People's participation in a rural development program in Tunisia: A case study.

摘要

The aim of this study was to determine factors affecting people's participation in North West rural development program in Tunisia. The review of literature on people's participation presented two competing paradigms: the liberal view and the radical view. The two paradigms are used as theoretical frameworks for the study.;This study addresses not only why people do participate or do not participate, but also why they withdraw from the participation in the development project.;The method adopted in this study to collect data included participant observation, unstructured interviews and historical document. The researcher spent two weeks in the main office of the project in Beja prior to the two months and a half spent in Oued Zeen, in North West of Tunisia.;The overall conclusion drawn is that most of the beneficiaries were moderate well-off farmers. The North West project development program did not serve the disadvantaged and their interest. Most of the activities were planned and implemented by the North West project workers. At the level of the "Office of Development Sylvo Pastoral of North West" (ODESYPANO) staff adopted an elitist attitude and often underestimate people's knowledge and skills in development and ability to make their own decisions.