Factors Impacting Benefits of Participatory Forest Management in Upper Imenti Forest, Meru County, Kenya

This study focused on identifying factors affecting the benefits of Participatory Forestry Management (PFM) income generating activities in Upper Imenti Forest and whether they are dependent on status of participation in forest management through membership of Community Forest Association (CFA) or not. Cross-sectional survey research design was applied for collecting quantitative data using a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 384 households stratified on the basis of PFM participation status. Qualitative data was collected through focused group discussions using a checklist and key informant interviews using an interview schedule. Using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25, Binomial regression with Wald Chi-square was analyzed to identify factors perceived to be significantly influencing benefits for PFM participants and Pearson Chi-square to compare factors perceived to be affecting PFM and non-PFM participants. CFA members participation in PFM was significantly and positively affected by benefits of PFM income generating activities and forest products accessed in the forest. Benefits linked to Plantation Establishment for Livelihood Improvement System (PELIS) for CFA members were significantly reduced by enforcement of moratorium policy since February 2018, diseases and pests, poor PELIS guideline adherence and animal damage. Benefits related to state forest access for firewood by the CFA members were negatively influenced by the moratorium policy. Diseases and pests affected benefits associated with bee keeping significantly. Comparing factors under different PFM participation status, crop production was significantly affected by policy changes, pest and diseases, animal damage and PELIS guideline adherence for CFA members than for Non-CFA members. Policy changes also affected the CFA members significantly in firewood collection and access to fodder in the state forest than the Non-CFA members. Hence, sustainable community participation in Upper Imenti Forest management requires: increasing PFM benefits, addressing factors reducing benefits and enhancing active participation of CFA members in PFM related decision-making processes.

Farmer Participatory Evaluation of Sorghum Hybrid in Niger

Participatory varietal selection (PVS) with farmers and Seed Companies was conducted at Maradi research station (07°05'E/13°48'N) and in farmer field to evaluate and select sorghum hybrid varieties for high yield and other important agronomic traits. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications where flowering (days), plant height (cm) and yield (kg) were collected. The analysis of variance showed highly significance among treatments of all traits measured Environment and Genotype by Environment interactions also contributed significantly to the performance of yield components. The highest average grain yield was recorded from hybrids P9511A x ST9007-5-2-1 (4289 kg/ha), NE223A x 90SN1 (3666 kg/ha), NE223A x Sepon 82 (3533 kg/ha) and NE223A x P9405 (3519 kg/ha) across locations. Farmers’ preferences were the panicle size, good seed set, earliness, and seed color. Hence, in a variety selection farmer’s preferences focus more on prioritized yield-related trait. The best varieties ranked by traits of interest were P9511A x ST9007-5-2-1, NE223A x 90SN1, NE223A x P9405 and P9511A x SEPON 82 that performed well under their circumstances. The results showed that farmers’ preferred varieties match with researchers. Therefore, based on objectively measured traits, farmers’ preferences and the agro ecologies of the site, varieties NE223A x 90SN1 and P9511A x ST9007-5-2-1 were found promising for production.

Effectiveness of Participatory Teaching Methods in the Standardized Training of Respiratory Medicine Residents

Objective:To explore and analyze the application effect of participatory teaching method in the standardized training of respiratory medicine residents.Methods:The study period was from May 2022 to May 2023.20 doctors in the standardized training of respiratory medicine residency in our hospital were taken as research subjects and grouped into the participatory group(n=10)and the routine group(n=10)by using the random number lottery method.The participatory group practised participatory teaching methods,and the routine group practised routine teaching methods.The results of discharge assessment,teaching evaluation,and mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise(mini-CEX)assessment were compared between the groups.Results:The theoretical assessment,operational assessment,and total scores of the participatory group were significantly higher than those of the routine group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The teaching evaluation of independent learning,theoretical mastery,teamwork,clinical thinking,communication,and learning interest of the participatory group was significantly higher than that of the routine group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The mini-CEX assessments of history inquiry,organizational effectiveness,professionalism,physical examination,clinical diagnosis,communication skills,and overall clinical competence of the participatory group were significantly better than those of the routine group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The teaching satisfaction of the participatory group was significantly higher than that of the routine group,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:Participatory teaching methods can improve the overall level of doctors in the respiratory medicine residency standardized training,and the teaching satisfaction is improved.

Application of Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in Development of Animal Husbandry Technology

[Objective] This study aimed to provide references for the application of participatory monitoring and evaluation in the development of animal husbandry tech- nology. [Method] With the livelihood improvement program for agricultural and pas- toral area in northern Yunnan as the example, the development process of partici- patory animal husbandry was overviewed. And the monitoring and evaluation pro- cesses of participatory animal husbandry were introduced and analyzed. [Result] The monitoring and evaluation indicator system of participatory animal husbandry technol- ogy included 4 layers, namely technology, institutional system, personnel ability con- struction and effectiveness, and 11 third-level indicators, namely, technical characteristics, superiority-inferiority comparison, community and farmers, technical personnel, project personnel, economic indicators and social indicators. [Conclusion] This study provided the references for the application of participatory monitoring and evaluation in the development of animal husbandry technology.

Testing a participatory integrated assessment(PIA) approach to select climate change adaptation actions to enhance wetland sustainability: The case of Poyang Lake region in China

The necessity of mainstreaming climate adaptation strategies or policies into natural resource management plans has been recognized by the UNFCCC.The IPCC AR5 report suggests a growing demand for research to provide information for a deeper and more useful understanding of climate adaptation options,and indicates a lack of effective methods to meet this increasing demand of policymakers.In this respect,a participatory integrated assessment(PIA) approach is presented in this paper to provide an effective means to mainstream wetland climate change adaptation in rural sustainable development strategies,and thus to reduce climate vulnerability and to enhance rural community livelihood.The PIA approach includes a series of research activities required to assess climate impacts on wetland ecosystems,and to prioritize adaptation responses.A range of adaptation options that address key aspects of the wetland ecosystem resilience and concerns are evaluated against community based on sustainable development indicators.The PIA approach is able to identify desirable adaptation options which can then be implemented to improve wetland ecosystem health and to enhance regional sustainable development in a changing climate.For illustration purpose,the PIA was applied in a case study in Poyang Lake(PYL) region,a critical wetland and water ecosystem in central China with important international biodiversity linkages,and a locale for key policy experiments with ecosystem rehabilitation.The PIA was used to facilitate the integration of wetland climate change adaptation in rural sustainable development actions with multi-stakeholders participation.In particular,the case shows how the PIA can be designed and implemented to select effective and practical climate change adaptation options to enhance ecosystem services management and to reduce resource use conflicts and rural poverty.Worked in partnership with multi-stakeholders and assisted with a multi-criteria decision making tool,the case identified alternative desirable adaptation measures which could be used to deal with climate risks.Several desirable adaptation options were implemented as pilot projects to showcase the effectiveness of these measures which resulted in benefits to the well-being and productivity of all people living in the region.It should be noted that while the case study evaluated adaptation policies or options to climate change,it was not completed in terms of discussing in detail all the key components of the PIA approach.However,the case study represents the state-of-the-arts research in climate change impact assessment and adaptation option evaluation,particularly in linking with wetland ecosystem sustainability.Findings of the case study have indicated that the potential effects of climate change on wetland sustainability are quite significant.The case has also identified adaptation measures considered by stakeholders to be potentially effective for reducing vulnerability of wetland ecosystems.It is clear that wetland ecosystem sustainability goals will be unachievable without mainstreaming adaptation measures into wetland conservation and health programs under a changing climate.

Participatory and Integrated Research in Mountainous Regions of Thailand and Vietnam:Approaches and Lessons Learned

Participatory and integrated research approaches employed by a long-term Thai- Vietnamese-German collaborative research program, ‘The Uplands Program’, that address the vicious circles of resource scarcity, environmental degrada- tion and rural poverty in mountainous regions of northern Thailand and northern Vietnam are discussed in this paper. We present two examples from the Thai component of the research program to show how different disciplines and stakeholders need to cooperate at different scales to make meaningful scientific contributions towards sustainable land use and rural development in mountainous regions. The case of resource conservation in the Thai highlands shows that local and scientific knowledge, conven- tional surveys and participatory modeling can be creatively combined. Integrated research on the potential of integrating fruit trees and associated technologies into mountain farming systems suggests that natural scientists have to work alongsideeconomists and social scientists to avoid harmful effects of purely technology-driven and productivity- enhancing approaches. The success of new technologies cannot be measured solely by adoption rates and yield increases, but also needs to take into account their long-term impact on various groups of farmers and the ecological, economic and social trade-offs that they entail. Technical and institutional innovations need to go hand in hand to provide viable livelihood opportunities for smallholder farmers in mountain watersheds. The major lesson learned from the first six years of our research in the mountains of Thailand and Vietnam is that conventional and participatory approaches are not antagonistic; if scientists from various disciplines and research paradigms are open-minded, the combination of both approaches can produce meaningful results that cater for the needs of both the academic community and local stakeholders in mountain environments.

Children's participatory design for sustainable development and community planning

The urban developments have been carried out by only professionals for a long time because of efficiency and safety. However, most residents are ordinary people. Therefore, it is necessary to change the awareness of sustainable living environments, not only on the construction side but also the residents. In recent years, the number of cases of residents＇ participation in planning, maintaining, and repairing increased. However, sometimes youths and children, who might spend a lifetime longer than adults in a city after the developments have been done, are not included in this ＂Residents＂. Conceming youth and children＇s participation, CFC （child friendly city） is one of the good practices for sustainable development. It was launched by UNICEF （United Nations Intemational Children＇s Emergency Fund） and UN-Habitat in the Habitat II in 1996. City governments, especially in European countries, started to view CFC as their key concept for preservation and/or sustainable development. CFC means not only being ＂Children＂ friendly but also ＂All people＂ friendly. Various effects have been reported since the Historic Cities/districts included CFC in their city planning as a common concept, especially in education, community re-development, and operation and maintenance by the community. It is expected that better city planning in preservation and sustainable development can be achieved by adding CFC concept. In this research, an ideal way of city planning involving resident participation and the possibility in the future are analyzed based on case studies. Then a strategy of sustainable development and community planning involving youth and children＇s participation is proposed.

Reconciling Local and Global Agendas in Sustainable Development: Participatory Research with Indigenous Andean Communities

This paper discusses participatory research in the Andes and presents a case study in Cotacachi, Ecuador, where sustainability scientists and indigenous people seek common ground in their respective but drastically different research and social agendas. Participatory research based on Andean experiences pre-dated and inspired much of the later international movement in agriculture, health, and conservation. Andean communities have a long history in demanding that outsiders address the needs of the community as a condition for carrying out scientific or applied activities. What an Andean community, however, sees as relevant may or may not be within the rubric of ‘participatory research’ as it is practiced throughout much of the world. In fact, overzealous participatory researchers are just as bothersome as their predecessors bearing long questionnaires. More important to Andean people is an equitable relationship with researchers and developers in which exchanges of value are made. A distinction between ‘enriching’ and ‘extractive’ research is drawn. In the case of the SANREM project in Cotacachi, Ecuador, scientists carried out enriching research activities of interest to local people as a wayto generate social capital for conducting basic research which does not have an obvious, immediate local benefit. The requested research did not have a conventional participatory methodology but provided valuable products (educational opportunity, germplasm, community visualization tools, and information) to the indigenous community in exchange for time and resources to conduct research on more basic natural resource questions. We argue that in the Andean context the key to reconciling the needs of scientists and of local needs is seeking new forms of equitable collaboration which reach beyond the present and now somewhat tired discourse of ‘participation’.

Farmer Participatory Breeding - The Foster Parent in the Breeding of Dioscorea spp. in Ghana

Yam （Dioscorea spp.）, has been aptly described as an orphan crop. It has suffered institutional neglect from time immemorial. Until this study there were no formally released yam varieties in Ghana. The farmer participatory breeding approach was adapted to fast-track the development and release of three new yam varieties in Ghana. This paper uses the breeding process as a case study and conducts a SWOT analysis to provide guidelines for breeding for crops in Low External Input Agriculture. It was faster than conventional breeding in varietal development. Scientific quality of Farmer Participatory Breeding is as good as conventional breeding. Farmer Participatory Breeding is a must for breeding yam in Ghana. Ultimately, three genotypes 2000/001, KUP2000/001 and TDr89/02665 were accepted and released as new varieties ＂CRIKukrupa＂, ＂CRIPona＂ and ＂Mankrong Pona＂ respectively in March 2005. Danger of omission of some promising genotypes in the course of varietal development and danger of opinion group cabalizing the group discussions were identified as potential threats to the approach. Effective research-extension-farmer linkage was identified as extremely vital to the success of the approach. Farmer participatory breeding process was also sustainable and more efficient than conventional breeding in varietal selection in yam breeding.

Research on Participatory Poverty Index in North Jiangsu

In terms of current life style, living and production conditions and hygienic and educational condition, we select 8 indices, such as annual net income of farmers per capita, annual grain yield per capita, total power of agricultural machinery per capita, dropout rate of school children and so on, to establish index system of determining the poor village in North Jiangsu. By selecting Lianqun Village in Suining County of Xuzhou City, Mawa Village in Siyang County of Suqian City, Chuanxing Village in Guanyun County of Lianyungang City, Xiaozhu Village in Hongze County of Huai'an City, Fengda Village in Xiangshui County of Yancheng City as the representative villages, after the discussion and consultation of the masses and the village cadres of all villages, we get the measuring results of weight. Through the field survey, investigation and interview in the selected regions, we get the relevant data, and then we conduct standardization processing, so as to get the index value that can comprehensively reflect the characteristics of poverty. According to the index data that have been standardized, by using participatory poverty index formula for calculation, we get the values that can explain the poverty degree of the respondents. We sequence the representative poor villages in this region according to the poverty degree from high to low, and the result is as follows: Mawa Village, ianqun Village, Chuanxing Village, Xiaozhu Village, and Fengda Village. It indicates that in terms of the operability of theory and technique, the participatory poverty index can better recognize the poor villages, so that it lays solid foundation for rationally and effectively using the limited poverty alleviation resources.

Integrating value-chain approach with participatory multicriteria analysis for sustainable planning of a niche crop in Indian Himalayas

The value-chain approach(VCA)was used for exploring how a niche crop,namely large cardamom(Amomum subulatum Roxb.),can be developed sustainably to increase incomes and enhance rural livelihoods in the mountains.Large cardamom is a high-value,agro-climatically suitable,and non-perishable spice crop grown in the Himalayan region.Originating in Sikkim,the crop is important to the local economy and is sold in both domestic and international markets;however,its production in India has been declining significantly in recent years.Using VCA and participatory methods of data collection the study helped elicit value chain actors’perspectives on various reasons for the decline as well as potential strategies to improve the cardamom value chain.The results present the multiple environmental and climatic(e.g.water stress),social(e.g.women participation)and institutional(e.g.lack of trust between actors)challenges and corresponding upgrading strategies.Through participatory multi-criteria analysis(MCA),the strategies were prioritized based on the overall preferences of multiple stakeholders.The analysis considered eight criteria and 25 options,or strategies,and found that that marketability and profitability were the most important criteria,and increasing cardamom production,the most important optiontrait.Stakeholder discussions along with sensitivity analysis also showed how these options could be implemented and revealed how criteria preferences can change with expert inputs.This combination of VCA and MCA,because it supports participatory decision-making and balances multiple dimensions of sustainable development,can be effectively deployed in planning for agricultural development in the mountains.

Farmers'participatory selection of new rice varieties to boost production under temperate agro-ecosystems

In mountain agriculture, early maturity, high grain yield and high biomass are generally considered as farmer preferred traits in rice crop in addition to a multiple set of traits collectively responsible for variety adoption or rejection. The varieties tested only on station evaluation trials without taking the data from the farmers＇ fields by not including farmers as partners for variety evaluation are the reasons of low adoption of varieties. In this regard, a participatory methodology was followed by conducting a number of participatory trials in the farmers＇ fields during 2012-2014 in six districts of Kashmir Valley, India. The mother trials in the farmers＇ fields showed that the test variety SKUA-408 consistently and significantly out yielded Jhelum and farmers＇ variety followed by Shalimar rice 3 （SR3）. The other released varieties like SR1 and SR2 could not perform nicely in the farmers＇ fields because of late maturity. After making the t-test comparison of baby trials （paired plots）, the mean yield superiority of test varieties SKUA-408, SR3, and SKUA-403 over farmers＇ variety during 2013 was around 23, 25, and 22％, respectively, whereas in 2014 the respective yield advantage was recorded as 16.3, 17.7, and 16.2％. In all districts, SKUA-408 and SR3 were significantly preferred by farmers （P〈0.05 or 0.01） in terms of pre-harvest traits namely, tillering ability and general phenotypic acceptability, early maturity and biomass and for post-harvest traits such as general cooking quality besides, the intention to grow the variety for next year. Adoption and dissemination of SKUA-408 began in 2014 from the farm-saved seed in the form of farmer to farmer seed exchange. Farmers are the end users of a variety so the decision by the farmers while judging the variety should be taken into consideration to make the varietal choice more effective for its widespread adoption.

A blockchain-enabled wiki framework based on participatory design

The 5G mobile Internet facilitates contents generation for online communities and platforms through human-to-human collaboration.Wikipedia,a well-known online community,uses wiki technology to build an encyclopedia through collective intelligence and collaboration.Mainstream wiki systems adopt a centralized implementation,and while existing studies have optimized the efficiency of the wiki systems'centralized implementation,these systems still suffer from a lot of problems,for example,opacity and distrust.Over the years,blockchain has brought a flurry of fervour and decentralization to the system architecture,meanwhile giving users a sense of trust and participation.Thus,an innovative blockchain-enabled wiki framework called DecWiki is proposed to build one transparent,truthful,collaborative and autonomous encyclopedia.After several participatory design iterations,we present DecWiki's detailed architecture and its implementation in the form of a smart contract and use the interplanetary file system to complement the big data storage.Meanwhile,we use the trusted execution environment to secure sensitive information in the wireless scenario.Finally,the system overhead and the acceptance of the prototype are evaluated.Extensive experiments present its significant performance.

Scenario-based Participatory Design for Pervasive Computing

Lots of pervasive computing researchers are working on how to realize the user-centered intelligent pervasive computing environment as Mark Weiser figured out.Task abstraction is the fundamentation of configuration for pervasive application.Based on task-oriented and descriptive properties of scenario,a scenario-based participatory design model was proposed to realize the task abstraction.The design model provided users and domain experts a useful mechanism to build the customized applications by separating system model into domain model and design model.In this design model,domain experts,together with users,stakeholders focus on the logic rules(domain model)and programmers work on the implementation(design model).In order to formalize the model description,a human-agent interaction language to transform users' goals and domain rules into executable scenarios was also discussed.An agent platform-describer used to link design and implementation of scenarios was developed to realize the configuration of applications according to different requirements.The demand bus application showed the design process and the usability of this model.

Agro-Ecological Adaptation and Participatory Evaluation of Multipurpose Tree and Shrub Legumes in Mid Altitudes of Sud-Kivu, D. R. Congo

Livestock is traditionally managed in mixed crop-livestock production systems in Sud-Kivu, D. R. Congo. Currently, livestock production is facing numerous constraints due to wars and insecurity in the country, with looting of animals, demographic pressure on natural resources, and lack of extension services. Multipurpose trees and shrubs with adequate forage quality could help overcome dry-season feed shortage. The objective of this research was to assess the agro-ecological adaptability of selected forage tree and shrub legumes combined with farmer participatory evaluation. The study was carried out at two distinct mid-altitude sites in Sud-Kivu. Trees and shrubs were planted randomly in eleven lines, with each species/accession consisting of nine plants split into three replications. Following a standardization cut after one year of growth, regular biomass harvests were performed every eight weeks during one year;Desmodium and Flemingia were cut at 0.5 m above soil surface, while Leucaena and Calliandra at 1 m. Before every harvest, plant height was measured and number of stems counted. Fresh leaf and stem biomass were weighted, sub samples dried and leaves analyzed for nutritive value. Results from agronomic evaluation show that Leucaena diversifolia ILRI 15551 and Leucaena leucocephala had the highest yield in the rainy season on fertile soil;during dry season, Leucaena diversifolia ILRI 15551 was superior. On poor soil, Flemingia macrophylla CIAT 17403 performed best in both seasons, however, its forage quality was relatively low. Forage tree and shrub legumes chosen by farmers were, in general, the same as those superior ones in agronomic evaluation.

Develop a Participatory Model in Nutrition Education to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Purpose: To investigate the effect of nutrition education and the engagement of students, parents and teachers in addressing school-specific environmental influences in eating problem. Design: This study adopted the action research process of diagnosing, action planning, taking action, evaluating, and specifying learning. Each of obese and non-obese male and female students was randomly selected based on physical screening based on obesity criteria. Dietary intake records were taken over seven days as the pre-intervention period. These four students, one of each of their parents and the teacher from the primary school, were given 3 sessions of nutrition education. After the nutrition education, dietary intake records were taken over the subsequent 7 days as the post-intervention period. Lunch observation and lunch menu review were included to identify eating problem of primary school children in school level. Findings: Students were found to consume less whole grains and more food items belonged to the “limited” and “strongly discouraged” as set in government lunch guidelines. Students’ dietary intakes before and after the nutrition education were found improved in their energy intake (p = 0.012), total fat, saturated fat, calcium, sodium, and cholesterol. Conclusion: A participatory model in elementary nutrition education could be effective.

Participatory Environmental Management and its Framework of Group Decision Support System

Considering some drawbacks of the mainstream approach to environmental management (EM),the conception and basic idea of Participatory EM(PEM) are put forward.PEM possesses some main features and benefits that are superior to the mainstream approach,but also faces the crucial constraint in decision-making.The dilemma can be effectively settled by applying an advanced decision-making support tool-group decision support system(GDSS).On the basis of recognizing the complex decision-making environment of PEM,this paper describes the components of GDSS for PEM(PEM-GDSS) and further discusses the basic requirement of PEM-GDSS.

Developing the Participatory Education Program for Dengue Prevention and Control in the Primary School, Southern Region, Thailand

Dengue disease had been the significant health problem of the primary school in southern Thailand. The objective was to develop the participatory program for dengue prevention and control in five primary schools. Participatory action research (PAR) was applied in five steps: 1) preparation, 2) assessment, 3) education program development, 4) implementation and 5) evaluation. Data collection used quantitative and qualitative methods in five primary schools in Southern, Thailand. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square (χ2) test were used to compare between pre- and post-intervention. Larval Indices were obtained from ratio analysis. The results showed the participatory program consisted of nine important activities for all stakeholders involving dengue problem. Health teacher’s activities and student’s activities were eight activities consisted of knowledge training, dengue manual, Computer Assisted Instructor (CAI), test, dengue data, larval indices survey, fish bank, and herbal garden. The seven activities of health provider were knowledge training, dengue manual, CAI, testing, dengue data, larval indices survey, and larval indices program. Three activities for students’ parents included dengue manual, dengue data, and larval indices survey. The 290 students were participating activities in education program and increasing basic knowledge of dengue prevention and control. Comparing the number of correct answers, >80% of students between pre- and post-intervention were found to increase basic knowledge from five correct answers to ten, and of these six items were significantly different (P < 0.001). The two primary schools were continuing non-positive containers (Container Index: CI = 0), but the total larval indices (Breteau Index: BI, House Index: HI, and Container Index: CI) of five primary schools showed high levels both pre- and post-intervention in primary schools;whereas, the students’ households showed high level of BI, HI and CI both pre- and post-intervention (754, 77, and 35 to 616, 81, and 32). Conclusion: The program was needed to continue in primary school and participate from health teacher, health provider, and students’ parents in order to be of great benefit for students.

A Retrospective Analysis of the Capacity Built through a Community-Based Participatory Research Project Addressing Diabetes and Obesity in South and East Los Angeles

Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, are more prevalent in low-income and minority communities. One promising method to understand and address these chronic conditions is through Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR). CBPR engages and empowers community members to identify risk factors and work toward solutions as equal partners with researchers. One positive and lasting outcome may be an increase in the community capacity which includes individual and community leadership development, policy making, creating connections and utilizing existing community resources. Evaluating community capacity created as a result of a CBPR project is one way to measure its effectiveness. This paper is a retrospective analysis of the capacity built during a CBPR study of diabetes and obesity in East and South Los Angeles which are two low-income and minority neighborhoods. Four people, who were heavily involved in the project, completed a retrospective analysis of the capacity built utilizing a validated instrument. There was consensus about the capacity built, which included: excellent participation by community members, inclusion of members’ ideas to leverage additional funding, and pride of community members in their participation in the project. One area that could have been strengthened was increased access for leadership and research experience among community members, especially since the project ended prematurely. There were differences among the two community groups with East Los Angeles members focusing more on tangible interventions and grant writing, while South Los Angeles members had a greater policy focus. Communities and researchers who are embarking on a CBPR project can learn from those who have implemented the strategy. Measuring capacity built during and after the project, can be one way to understanding the contributions of a project in a community. CBPR is an empowering research methodology which, done correctly, can build community capacity and have long-term impacts on individuals and communities.

Participatory Agricultural Extension from the Prospective of Audience-centered Communication Theory

Transformation process to Audience-centered Communication Theory is introduced,as well as the basic idea of the theory in China.It is believed that using Audience-centered Communication theory can help to consolidate the theoretical basis of participatory agricultural extension.The communication essence of agricultural extension activity is studied,which is spreaders send information to farmers;then,farmers filter and process the information,transform it into their own experiences and feed back on time.Internal logical relationship between audience-centered communication and participatory agricultural extension is studied.Effects of Audience-centered Communication Theory on participatory agricultural extension are analyzed.One is that the Audience-centered Communication Theory defines the guidance and implementation basis of agricultural extension activities;the other is that bringing Audience-centered Communication Theory into agricultural extension research can help to expend the agricultural extension.Several enlightenments of the theory to participatory agricultural extension are obtained.Firstly,take audience as the orientation and focus on the needs of the audience.Secondly,advocate the participatory approach of process;and emphasize the importance of internal audience participation.Thirdly,establish two-way interaction mechanism;and make the promoters understand the implementation and performance status on time.Fourthly,develop vernacular knowledge;and better integrate the innovation and practice.