Llewellyn Leonard
Print version
Contact Details
Department of Geography
King's College London
4th Floor
King's Building
Strand
London
WC2R 2LS
Email: llewellyn.leonard@kcl.ac.uk
King's College London
4th Floor
King's Building
Strand
London
WC2R 2LS
Email: llewellyn.leonard@kcl.ac.uk
Research
Civil society reflexiveness in an industrial risk society: The case of Durban, South Africa
SupervisorsDr. Mark Pelling, Dr. Debby Potts
The thesis conceives of South African society as a risk society and seeks to map the extent to which civil society actors’ champion environmental justice in an industrial risk society. It examines the role of civil society actors specifically in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, and their ability to perceive industrial risks and help push grassroots concerns in public policy and development processes in a state that has not completely undergone a movement into a post or late modern society.
Under Apartheid government, civil society had limited or no power to advocate local concerns on environmental and pollution problems that affected them. The urban environment was seen as a means for racist oppression with black South Africans sharing their neighbourhoods with polluting industries. Under the new democratic government, little may have changed. Government has chosen to engage in a macroeconomic top-down development model that has concentrated on expanding industrial modes of production. The logic of wealth production has dominated the logic of risk production contributing to increased industrial risks in society. The unequal distribution of these risks in a South African risk society has mainly affected citizens situated next to polluting developments and who lack fiscal security to alleviate industrial risks.
This thesis aims to establish how civil society organises itself to highlight grassroots concerns at two levels of analysis. Firstly, through an analysis of the relationships between civil society actors, and between civil society and the government and private sector, and secondly by examining three specific case study events and the relationships between different local stakeholder organisations affected by these specific industrial hazards. Work includes data collected from CBOs, NGOs, academics, the media, legal institutions, faith-based organisations, as well as government and industry to explore the reflexivity of civil society.
SupervisorsDr. Mark Pelling, Dr. Debby Potts
The thesis conceives of South African society as a risk society and seeks to map the extent to which civil society actors’ champion environmental justice in an industrial risk society. It examines the role of civil society actors specifically in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, and their ability to perceive industrial risks and help push grassroots concerns in public policy and development processes in a state that has not completely undergone a movement into a post or late modern society.
Under Apartheid government, civil society had limited or no power to advocate local concerns on environmental and pollution problems that affected them. The urban environment was seen as a means for racist oppression with black South Africans sharing their neighbourhoods with polluting industries. Under the new democratic government, little may have changed. Government has chosen to engage in a macroeconomic top-down development model that has concentrated on expanding industrial modes of production. The logic of wealth production has dominated the logic of risk production contributing to increased industrial risks in society. The unequal distribution of these risks in a South African risk society has mainly affected citizens situated next to polluting developments and who lack fiscal security to alleviate industrial risks.
This thesis aims to establish how civil society organises itself to highlight grassroots concerns at two levels of analysis. Firstly, through an analysis of the relationships between civil society actors, and between civil society and the government and private sector, and secondly by examining three specific case study events and the relationships between different local stakeholder organisations affected by these specific industrial hazards. Work includes data collected from CBOs, NGOs, academics, the media, legal institutions, faith-based organisations, as well as government and industry to explore the reflexivity of civil society.
Biography
Llewellyn graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. After completing his MSc in Water Quality and Environmental Management, Llewellyn chose to apply his skills and knowledge within the civil society non-profit arena, rather than joining industry or government.
In 2001, Llewellyn, joined groundWork, which is a Human Rights and Environmental organisation which seeks to make the link between environmental abuse and human rights in a democratic South Africa.
Llewellyn has been instrumental in developing “The Isipingo Declaration on eliminating the harmful impacts of Health Care Waste and Incinerators in Southern African communities”. This is the first organised civil society declaration calling on Southern African governments to seek alternative mechanisms of dealing with waste management rather than incineration.
Llewellyn has worked with rural hospitals in South Africa. The idea was to make these hospitals model institution for other hospitals to follow and to prevent the illegal dumping of health care waste in poor communities. Already substantial improvements have been achieved since implementation of the program. A national role out campaign has already started. Llewellyn, using his experience gained from working with hospitals also developed a manual for South African hospitals to use in order that they may implement their own environmental management plans.
In 2001, Llewellyn, joined groundWork, which is a Human Rights and Environmental organisation which seeks to make the link between environmental abuse and human rights in a democratic South Africa.
Llewellyn has been instrumental in developing “The Isipingo Declaration on eliminating the harmful impacts of Health Care Waste and Incinerators in Southern African communities”. This is the first organised civil society declaration calling on Southern African governments to seek alternative mechanisms of dealing with waste management rather than incineration.
Llewellyn has worked with rural hospitals in South Africa. The idea was to make these hospitals model institution for other hospitals to follow and to prevent the illegal dumping of health care waste in poor communities. Already substantial improvements have been achieved since implementation of the program. A national role out campaign has already started. Llewellyn, using his experience gained from working with hospitals also developed a manual for South African hospitals to use in order that they may implement their own environmental management plans.
