Focal Area 6

Fostering good local governance and facilitating change within local and farmer organisations

Local organisations and institutions are the backbones for local development in rural areas. Rural people cannot develop successful economic and social activities if they do not organise themselves and involve in collective action towards reaching an economy of scale in their activities. As individuals they do not have sufficient negotiation power (social and economic) to influence a policy change towards conducive conditions. In most countries of the South local organisations’ capacity for involving in and contributing to sustainable rural development remains weak. This focal area deals with the development of well-functioning local organisations as a vehicle for the emancipation of rural communities in economic, social and political sense. Local organisational development (LOD) encourages change within local organisations for mobilising their own potentials (self-organisation) for different purposes and for representing their interests vis á vis other actors and service providers while taking charge of their own responsibility and development.

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