Empowerment of Powerless in Contemporary Development; Power as “Variable Sum” or “Zero-Sum”
by Roxana Allen
Based on different types of empowerment in contemporary development and different interpretations of power, empowerment of powerless can either undermine the power of the powerful or merely change the relationship between the powerful and previously powerless. These various understandings of power are embedded in the concept of empowerment and are responsible for the different approaches to empowerment in contemporary development.
From a Machiavellian sense, power is seen as “power over” or the ability to exert control and influence over others. This notion of power as a “zero sum” implies that any gain in power by one group is inevitably resulting in the loss of power by another. In this view a powerful dominant social, political, economic or cultural group is responsible for the marginalization of the powerless. This view emphasizes the need to improve the access of the powerless to political structures and to enhance their participation in formal decision-making processes in the economic, social and political spheres of society. Through this coordinated political (possibly, military) activity, the powerless as a group can significantly strengthen their bargaining power vis-à-vis the formal institutions of government, the market and civil society. (M. Mayo and G. Craig, 1995) This empowerment implies a power struggle between the powerful and the powerless, whereby the empowerment of the powerless is only possible through the redistribution of power.
A contrasting functionalist view of power is based on the conceptualization of power as a generative force, with a focus on the positive energy of people to be able to transform their lives. This notion of power is based on a “variable sum” whereby the increase in one person’s power does not necessarily diminish that of another. (M. Mayo and G. Craig, 1995) This concept of empowerment emphasizes economic options, choice and control as a means of enabling the powerless to develop their full range of human capabilities. This notion of empowerment draws strongly on human and economic development at the center of the development process. With this development of both human and economic capacity, the powerless become incrementally more powerful and their interests may become more synonymous with those of the powerful. In any case, this empowerment instills a greater sense of awareness of social and political issues, leading to increased mobility and reduced marginalization of the powerless; the powerful must take the previously powerless’ interests into account.
According to Dr. Jim Yong Kim, “almost half of the world’s extreme poor are expected to live in countries affected by fragility and conflict by 2030.” Thus, the World Bank Group targets “variable sum” empowerment policies that invest in people to build human capital as its core existential strategy to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.) To end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity, empowering the powerless must be generated by policies accelerating inclusive and sustainable economic growth, investing in human capital, and fostering resilience to global shocks and threats. Robust and inclusive economic growth and human capital investments have to grow in size and effectiveness to empower the powerless in fragile and conflict affected states; “Pro-equality policies are not luxury goods and can work in any country.” Nevertheless, policies on women’s empowerment must be at the center of the development process.
Ironically, these two notions of empowerment - “Zero-Sum” and “Variable Sum”- are both on the view that community-based organizations are central for the empowerment process. With globalization these organizations are linked with either multilateral or non-governmental organizations by interaction, funding, and telecommunications. With these resources, the community-based organizations are able to create new economic, social and political opportunities in developing countries and for the powerless.
Understanding the different types of empowerment on different types of power explains the different effects of development and the empowerment of the powerless.
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Roxana Allen is an International Law, National Security and Cybersecurity Advisor and a SAIS’05 Johns Hopkins Alumna, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies Johns Hopkins University. She was the Head of Field Office Trebinje with OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina during the NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia to stop the Kosovo War. As the only woman in a leadership position in Eastern Herzegovina, she negotiated and mediated the 2001 “Municipal Assembly Decision on Promoting Tolerance and Reconciliation, Human Rights and Religious Freedom” in the aftermath of an extremist attack on minorities and International Community, resulting in substantial reduction in ethnic and political tensions.