Democratizing Development: Role of Voluntary Organizations - Softcover

Clark, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1853830879 ISBN 13: 9781853830877

Publisher: Earthscan Ltd, 1991

Synopsis

Decades of official development "aid" to the Third World have, largely, entrenched privilege and, through the debt crisis, increased impoverishment. The poor have been increasingly marginalized and disregarded. Often in the teeth of intense opposition they have begun to create their own, democratic, organisations - credit unions, co-operatives, legal and medical aid services and so on - whose natural allies are the voluntary organisations of the North (non-governmental organizations - NGOs) This book, written by a leading activist in Oxfam, describes the immense variety of NGOs both Northern and Southern, their advantages and their shortcomings, and shows how they are increasing in importance, and in financial muscle, in the battle by the poor to achieve democracy and justice. The author writes about the need for strengthening the democratic traditions of the organisations and thus making them the means by which the poor can take control of their own resources and their own livelihoods. John Clark points to a new politics and a new economics of development which may break the current cycle of debt, impoverishment and hunger. He has also written "For Richer for Poorer" and "Zambia: Debt and Poverty".

Edition details

• Publisher: Earthscan Ltd
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1853830879
• ISBN 13: 9781853830877
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272