Scope and limits of rural local initiative

• Main Author: Malešević Krstan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Serbian Sociological Association, Belgrade 2001-01-01
• Series: Sociološki Pregled
• Subjects: rural local development; rural local initiative; rural potential; transition; post-war renewal and development
• Online Access: http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0085-6320/2001/0085-63200103277M.pdf

It is a historical and empirical fact that rural local development is all but unthinkable outside of the rural local initiative. This is notorious fact from when exist village, as social community. A mass rural and grassroots collective activity and creativity have been in evidence on many occasions and as such are indispensable instrument of the economic and socio-cultural development. However, it is also evident that rural local initiative is determined by numerous local and especially global social factors. These factors have both positive and negative effects. This is particularly case for the rural local initiative 'here' and 'today'. It is well know that our society has at its disposal very rich and heterogeneous rural resources. Nevertheless, they are either largely underused or are over-extensively and irrationally used. There is an obvious need for better and more rational use of these resources. A deep and long term societal crisis, dramatic contradictions of democratic transition, long lasting sanctions imposed by the international community, and now exceptionally high war damages have all tremendous impact on the direction and development of these needs. In additional, these problems have only accompanied already existing numerous old and new problems of rural areas in general. However regardless of these obvious need for mass local initiative there are greater and stronger obstacles for their development. In addition to local grassroots problems, the main obstacle is the general social context with the extensive over-centralization of economic and political system in the country. In other to strengthen the influence of the local initiative it is necessary to undertake a radical change in social and political system. At the same time that means stronger concrete material and institutional support for the already existing grassroots imitative. This can be achieved by establishing adequate agencies, funds and associatives that would support and channel these imitative. Only in this way rural local initiative can become indispensable part of the new rural strategy for the XXI century on these territories.