Participation as a Political Process in Enforced Resettlement Projects: the Bedouin in the Negev, Israel
Abstract
The paper discusses the political nature of a participatory process which involved the Bedouin and the Israeli government agencies in an enforced resettlement project during the early 1980s. The heterogeneity of both the bureaucratic apparatus and the target population and the contradictory interests of the actors involved led to drawn out negotiations, inappropriate planning and unsatisfactory outcomes for both sides. A review and analysis of the project more than a decade later allows an evaluation of the process and its outcomes. It is concluded that in order to carry out enforced resettlement projects with the involvement of the target population, a predetermined analysis and preparation of the plans and goals of each side must be carried out at the outset.References
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