The involvement of stakeholders in a forest policy reform process: Democracy promotion and power redistribution (reviewed paper)

Participation is often presented as a tool to promote democracy, but it also leads to the redefinition of issues, decisions as well as to power redistribution among stakeholders. Based on empirical evidence drawn from the forest policy reform in Kyrgyzstan (a former constituent republic of the Soviet Union) and from an analysis of basic theoretical frameworks for participation, the paper treats the question of power in relation to decision-making and participatory processes as well as the impact that participation has on the empowerment of some groups of stakeholders.

The Evolution of Stakeholders' Participation in a Process of Forest Policy Reform in Kyrgyz Republic (reviewed paper)

National forest policy reform based on participation proves to be a complex multi-layer process in the course of which all the participants are subject to continuous adaptation to the permanently changing context. The example of Kyrgyzstan shows that participation is not only a procedure for deliberative democracy or collaborative learning, but also a means for re-appropriation of power by the stronger stakeholders.