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SWOT Analysis for
Participatory Research in the Pacific
Strengths
| Weaknesses | Opportunities
| Threats |
Extending the concept of
Social Obligations
Agenda 21.
Principles:
10. Environmental issues are best
handled with the participation of all concerned citizens at the
relevant level.
20. Women have a vital role in
environmental management and development. Their full participation is
therefore essential to achieve sustainable development.
21.The creativity, ideals and
courage of the youth of the world should be mobilized to forge a
global partnership in order to achieve sustainable development and
ensure a better future for all.
22.Indigenous people and their
communities and other local communities have a vital role in
environmental management and development because of their knowledge
and traditional practices. States should recognize and support their
identity, culture, and interests and enable their effective
participation in the achievement of sustainable development.
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The common vision provided by Agenda 21 is based on an open
exchange of information at all levels of society and between all interested
parties. Where barriers to information flow exist, conflict follows. The case
histories summarized in the preceding two sections of this report offer abundant
examples of conflicts and constraints in the gathering, analysis, and use of
environmental information for economic decision making.
The greatest and most debilitating barrier in flow of
information for sustainable decisions on resource use is the sharp divide
between the colonial-imposed European government system, usually based almost
entirely in one city, and the hundreds of small, isolated rural villages
scattered on different islands or separated by difficult terrain. There is
actually better interchange of environmental information and ideas between the
countries, via regional organizations, than between the national governments and
their own village people. It is as if the rural villages continue to exist as
separate, isolated groups with local needs, interests and knowledge quite
separate from the regional and national visions.
Most countries have some form of provincial government. In the
Melanesian countries of PNG, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and
Fiji the provincial governments are distinct political entities, but suffer from
even greater financial and manpower constraints than the National governments.
In Polynesian and Micronesian countries, the "provincial" government
structures are extensions of the national governments. Information exchange
between the provincial and national governments is generally done by
individuals, like extension agents, whose jobs bring them back and forth between
the national capital and the provinces.
How the European style government differs
from the shadow traditional governance.
|
European
|
Traditional
|
| Centrally
Located |
Widely
distributed |
| English
or French Language |
Island
or even village specific language |
| European
Cash Economy |
Barter
or local cash economy |
| Export
Oriented Extraction of Resources |
Resources
for survival and small markets |
| Large
Scale resource development |
Small
scale resource development |
| Private
Ownership (businesses/land) |
Common
ownership |
| Weak
monitoring capability |
Strong
monitoring capability |
| Pitiful
enforcement capability |
Absolute
enforcement capability |
| Relies
on foreign funding |
Semi
self reliant |
| Relies
on foreign expertise for resource assessment |
Relies
on direct observation for resource and self-assessment. |
| Policies
imposed from foreign nations via colonialism and now via assistance |
Home
grown |
| Other
directed - welfare state (adopted by necessity). |
Self
directed - welfare state (adopted by preference). |
| Unsustainable
without major revisions |
3,500
years of proven sustainability |
Villages in all countries have their own autonomous, traditional government
system based on one form or another of a council of elders. In some countries,
such as American Samoa, this secondary government system pervades the whole
society and acts as a secondary National Government.
The bulk of the population of the Pacific islands relates, on
a day to day basis, to their village government system. Since the villagers are
the resource owners, it is the village government system that makes the final
decisions on resource use. The village elders are likely to have, or have access
to, a considerable body of local knowledge about their own resources.
The examination of how conflicts
arise in resource use plans in the Pacific islands supports the Agenda 21
vision for improving information linkages between the local, national and
regional bodies. The regional organizations have recently begun a major
effort, in concert with the World Bank, to improve information exchange
between themselves and their member countries which includes a component to
improve information flow to the public.
The ESCAP country and local case studies on "integrating
Environmental Considerations into Economic Decision Making Processes"
revealed a number of Pacific island countries and regional organizations that
are in the experimental phase of improving the links between the local, national
and regional levels. These efforts are generally described as
"participatory." They take the form of participation in gathering
research information (such as Participatory Rural Appraisal), setting up
community based resource use plans, and more recently, developing long range
sustainable development policy starting with the local (village) government's
own vision and integrating this with provincial, national and regional policy
decision making processes (Participatory
Integrated Policy (PIP)).
An overall analysis of the Successes, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) of the Pacific islanders provides insight into
the long term benefits of participatory approaches to sustainable economic
policy making. It is not comprehensive nor do all the features apply equally
throughout the Pacific islands, but it does provide clear support for the move
towards participatory policy.
How
do participatory methods fit with the Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities
and Threats (SWOT Analysis) of the people and governments of the Pacific
Islands?
Strengths,
Advantages, and Abilities.
 | Strengths that can help support a participatory
integrated policy for resource use
 | Social cohesiveness of family or one-talk or church
systems. If decisions on how resources are to be managed are integrated
with this basic cohesiveness, they are likely to be successfully
implemented and supported.
| Willingness to share with family, one-talk or church
members. Often seen as an impediment to economic development, this is a
key requirement for agreeing to restrict or regulate resource use.
| Oratory in the indigenous language, often with an
excellent sense of humor and justice. Although many concepts related to
sustainable development are presented in modern English jargon, they are
all basic, easily understood ideas that can be discussed locally -
providing someone makes an effort to bridge the language gap.
| Able to work together, pooling labor and talent, to
achieve projects that are important to the community (like building and
maintaining a church). When villagers work together on a community
project it gains a powerful element of support. Village nature
sanctuaries are not likely to be violated whereas National sanctuaries
set up at the behest of international organizations are not likely to be
respected.
| An ability to solve conflict by negotiation and
unanimity or by inaction (patience). Inaction - again seen as an
impediment to economic development - is frequently the key to prevention
of resource abuse. A lengthy discussion at the village level on selling
trees or developing mineral resources might go on for years;
discouraging those with aspirations of a quick buck.
| Strong moral and religious convictions. When the people
understand what is right and what is wrong they are willing to defend
the moral and righteous position in defiance of their own perceived
short term economic needs.
| A tradition of sustainable resource use. Many of the
tiny villages on small islands of the Pacific have been in exactly the
same place and of almost the same size for more than 2000 years. The
marine and terrestrial landscape is a cultural landscape, fashioned
exactly the way the people want it to be.
| Traditional knowledge of plants, sustainable gardening
practices, and marine resources. Individuals within the island villages
have considerable knowledge of how to use and maintain their local
environment on a sustainable basis. There are a number of efforts
currently underway to gather this information. Some of the most
insightful methodologies for fisheries resource use were derived from
listening to elder fishing chiefs. |
| | | | | | |
Advantages
| Relative food security. With few exceptions, Pacific
islanders currently have enough food to eat. But their local food
security is in constant danger from natural threats such as drought and
storms. Their present health is a vital advantage compared to countries
where their first priority is not starving to death.
| Equitable climate and scenic beauty. As with food
security, climate security allows Pacific islanders an opportunity to
treat their financial and resource needs with leniency. In harsh
climates necessity may force people to use every resource to survive.
Hurricanes and droughts do happen in the South Pacific and were it not
for rapid aid supplies, the climate might seem less hospitable.
| Low population densities (with some local exceptions).
There is still room to experiment and expand in most Pacific islands.
Land is available for new agricultural efforts - providing the land
owners want to become involved in them.
| General lack of valuable resources and geographic
isolation (in all but PNG, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Fiji)
reduce the threat to the small populations of strong foreign
competition. This is an odd advantage, but indigenous peoples throughout
the world often suffer when they are the custodians of resources of
great value to more powerful peoples.
| Community control of land (sometimes marine) resources.
National governments often bemoan custom land as a curse because without
ultimate control of the land government becomes almost impossible
unless, of course, the custom owners participate in governance.
| Lack of ethnic problems (except Fiji, Northern Mariana,
and New Caledonia). When ethnic groups fight each other the environment
often suffers. Each ethnic group seems intent on blaming the other for a
country's problems. Most Pacific islanders can only blame themselves for
unsustainable behavior. And this is a major advantage when attempting to
reduce policy conflict through participatory methods.
| Freedom of religion. Pacific islanders are mostly
Christians, but include nearly every kind of Christian imaginable. This
is both an advantage and a disadvantage for participatory policy making.
The advantage is that a mono-religious environment can be highly
inflexible while a multi-religious community develops a sense of
compromise for practical matters. The disadvantage is that meetings
might need to be held several times in the same village to reach the
whole community.
| Democratic societies (Tonga included). This is
essential to participatory policy methods as it assures the right for
everyone to have some say in their governance - and to vote out
politicians who interfere with the public will. |
| | | | | | |
What do Pacific Island governments do well?
| Co-operate regionally on international matters.
Sustainable development policy and an understanding of sustainable
resource use has spread rapidly throughout the region because of the
hospitable and democratic regional organizations.
| Obtain foreign aid and assistance. The small
governments of the Pacific have been highly successful at gaining funds,
equipment, and guidance from the metropolitan countries. This will be an
obvious advantage in the development of an information economy.
| Pacific islanders mediate internal disputes well. There
is a unique sense of justice in the Polynesian and Micronesian
countries. Senior government officials in Polynesia and Micronesia are
often master social strategists. This can be of great advantage
providing they are willing to participate in a participatory process.
| Maintain law and order, peace and harmony (with some
obvious, but minor, exceptions). Somehow this does not extend to
enforcing national laws concerning economic and environmental issues.
But crimes of a physical nature are dealt with rapidly and effectively.
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Weaknesses of the people
and governments of the Pacific Islands relating to sustainable development:
What external opportunities
and threats facing the people and governments of the Pacific island countries
might be influenced by participatory methods?
Opportunities the Pacific Islanders don't control but would
like to take advantage of:
| Where good chances face the Pacific islands that could
be improved with the full co-operation of the villagers?
| The perception of the Pacific islands as idyllic,
peaceful and relatively sustainable countries invites the interest of
people in industrialized urban areas. (South Pacific Island Paradise
Syndrome - SPIPS).
| Tourism, based on SPIPS, is considered to be one of the
main opportunities for the Pacific island countries. It is already a
major earner of foreign exchange in New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga,
Samoa, the Cook Islands and Tahiti. Most governmental and regional
tourism agencies already have an integrated participatory policy process
involving local communities at all stages of a tourism development plan.
| The sub-region is a favorite for aid donors, as the
countries are, for the most part, democratic, obliging, and polite. Yet
aid donors are increasingly aware of the need for performance,
especially in terms of sustainable resource use. Participatory
techniques can help improve on the ground progress towards sustainable
goals and tie in with the global action plan Agenda 21.
| The Pacific Council of Churches offers a powerful
source of assistance and information throughout the sub-region that
links with all nations through the World Council of Churches. Given
encouragement from government and regional organizations, the Churches
could become a key part of all participatory processes in the Pacific
islands.
| The offshore Tuna fishery is one of the world's largest
and most valuable fisheries, and distant water fishing nations are
willing to pay (perhaps more) for the right to fish in the EEZs of the
Pacific island countries. The tuna fishery management and research
programme is a perfect example of how a participatory process is
supposed to work, albeit it is limited to the National/Regional levels.
| Improved communications (e.g. Internet) enables small
countries to reach a global audience to find individuals who might be
interested in particular kinds of tourism and or investment
opportunities. An information economy, unhindered by a "distance
tax" offers one of the best opportunities for future employment and
education for the youth of the Pacific.
| Regional co-operation is strong as most of the
countries share common problems and seek common solutions yet do not
threaten each other economically or politically. Development and
deployment of participatory methodologies is facilitated by this
regional co-operation. |
| | | | | |
What are the interesting trends that will influence
sustainable development?
| Rapidly improving alternative energy sources, including
solar and hydrogen energy is reducing dependency on foreign fuel
supplies and increasing the potential for rural development and
participation.
| The requirement for EIA and sustainability for
international bank loans. EIA's include a component on the impact of a
project on local communities.
| The global dominance of the WTO (Like the UN, the
organization has a potential for small country representation and
influence). It is not certain how this will impact such issues as
forestry, organic foods, and resource use but there will undoubtedly be
a major change in resource trade in the Pacific as a result of WTO
policies.
| The global hunger for organic foods in a world where
most agricultural land no longer qualifies as being free of chemical
pollution. Organic farming and preparation of organic foods is well
suited to small scale, village level industry, and a great enhancement
to land management.
| Increasing price of sustainably harvested tropical
hardwoods will encourage village level forestry as opposed to large
scale foreign operated logging.
| Increasing value of scenic beauty and the image of
peace and harmony in a world of stress (The illusion of a Tropical
Island Paradise is more appealing every day).
| Extensive land and sea biodiversity provides a valuable
genetic resource for pharmaceutical and agricultural development in
great demand in the industrialized world. Local knowledge of the value
of organisms for medicinal purposes and of plant relationships has
important economic potential.
|
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What are the external threats
facing the Pacific island countries that might be abated or mitigated by the
improvements in linkages between local, national and regional organizations ?
| What obstacles do the Pacific island countries face?
| Decreasing food security, calling for a more efficient
use of land and sea resources.
| Health problems from poor nutrition caused by improper
diets of "convenience foods." Specifically heart disease,
diabetes, and cancer.
| Increased problems with agricultural pests due to
biologically stupid commercial agricultural practices.
| Sea surface pollution and consequent lowering of marine
resource resilience, requiring greater care in nearshore marine resource
use.
| Rising sea levels and incidence of tropical cyclones
due to climate change requiring fewer people settling in low-lying
coastal areas.
| Increasing incidence of bad weather (floods and
droughts) in the metropolitan countries reduce agricultural production
in those countries and this increases prices of imported foods presently
essential to survival (rice, flour, tinned meat and fish), needing
improved local food supplies and dietary information transfer.
| The obvious economic disadvantages of distance from
economic markets and small size, which increases the need for
self-reliance and local co-operation.
| Lack of natural resources of value (e.g. Except for
Melanesian, most countries have no valuable mineral resources, a diverse
and unstable inshore fishery, few forest resources even for internal
use, limited agricultural land beset with land tenure disputes).
| Decline in foreign aid. If a country begins to show
solid improvements towards sustainability it is much more likely to
attract further support.
| Unsustainability of, and dependence upon, regional
programs set up with foreign assistance.
| Decline in technical and scientific advisors assigned
to countries and regional organizations means that less assistance must
be utilized more efficiently.
| Plummeting budgets of international organizations again
demand greater efficiency of what aid is available. And, in turn,
international organizations must improve on the ground progress.
| The rise of anti-immigration politics in New Zealand,
Australia and the United States will swell population numbers in the
Pacific islands that now rely on emigration to counterbalance population
growth. This will result in a need to involve people, especially youth,
in policy decisions at all levels.
| Reduction of tourism during global recessions can
rapidly deflate economic spirits, increasing the need for self-reliance
and a fall-back system of subsistence barter.
| Development projects that utilize time, effort and
resources but siphon profits out of the country. Such projects are less
likely when all stakeholders have an opportunity to debate their pros
and cons in an EIA. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
What is the competition doing?
| Increased competition from in-country tourism
development in New Zealand and Australia will increase the need for
Pacific island tourism destinations to present the best possible aspect,
and this requires public participation in maintaining village and public
property tidiness.
| WTO removal of trade barriers defeats preferential
trade agreements. This may result in poor opportunities for
manufacturing in the Pacific islands and increase the need for
activities for unemployed people, especially youth.
| Increased population and development in Asia promotes
unsustainable harvesting of forestry and fisheries resources in the
Pacific. Although rural islanders are conversant with the problems
adherent in resource abuse, the existing policy conflicts between
government levels erodes community solidarity against large scale
development.
| Boycotts of unsustainable activities reduce opportunity
to liquidate natural assets such as tropical forests, gold, and marine
products (black coral, precious coral, sea turtle products, giant clam
shells, and other handicrafts that use endangered species). Villagers
who rely on handicraft sales for added income need to become aware of
such problems and produce materials that do not endanger the wildlife. |
| | |
Can the Pacific islands keep pace in a rapidly changing
world?
| The global explosion in computer technology requires
early training of youth in computer literacy (computers are common in
primary schools in Australia, New Zealand and the United States and
nearly ubiquitous in secondary schools). The Pacific islands are falling
behind, unable to obtain and maintain computers for schools.
Participation in national and international data gathering projects can
assist schools in learning and applying practical skills leading to
sustainability
| Software updates are an annual or semi-annual event but
many government agencies are using software that has been extinct for a
decade. Participation in regional and international information exchange
programs can provide government workers with up to date software that
can facilitate their work.
| Skills in repair and maintenance of electronics and
mechanics require updating on a regular basis.
| Communications are increasing in both volume and
complexity in all fields of resource information. There is so much of
interest that small government agencies cannot hope to canvas the
literature even in narrow fields, such as organic farming, biological
pest control and marketing of organic products. The rapid advancement of
data storage and retrieval on Internet can help governments keep up to
date and, at the same time, provide information needed by global policy
making bodies. |
| | |
Bad debt and cash-flow problems plague the Pacific
island governments.
| Obtaining development funds is difficult for the
private and government sectors in the Pacific islands. When projects are
hampered by conflicts over land or other resources, investors are
frightened away. By encouraging participation of the resource owners at
the very outset of development policy making, many of these conflicts
can be resolved.
| Imports have exceeded the value of exports for so many
years most Pacific islands have acquired massive foreign debt.
| Currency evaluation and even the printing of money is
controlled by foreign nations.
| Foreign investment is now seen as extremely risky due
to a long history of project failures in the region.
| Increased auditing of foreign loans and aid funds
reduces opportunities to skim funds for on-going government costs that
are normally not included in aid grants. |
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Extending
the concept of Social Obligations
The key to obtaining and using environmental assessment and
monitoring information, and to harmonizing resource use policy, is found in the
acknowledged strengths of Pacific islanders, sometimes idealized as "The
Pacific Way." The ability of island communities to work together (within
family, one-talk or church groups) is perhaps the greatest asset for sustainable
resource use in the region. Social pressures enforce the basic concept of
sharing with equality, and the importance of altruistic behavior. People
regularly do things that is to their own economic disadvantage to conform to
socially accepted behavior. This is the missing link between environmental
policy and action.
Extending the concept of social obligation to cover the long
term protection of the living resources is inherent in many traditional belief
systems of the Pacific islands. But these understandings have been or are being
lost as the traditional values are eroded by a variety of forces. The modern
problem is understanding the scientific truth that:
| Living resources, including the soil, the forests, the
coral reefs, and the fresh water systems are part of the fabric of the
people and their society.
| Living systems have limits and needs.
| They can be irreplaceably damaged.
| Living resources are supposed to be used, but also
cherished. To damage them is against the best interests of everyone in the
community and contrary to the teachings of the Bible. |
| | |
Government officers complain of a lack of co-operation from
communities regardless of ownership rights of the resources. There are
innumerable examples throughout the Pacific of rural communities destroying
their own resource base, practicing irresponsible and destructive agriculture
and fishing; selling forests and standing by while foreign companies clear-cut
mountain slopes and pollute water supplies the villagers depend on. Education
campaigns, even where successful in instructing villagers about environmental
issues, have had little success in changing people's behavior. The problems on
the community level are the same ones hampering the adoption of sustainable
practices on the government level;
- Governmental adoption of responsibility for the survival of
the resources and consequent alienation of community and personal
responsibility.
- Money and the temptations of all it can buy (actively
promoted by export ethics of government economic development policy and
foreign assistance programs).
- Lack of Church involvement with environmental issues and
subsequent lack of understanding of the moral component of resource abuse.
- Poor understanding of the real needs of the living
creatures and the links between the resource base and the well being of the
people.
- Poor definition of specific actions needed and why they are
needed.
- Unwillingness of governments to shift production and
marketing to small scale, sustainable, environmentally friendly enterprises
(see reason 2, above).
This is a positive feedback loop. The more the government
tries to push development the more people become involved in the economic
loan/repayment/loan cycle. The more the government tries to control resource use
through laws and regulations the less responsibility people (and the Church)
take upon themselves. This promotes individual lack of compliance with
regulations and generates conflict and lack of understanding between government
agents and resource users. Credibility and co-operation are further damaged by
the use of foreign scientists whose studies are unlikely to be understood (or
reviewed) by the resource users. Financial, human and living resources are
wasted on unsuccessful large-scale projects and get rich quick schemes that
further alienate communities and cause governments to push development even
more, starting another cycle.
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