Community Development Journal Advance Access originally published online on July 18, 2005
Community Development Journal 2006 41(3):367-380; doi:10.1093/cdj/bsi069
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On elephants, giraffes, and social development
Now works at Tel Hai Academic College, having worked for many years in the Department of Social Work at the University of Botswana
Address for correspondence: Arnon Bar-On, Department of Social Work, Tel Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, 12210, Israel. Email: arnanbaron{at}yahoo.com
Social development rests on varied assumptions, including the greater effectiveness and efficiency of local over central management, legally endorsed resource control, and the popular ability to take responsibility for the environment. The article outlines the experience of community-based natural resource management in Botswana in validating these and other assumptions, and concludes that in some instances, particularly in small rural communities, grassroots development that follows them may not yield the expected outcomes.