Resumen de Integrated rural development�helping people help themselves
Sanjit Roy argues that the quest for social justice and the equal distribution of wealth is implicit in any integrated rural development (IRD) project. He claims that up until now, these issues have been rarely linked in India, which has lead to failure. In setting up any IRD programme, the questions of which people and what form of participation is necessary, must be addressed with care. The author argues that those who live below the poverty line should be the main target of such schemes, and these communities must be reached without intermediaries. There is a desperate need in India for face-to-face encounters between the professional and the beneficiary: between geologist and farmer, nurse and pregnant woman, teacher and truant. Such an approach is more likely to bring about a degree of participation beyond that reached so far. Sanjit Roy explains how basically it is a matter of trust; the poor must be trusted to think positively about their own development and the social barriers which have prevented this must be broken down.
