The Village Polytechnic Movement consists of setting up training centers for the purpose of teaching locally-needed skills to primary school dropouts in rural Kenya. In addition to explaining the philosophy of the movement, the author comments upon its organization and future. (AG)

Before community development strategies are implemented, the study of complex multiethnic communities will identify the problems and needs of particular ethnic groups, needs common to more than one group, and needs which different groups might perceive in different ways. (SK)

Describes the endeavor by the Chinese Communist Party to construct a community-based, urban welfare system that would cater to the needs of urban dwellers who were not under the protection of the workers' social assistance system or whose needs could not be met entirely by it. (CT)

In discussing the influence of texts in everyday lives, the author draws attention to their pervasive character in development work and how lives are ruled by them. The example used is the organizational and institutional development processes involved in creating a social service training program in a community college. (JOW)

In the slums of Medellin, Colombia, a program seeks to improve children's physical health, intellectual development, and self-concept through such activities as carpentry, breadmaking, and sports and literature clubs. These activities help develop ethical and moral values, planning and organizing skills, and a future orientation. (SK)

Outlines the participatory self-evaluation methods of the People's Participation Programme of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. Benefits, six steps for introducing the method, and problems of language, comparability of numbers, and objectivity are described. (SK)

A Canadian regional job creation program was found to place women in jobs that further marginalized them in the work force. The process reinforces the status quo in terms of dominant and subordinate groups in the power structure. (SK)

A case study of the evaluation of urban policy in Northern Ireland showed how two forms of policy evaluation--instrumental, which is concerned with performance measures and efficiency, and interpretive, which is concerned with power relationships--can be reconciled using community audits and participatory action research. (SK)

Examines the relationship between adult education and community development by means of a comparison of the SA (social action) and CD (community development) programs. Some general observations concerning the links between adult education and development in the west of Ireland are advanced. Also presents an overview of the curricula of the SA and…

Community development programs in Fort Chipewyan, Wabasca-Desmarais, and Slave Lake were evaluated to determine their success in effecting social change in spite of, or in cooperation with, the existing bureaucratic machinery in Alberta. The history of governmental support and the Human Resources Development Authority jurisdiction are cited…

Discusses three major areas with which community work training must be concerned: the political and organizational needs of the working class; the learning needs and interests of the individual student; and the lessons of practice. (CT)

Three practice-based articles highlight common experiences and challenges in dealing with the impact of globalization: "Maori Volunteers: Finding a Voice for the Voiceless" (Te Momo); "Empowering Women through Income-generating Projects: Evidence from Indonesia" (Prihantinah, Marinova, Stocker); and "Empowering Kenyan…

A study of three Nigerian villages produced the following suggestions for improving the problems facing rural community development: democratic participative decision making, care in project selection, government incentives, promotion of adult literacy, and well-trained community workers. (SK)

Distinguishes among six strategies of community change, identifies citizen participation as only one of several approaches, and challenges practitioners to fit the strategy to their situation and determine which is most apt to empower their community. (Author/JOW)

Key factors of a model for training community health aides are (1) extended time for updating and reinforcing skills; (2) relevance to local situations; (3) group process and interpersonal communication training; (4) practical materials; and (5) participation of physicians, local health workers, and community leaders in rural health policy…