A small group of German NGOs drafted a Position Paper on a new concept of rural development that is being promoted by key international institutions. Other NGOs from countries around the world have since signed on to the Position Paper. This paper makes strong references to the Global Donor Platform on Rural Development, but it should also be seen in a broader context. Rural development has come back to the mainstream agenda of development thinking, after so many years of neglect and discrimination of the rural poor by southern governments, northern state donors and international organisations. While most NGO-donors and NGOs/CSOs in the Global South have maintained their focus on marginalized rural communities, they have now been surprised by the new thrust, as documented by GDPRD, but also the World Development Report 2008 of the World Bank, the NEPADStrategy of CAADP, the new initiatives by the US-Foundations and many others.
This paper stands as a first attempt by NGOs to react to the all very similar new approaches to rural development from official sides. Our common thinking and positioning on the issues has to become more elaborate, as we become better organised in an attempt to react to the new thrust.
…with reference to “On Common Ground: A Joint Donor Rural Concept” a Joint Position of NGOs to the basic Document of the Global Donor Platform on Rural Development, in: www.donorplatform.org.
Download