Abstract

“Participation” is currently a buzzword in discourses on everything from urban planning to global governance. Social scientists are both enthusiastic about and skeptical of this ambiguous concept. Some argue that it is used in so many ways and in so many different contexts that it has been emptied of actual content and become a rhetorical tool for top-down decision-making. But it can also contain a potential for empowerment, by giving local communities the right to be heard in projects that affect them. Participation reforms in Bolivia have created optimism around the prospect that indigenous groups can take part in shaping gas extraction projects developed in and around their communities. The indigenous President Evo Morales has gained an international reputation for his politics of indigenous empowerment and returning the ownership of natural resources to “the people”. An important motivation for the work behind this report is to understand how the reforms implemented by the Morales Government work in practice. What makes this case particularly interesting is that Bolivia is highly dependent on revenues from exports of natural gas, which may influence the Government’s willingness to allow for actual participation of local communities. By evaluating the participation process in Bolivia we intend to communicate both the strengths and weaknesses of these reforms, and to provide insights into participation in natural resource governance that can be helpful elsewhere. We appreciate the cooperation of informants in Bolivia who shared their knowledge and experiences, and the collaboration with the Center for Urban Ecology that made this report possible. The research draws on funding from the Research Council of Norway and the Meltzer Foundation. It is part of the research project “Negotiating New Political Spaces” based at the Department of Geography, University of Bergen.