Principles of
Development - People Centered Development
Our definition of development is “people
in community engaging in a spiritual, social, physical, economic and
political process of positive transformation towards a sustainable
future”. People centered development focuses on the well
being of people and their living system while promoting the worth and
dignity of all human beings. It therefore encompasses value change,
popular participation, human resource development, gender issues,
appropriate technology, children’s issues and
sustainability.
People centered development “emphasizes the process of development and its essential focus on personal and institutional capacity”. It also rejects the notion of experts, asserting instead that no one is outside of the development process and that each person has something to contribute as sell as something to learn. People centered development if often contracted with development that is growth-centered gives priority to empowering people over constructing things. It values human resources as much or more than financial resources, recognizing the importance of qualitative change in the lives of individuals and communities.
People centered development seeks the active involvement of all stakeholders in every stage of the development process. It affirms the worth and contribution of every community member. It promotes transparency, justice and equity, asserting that the first priority in resource allocation should be the achievement of community objectives related to the satisfaction of the basic needs of all community members.