Citation
Dauphin, Anyck (2001). Notes on perceptions of poverty: usefulness and methods. Canadian Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI).Abstract
Background⋅The first participative development initiatives originated in the 1950s with the arrival of the
development community, and sought to involve local populations in the development of
their communities.
⋅The objectives of the development community were to:
⋅Provide community infrastructure in rural and urban areas;
⋅Develop local skills;
⋅Encourage local populations to increase their involvement in community infrastructure projects;
⋅Startup community organizations;
⋅Increase cohesion and solidarity within their communities.
⋅Community development (rural animation in West Africa) has effectively promoted the participation of communities, but only in projects whose objective has already been
established. In fact, local populations were involved in the implementation of the project, and not in the identification and formulation of the projects.
⋅In the early 1980s, we realized that the poor were marginalized in the community and excluded from development initiatives. It is then that we started to promote the participation of the poor.
⋅ Today, most international development agencies promote a participative approach involving the poor.