The absolutely poor, who are mostly rural people, are a large part of the developing world's population and their numbers are growing. Government development programmes, aided by the big donors, have made the poor poorer and have rendered them more powerless in relation to the rest of society. They have done this by sustaining and reinforcing existing exploitative economic, social and political structures. Yet people's movements. religious organizations, voluntary groups, universities and so on have often devised 'alternative' development strategies whose programmes are specifically intended to empower the powerless and selectively enrich the poorest. These groups lack the funds and the political punch to make much more than a dent in the situation. This book brings together some of these workers from the South who describe the problems and provide the answers. They are a challenge to the received 'wisdom' of the North. Originally published in 1989

ForewordPrefaceSouth Asia1. The State and Voluntary Agencies in India by Rajesh Tandon of PRIA, India2. Ten Years of Experience with Participatory Action Research in South Asia - Lessons forNGOs and Peoples' Organizations by Ponna Wignaraja of PIDA, Sri Lanka3. Siro Mallik Goes to Buy a Pair of Buffaloes and a Cart by Joe Madiath of Gram Vikas, India4. Legal Rights for Poor Women - SLARTC in India by Janet Durno and Manabendra MandaI5. Community Rehabilitation of the Disabled in India by Viklang Kendra by Dr B. Banerji (founder of Viklang Kendra), Dr Malcolm Peat, and others6. Overthrowing the Money-Lenders by S.P. WickramaratchiSouth-East Asia7. Women of the Weeping Prairie ¿ a Perspective on GRID, Thailand by Janet Durno8. It Happened in Si Phon Thong Village by Amporn Kaewnoo of GRID and Kosol Suthangkool, Thailand9. From Rice/Fish to Integrated Farming: Sustainable Agriculture for Resource-Poor Farmers in North-East Thailand by Janet Durno10. Partners in Development? The Government and NGOs in Indonesia by Richard Holloway11. Strengthening Community-Based Technology Management Systems by James Terrent and¿Hasan Poerbo12. Encouraging the Poor to Help Themselves by M. Zainuddin and Patrick Sweeting13. Good Manners with the Rural Poor by David Watson and Team, and Tatta Issa14. The Unfolding of the Sarilakas Experience by Rafael S. EspirituAfterword: Where to Next? Governments, NGOsand Development PractitionersIndex