The Search for Intermediate or Partial Solutions

Abstract

The design of a strategy of rural development presented in Chapter 6 and elaborated in Chapter 7 is based on a comprehensive and organic view of development. The starting point for such a strategy is the objective of eliminating rural poverty and meeting everyone’s basic needs in an egalitarian and positive social environment. The concept of rural poverty is essentially relative. Absolute poverty can be removed by providing certain basic goods and services but the removal of relative poverty and the feeling of discrimination or deprivation depends on many otter factors, such as the gap between the living standard of the richest and poorest members of the society, the nature of social relations and the degree of exploitation inherent in the economic system. Development, if it is to eliminate both absolute and relative poverty, must be redefined as a more organic concept implying harmonious political, social and economic change.