I will talk about current disputes between state agencies, corporations and local communities in Mozambique. I discuss how the “non-static nature” of civil society influences contentious politics within the context of large-scale agribusiness projects, transnational extractive industry activity, public security challenges and political military crisis. I look at power relations in order to describe what I call “environment of contempt”, which is set up when issues on peoples´ livelihoods are critically affected. Then I discuss how “defiance” for “real change” can be hindered, despite the country having legal frameworks that encourage participation.
Analysing the “environment of contempt”, I debate John Gaventa´s perspective of power, exploring his approaches on quiscensense, powerlessness, spaces, levels and forms of power. Dynamics in these “environments of contempt” will set up conditions for a given struggle keep on a co-constructive or defiant pace, or get neutralized. During the presentation I will talk about the public audiences on ProSAVANA´s master plan in 2015, and how organisations like UNAC and ORAM behaved in that context.
Marcio Pessôa . Institute of Development Studies – University of Sussex
