Deliberative democracy of Ban Ao Udom Community: From Conflicts to Coexistence between Commercial Ports and the Community

Abstract

This study is a qualitative research that aims to study the deliberative democracy approach that brought about changes from conflicts to coexistence between the commercial ports and Ban Ao Udom Community, and to examine conditions leading to the deliberative democracy in Ban Ao Udom Community. The research found that the deliberative democracy approach in Ban Ao Udom Community in the early stage was to adjust the ways to deal with problems. Many mechanisms were created for promoting public discussion and understanding among each other. The deliberative democracy therefore was in the form of a public discussion for identifying problems. After the Charter of Ban Ao Udom Community had been made, the committee was established to monitor and examine the operation of the port by opening public space for discussion every month. Hence, the deliberative democracy in the second stage was about the community problem talking and looking for problem-solving approaches. The findings found that conditions leading to the public discussion procedure and cooperation for solving problems in Ban Ao Udom Community were: the impact of area development policy; the good mechanisms for solving problems and shared goals between sides; the community political and economic structure; the strength of core leaders in the community; the time-space provision; the trust-making among stakeholders; the geographical characteristics of the community; the reactions of the participant company; the permitting of the port owner for public examining done by the people in the community; and the supports of external networks. All these conditions ultimately paved the way for the deliberative democracy in Ban Ao Udom Community.