A positive notion of power for citizen voice

and state accountability

Dr Keren Winterford Fourth ACFID University Network Conference

Development Futures: Alternative Pathways to end Poverty 21 November 2013

Key messages from this presentation

Power is central to development discourse and practice

Need to question dominant notions of power

+ Power

Prioritise future view of power… relational dialogue and joint citizen-state action

Positive notion of power offers opportunity for expanding power and synergistic change

Why does the notion of power matter to development?

Causes of poverty

Experiences of poverty

Understandings of poverty and development have been evolving

Economic and technical

Lack of Participation

Poor governance and lack of state accountability

Lack of citizen engagement to influence state

accountability

People’s experience of poverty is one of powerlessness

Dimensions include lack of information,

lack of voice and unaccountable governments

…increased citizen participation with government increases state accountability and in turn improves

delivery of basic services for poverty reduction

Why does the notion of power matter to development?

Causes of poverty

Experiences of poverty

In line with thinking about

Dominant understandings

of power

What are dominant understandings of power in citizen-state relations?

‘Changing the balance of power’

‘Power is negative…power is bad’

‘Empowering citizens as a means of addressing state power and resulting poor state accountability’

Power over

Power toPower with

Power within

Dominant understandings of power in citizen-state relations

“Accepting and embracing conflict, the model and mindset are framed into a game which is predominantly zero-sum. Practical and realistic while

this often is, it sees the things one way round. The question is whether, it tends to obscure and undervalue opportunities which start with the

realities and contexts of the powerful “(Chambers 2006, p.103)

(VenKlasen & Miller 2002)

Stories from the field of citizen-state relations

Opportunities for transforming power from zero-sum to win-win

A positive notion of powerPower = inherent strengths of each individual

latent strengths are potential power to act

State Power = vested by citizens power“it is the people’s support that lends power to the

institutions of a country” (Arendt 1972)

Power = opportunity for mutual gain and win-win outcomes through the interaction of citizen power with

state power

Synergistic Power = power is “boundless” and the “interplay of powers with their checks and balances is

even liable to generate more power “(Arendt 1958)

Power = relational “requires both a loving drive to unit and a powerful drive

to realise this unity” (Kahane 2010)

Implications of a positive notion of power to our development futures

Complementary framing of citizen and state

power

state is made up of multiple parts at multiple levels which offers opportunity for citizens to engage and build synergistic power

Value inherent strengths

Implications of a positive notion of power to our development futures to emphasize revealing and

amplifying strengths

to facilitate relational dialogue

to encourage an iterative process

to repair and rebuild relationships

to create opportunities for citizen-state joint action and quick wins

In terms of citizen-state relations this is about enabling generative change outcomes - (1) Culture of dialogue (2) Improved relations

(3) Cultures of accountability (4) Transformed relations