Purpose: This paper aims to critically analyze the empirical literature on health and human development in high-, middle- and low-income countries to develop a sustainable model for investing in human health. The model is critical in building a comprehensive health-care system that fosters the stakeholders' financial stability, economic growth and…

The authors discuss the contributions made by millions of older volunteers in the United States. They focus on the federal senior volunteer programs, (1) the retired senior volunteer program, (2) the foster grandparent program, and (3) the senior companion program. These model programs have been successfully replicated in other countries. (CH)

Comparing socioeconomic characteristics of employed and unemployed heads-of-household in southeast Ohio, the authors found the traditional human resource development model to be a poor predictor of employment status in rural areas. A combined human resources structural perspective is suggested for regional development efforts implemented within…

Asset mapping is an effective tool for understanding the wealth of talent and resources that exists in each community--even those with small populations or suffering from poverty and economic distress. The long-term development of a community rests on its ability to uncover and build on the strengths and assets of its people, institutions, and…

Kentucky's SOS (Sharing Our Selves) Learning Networks are community-owned, volunteer-run, informal learning/development programs incorporating community needs and the skills/knowledge/experience of individuals regardless of academic credentials. The Cooperative Extension Service administers the programs. Interested community members list subjects…

Inspiried by a United Nations effort to establish a worldwide university, the four and one-half year project carried out in Thy (Denmark) is explained in this final report, from its historical beginnings in 1973 to its official completion in 1978. Dedicated to the solution of problems which could be considered universal, the project goals are…

Social capital helps communities respond positively to change. Research into managing change through learning in communities and in small businesses, particularly farm businesses, has highlighted the importance of relationships between people and the formal and informal structure of communities to the quality of outcomes experienced by…

In a competitive market training economy, vocational education and training (VET) and small business in Australia face a number of challenges. They need to qualify the extent of lifelong learning skills being used in the small firm workplace, define the range of learning partnerships both within VET and the wider informal learning community in…