The community encompasses different political, social and ethnic conflicts over the future of the forest that were little understood by external conservationists. External projects seemed to conform to both orthodox views on the future of the forest and to dominant ideas of what community means. The gap between local and outsider views has created friction between local people and newcomers creating suspicion of government and outsider activity. Participatory community management needs careful consideration. Participatory Rural Appraisal and survey techniques need supplementing by long-term ethnographic research to properly take on board local concerns.
Community participation is inadequately theorised to cope with local realities.
Conservation has, in particular, to engage with the legitimate desire of local people, especially the young, for development and an improved standard of living. Views expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of DFID, IDS, id21 or other contributing institutions. All rights reserved.