Blurring the Boundaries: Citizen Action Across States and Societies. A Summary of Findings from a Decade of Collaborative Research on Citizen Engagement.
Abstract
This report is intended as a summary of and reference guide to the Citizenship DRC’s work, with clear signposting to additional materials on theory, case studies and policy recommendations. The document also contains a final section with practical advice on how to take a citizen-led approach to development.
In the first major section, entitled ‘Destinations’, we draw on our evidence base of more than 150 case studies to give an overview of the contributions made by different forms of citizen engagement. The benefits of engagement often begin with the strengthening of citizenship itself, but there are other, more commonly measured outcomes documented by the Citizenship DRC’s research related to development, to building responsive and accountable states, and to realising rights and deepening democracy, which are each described in turn. The next section, ‘Pathways’, presents findings on how, and under what conditions, such change occurs. It also highlights the challenges and risks along the way. An additional section, ‘Fractures’, gives attention to the issue of citizenship in fragile settings. In the final section, ‘Guideposts’, we give some guidance on how donors, NGOs, and government offices can use our research.
Citation
The Development Research Centreon Citizenship, Participation andAccountability, Brighton, UK, 2011. 52 pp.
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