Muintir na Tire was founded in 1931 as a cooperative society for rural development in Ireland. From 1937-70, it shifted to a vocationalist mode; 1970 to the present focused on restructuring the movement. Currently, it needs to press for its share of available funding for community development. (SK)

In India development strategy is shifting toward recognition of the importance of initiative and the role of nongovernmental organizations. Revival of communitarianism (community volunteer action) is playing a major role in improvement of the rural environment. (SK)

A community restaurant begun in Montreal by 12 welfare recipients has provided jobs and inexpensive meals and served community interests. It attempts to integrate social and economic development, operating not primarily as a job training program but as a community-based, socially useful business. (SK)

The example of Chicago's Humboldt Park, where there is reluctance to use political action in response to gentrification, shows the limitations of communitarian conceptions of community building, which emphasize self-help and consensus building but fail to acknowledge the need for political articulation of rights-based demands. (SK)

Craftspeople in eastern Nepal have demonstrated how they can use traditional skills to contribute both to economic development and environmental conservation. Their initiatives were achieved with little outside assistance and disruption to family life. (SK)

The author states that there are inherent contradictions and assumptions in community development (CD) theory and practice. Contradictions spring from a tendency to apply CD on an inappropriate level and for incorrect purposes. Assumptions spring from CD's Western cultural origins. (CH)

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)

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)

Despite the newly decentralized local government system in Ghana, communities have been slow to develop broad-based participatory consultative processes for community development. Inflexible bureaucracy also hinders involvement of stakeholders. (SK)

Rural women in less-developed nations use fuels that can be toxic and are becoming scarce. Feminist, sociological, and community-development issues were involved in the process of introducing clear-burning fuel, enabling a focus on both the effects on the health of fuel users and concern for ecological sustainability. (SK)

The author examines the relevance of the monitoring and evaluation literature and practice to the issue of how to understand and to monitor and evaluate nonmaterial or nonproductive objectives of rural development. He discusses an alternative monitoring and evaluation approach that will resolve this issue. (CH)

Cluster communities, voluntary alliances between communities to address common problems, can be facilitated by government financial support; state policies, laws, and regulations permitting collaboration; and educational programs. Education should focus on reconceptualizing "community" and fostering regional belonging. (SK)

A case study of an official organization's attempt to organize Dutch rural women who had already formed their own informal groups illustrates issues of knowledge, power, and control. The resulting conflict demonstrates the wisdom of following local organizing practices when attempting development interventions. (SK)

Reviews animal contributions to fulfilling human need worldwide, including food, shelter, protection, labor, and many others. Identifies inputs into the animal husbandry process. (CH)

Reviews community development projects in Nicaragua that use the multiplier effect in which people learn from each other. Projects include volunteer community health promoters, women's family gardens cooperatives, soil and water conservation programs, a women's collective, and a wheelchair repair workshop. (SK)