on the ÔsoftÕ subjects needed for effective relief work (managerial skills, personal effectiveness, an appreciation of the needs of refugees and the international relief system).