A Political Model for Civil Society and Participatory Local Development Based on Aparihāniyadhamma in Roi Et Province

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) study the model of civil society politics and participation in local community development based on the integrated Aparihaniyadhamma principles in Roi Et Province; 2) develop a model of civil society politics and participation in local community development based on the integrated Aparihaniyadhamma principles in Roi Et Province; and 3) propose a model of civil society politics and participation in local community development based on the integrated Aparihaniyadhamma principles in Roi Et Province. The sample group consisted of 169 representatives from government agencies, the private sector, and the public sector, as well as 9 experts/monks who participated in focus group discussions. The research instruments included focus group discussion guidelines and questionnaires. The Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) ranged from 0.67 to 1.00, the discrimination values ranged from 0.445 to 0.852, and the overall reliability coefficient was 0.982. The statistics used for data analysis included percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, and descriptive analysis.
The results revealed that:
1. Civil society politics and participation in local community development based on the integrated principle of Aparihaniyadhamma were at a high level. The relationship between civil society politics and participation in local community development was positively correlated (r = .648, p-value = .000).
2. The developed civil society political model consists of three main components: 1) Input-participation in community development based on Aparihaniyadhamma,
emphasizing Dhamma as the principle of prosperity; 2) Process-steps for developing quality individuals and society; and 3) Output-improved quality of life, stability, and well-being of the people.
3. The proposed civil society political model leads to a systematic development process, including collaborative planning, knowledge sharing, participation from all
sectors, and the establishment of cooperative networks.