ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the changed nature of formal collaboration between a number of Belizean civil society groups and the Government of Belize (GoB), Belize, Central America. Over three decades domestic civil society groups joined with the GoB to protect Belize’s spectacular ecological resources through formal co-management agreements of shared governance. It explores the events and processes that transformed a model of government–civil society collaboration into one dominated by the GoB. Nevertheless, the question remains—did the collaboration go from better to worse? The perspective taken influences one’s answer to the question. The chapter examines how the civil society actors with international support can rebalance the power dynamic on behalf of the citizens’ voices and environmental protection.
