Participation towards effective community development at the village level in Sri Lanka : the Sarvodaya way

Abstract

The progression of development discourse from purely economic thinking to a more inclusive and people friendly approach has brought the concept of participation to the forefront. Much of the world's population live in rural communities and this has resulted in an evolving debate as to how participation can be used as an effective vehicle for change in rural development. Parallel lines of thinking have come to recognize that a holistic approach, addressing social, political, cultural and psychological factors is necessary to achieve effective development.

This report addresses the importance of adopting a holistic approach to rural development in Sri Lanka. It recognises that religion and culture are inextricably linked and form a strong foundation for participatory processes to occur. For this reason it is understood that effective development cannot take place without considering religion and culture as important factors in participatory development. The Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya (Sarvodaya) is presently the largest Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Sri Lanka. Sarvodaya has been at the forefront of community development since its inception in 1955. This report will show that there is a profound link between religion, culture and participatory development through the work conducted by the Sarvodaya Movement of Sri Lanka. The concept of Shramadana (sharing of labour) and Sarvodaya's model of village development provides the framework for the research.