l Using stakeholder and power analysis and BCPs in multi-stakeholder processes 189
Figure 2: The power house
LEVELS
Global
National
Local
SPACES
FORMS
Formal/
Closed
Internalised
Invited
Hidden
Claimed
their histories, cultures and customary
governance of resources.
• People felt that elected local leaders had
hidden power since they only have power
when they talk to local people, but are not
listened to at the national level. This is
represented by a window with dotted lines.
• The half-open window represents invited
space at local and national level. For example, the government created the Lamu Port
Steering Committee, which Save Lamu
members are now invited to participate in.
However, they are not involved in agendasetting.
Lessons and challenges in using the tools
The early meetings between the
researchers and communities were as
Visible
much about finding common ground
between the different groups in the Save
Lamu coalition and trying to resolve internal tensions through dialogue as about
developing strategies to fulfil their
demands. People have different views of the
history of the coastal strip, some valuing
their Arab heritage, others seeing it as colonialism and slavery. The way in which the
different societies operate also varies. Some
are based on respect for elders, whilst
others are more egalitarian. This creates
tensions and mistrust between different
groups, and makes it difficult to come to a
unified understanding. Each group has its
own way of doing things and this is a huge
challenge in terms of developing a joint
BCP to be used for advocacy purposes.