Raises issues related to incorporation of a global dimension in community development in the following areas: definition of community, globalization of economic power, hegemony of free markets, intercommunal conflicts, realignment of political power, and rapid global communication. (SK)

The Sheffield (England) City Council used an advisory group approach to solicit citizen participation in community planning. Two important lessons were: ensuring that all target groups are represented and providing training and information to prepare citizen representatives for their consulting role. (SK)

A review of evaluations of community-based arts projects illustrates the methodological challenges of evaluating the arts and the issue of whether and how quantitative methods should be used. Eight studies revealed self-reports of personal, social, economic, and educational change, with few negative consequences. (Contains 52 references.) (SK)

Comparison of the sustainable livelihoods approach of a development agency and the British government's "healthcheck" approach to town regeneration found common emphasis on participation and community-led action. However, sustainable likelihoods emphasized a focus on poverty, building on strengths, and social capital as an asset.…

Case studies of three Indian businesses showed they were engaged in different types of community development: defensive, narrow, and positive. Addition of a sustainable livelihoods approach could add depth to business-community relationships with an outward focus, ability to deal with complexity, and emphasis on corporate citizenship. (Contains 27…

The Belgian government funds one central community development institute and eight regional institutes. Challenges include an increasingly multicultural society, emphasis on the integration of ethnic-cultural minorities, and decentralized decision making. A broader social role for community development is being recognized. (SK)

Case studies of two British and two Danish community-based organizations show that they developed as a result of both top-down government support and bottom-up community activity, and they operate both in and against the state. Recent reductions in government support threatens the future development of the community base of social policy, even…

Fifteen older women involved as volunteers faced several barriers to participation: pain, disability, family obligations, assumptions about age, transportation, and different patterns and pace of life. Structural changes that would enhance older people's contributions to community life were suggested. (SK)

Provides an overview of the issues facing community development in Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Discusses possibilities for international cooperation across Europe in the 1990s. (SK)

An instrumental/technocratic approach to evaluation of social development relies on primarily quantitative methods. An interpretive approach resists claims to legitimacy and authority of "experts" and questions existing interpretations. The latter approach is characterized by cultural relativism and subjectivity. (SK)

Development agents need to examine their assumptions, motivations, neutrality, and terminology, which is often imprecise and misleading. The combined cooperativist and constructivist approach has proved successful in overcoming these problems. (SK)

In Western countries, community work is often carried out without attention to comparable activities in developing societies. There is a need for collaboration and exchange, and practices must be changed to accommodate them. (JOW)

In Sierra Leone, two church-sponsored programs are focused on sustainable development. The Wesleyan Development Education and Awareness Programme trains people to initiate community projects. Women's Loan Scheme encourages development of small-scale enterprises. (SK)

Governmental and nongovernmental community work in Israel is examined through five dimensions: locus of initiation, funding, goals, intervention methods, and levels of complexity. A new division of labor among public, voluntary, and private sector community work is proposed. (SK)

Compares attempts at community development in Nigeria under English and French colonialism with postcolonial grass-roots efforts up to the post-cold war era. Suggests the need to rethink the structure and role of the state in society. (SK)