Improving participation and empowerment of the poor

The poor of any community are not a homogeneous group. They include young and old, men and women and those of different cultural backgrounds. Usually lacking access to the productive resources of capital, land and water, they tend to miss new opportunities that become available in their area because they do not have the education, position or the contacts, or because they are afraid to offend those upon whom they depend.

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 recommends mechanisms to improve participation by poor people in local community groups.

1. There is a big difference between enterprises run for the poor and enterprises run by the poor.

1. Strengthening technical cooperation on human resources development
2. Improving participation

1. Extending waste management services to the unserved urban poor
2. Ensuring participation of the poor in selection of technology

1. Reducing poverty
2. Improving social planning for human settlements
3. Enabling poor to achieve sustainable livelihood

1. Training in participatory approaches to rural development
2. Providing social security services
3. Ensuring resource access

1. Underparticipation
2. Poverty
3. Participation
4. Nonparticipatory
5. Empowerment