By John Burbidge
Approaches That Work In Rural Development
Emerging trends, participatory methods and local initiatives that transformed rural development, showcased by the International Exposition of Rural Development (IERD) 1982-86.
International Exposition
of Rural Development
(IERD) 1982-86
The IERD was a watershed. It highlighted that bottom-up, grassroots processes are an indispensable part of any serious long-term effort to improve the quality of rural life. The underlying culture of local people, their sense of identity, and their confidence to take initiatives related to their expressed needs are of paramount importance.
— Sir James Lindsay, Former President, ICA International
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The IERD was unique as a broad-based rural development ‘movement’ where rural practitioners occupied center stage. It proved that a new people-oriented approach to rural development is not only a dream but increasingly a reality.
— GORAN HYDEN
DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
UNIVersity OF FLORIDA
Approaches That Work In Rural Development
Following WW II, newly emerging nations called for restructuring global society around a set of fundamental rights and universally felt needs. This ‘New International Economic Order’ or ‘Fairness Revolution’ was as profound in its implications as the concept of democratic government two centuries before. It involved:
— basic human needs (food, shelter, health care, education, employment, personal security)
— a sense of human dignity
— a sense of becoming, being able to attain a better life
— a sense of justice or equity
— a sense of achievement
— a sense of solidarity in belonging to a worthy group
— participation in decisions that affect the group’s and one’s own destiny
From “Development for What? Emerging Trends of Promise and Concern” — the opening chapter by Willis W. Harman.
My Writing Blog
Musings from a Writer’s Life
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