A Study of Community Potential in Nong No Sub-district Mueang District Maha Sarakham Province

Abstract

This research consists purposes were to investigate the community potential of Nong No Sub-district Mueang District Maha Sarakham Province. This study employed a qualitative research design. The research instrument was a interview and the target group consisted of 58 community residents of Nong No Sub-district Mueang District Maha Sarakham Province, who were selected through purposive sampling. Data collected from relevant literature and interview responses were analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that the community potential of Nong No Sub-district Mueang District Maha Sarakham Province comprises three major dimensions 1) Community Leadership Potential: Community leaders serve as the driving force behind local development in Nong No Subdistrict by coordinating collaborative efforts among community members, local administrative organizations, government agencies, the private sector and civil society networks. Such collaboration facilitates systematic planning and effective problem-solving within the community. Most community leaders possess a thorough understanding of local problems, community needs and the area's development potential because they live and work closely with local residents. Consequently, they are able to formulate development strategies that are responsive to the local context, encompassing economic, social, environmental and quality-of-life dimensions. Furthermore, community leaders play a crucial role in promoting public participation, strengthening social cohesion and encouraging residents to assume shared responsibility for sustainable community development. 2) Community Members' Participation: Community members actively engage in identifying issues, making decisions, planning, implementing development activities and monitoring and evaluating community initiatives through public forums, village meetings and various community service activities. This participatory approach ensures that community development initiatives reflect the genuine needs of local residents while fostering the exchange of ideas, collective reasoning and consensus-based decision-making for the common good. As a result, development processes become more transparent, gain greater public acceptance and cultivate a strong sense of ownership among community members toward local development and 3) Local Wisdom: In the context of Nong No Sub-district local wisdom continues to play a vital role in community development. Indigenous knowledge has been effectively integrated with modern technology and innovation to enhance production processes, product processing, marketing strategies and value creation for community-based products. Moreover, local wisdom promotes the participation of people of all generations in preserving and transmitting traditional knowledge through activities organized by the community, schools, temples and local administrative organizations. This integration of indigenous knowledge with economic, social and cultural tourism development contributes significantly to strengthening community identity, enhancing local competitiveness and promoting sustainable community development.