1. A positive notion of
power for citizen voice
and state accountability
Dr Keren Winterford
Fourth ACFID University Network Conference
Development Futures: Alternative Pathways to end Poverty
21 November 2013

3. Key messages from this presentation
Power is central to development
discourse and practice
Need to question dominant
notions of power
+
Power
Positive notion of power offers
opportunity for expanding power and
synergistic change
Prioritise future view of power…
relational dialogue and joint citizenstate action

4. Why does the notion of power matter to
development?
Understandings of poverty and development have
been evolving
Experiences
Causes of
of poverty
poverty
Economic and technical
Lack of Participation
People’s experience of
poverty is one of
powerlessness
Poor governance and lack of
state accountability
Lack of citizen engagement
to influence state
accountability
Dimensions include
lack of information,
lack of voice and
unaccountable
governments

5. Why does the notion of power matter to
development?
In line with thinking about
Causes of
poverty
Experiences
of poverty
…increased citizen participation with government
increases state accountability and in turn improves
delivery of basic services for poverty reduction
Dominant
understandings
of power

6. What are dominant understandings of
power in citizen-state relations?
‘Changing the balance of power’
‘Power is negative…power is bad’
‘Empowering citizens as a means of
addressing state power and resulting poor
state accountability’

7. Dominant understandings of power in
citizen-state relations
Power over
Power to
Power with
Power within
(VenKlasen &
Miller 2002)
“Accepting and embracing conflict, the model and mindset are framed
into a game which is predominantly zero-sum. Practical and realistic while
this often is, it sees the things one way round. The question is whether, it
tends to obscure and undervalue opportunities which start with the
realities and contexts of the powerful “(Chambers 2006, p.103)

8. Stories from the field of citizen-state
relations
Opportunities for transforming power from zero-sum
to win-win

9. A positive notion of power
Power = inherent strengths of each individual
latent strengths are potential power to act
State Power = vested by citizens power
“it is the people’s support that lends power to the
institutions of a country” (Arendt 1972)
Power = opportunity for mutual gain and win-win
outcomes through the interaction of citizen power with
state power
Synergistic Power = power is “boundless” and the
“interplay of powers with their checks and balances is
even liable to generate more power “(Arendt 1958)
Power = relational
“requires both a loving drive to unit and a powerful drive
to realise this unity” (Kahane 2010)

10. Implications of a positive notion of power
to our development futures
Value inherent strengths
Complementary framing
of citizen and state
power
state is made up of multiple parts at multiple levels which offers
opportunity for citizens to engage and build synergistic power

11. Implications of a positive notion of power
to our development futures
 to emphasize revealing and
amplifying strengths
 to facilitate relational dialogue
 to encourage an iterative process
 to repair and rebuild relationships
 to create opportunities for citizenstate joint action and quick wins
In terms of citizen-state relations this is about enabling generative
change outcomes - (1) Culture of dialogue (2) Improved relations
(3) Cultures of accountability (4) Transformed relations