Modernizing one village in Afghanistan – Article by Hafizullah Emadi of FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance

Hafizullah Emadi, a Development Consultant for Focus Humanitarian Assistance.

Jun 22, 2008 – MODERNIZATION in the Western World did not normally originate from the top but from below, through grass-roots participation in the economic, social, cultural and political arenas. Development trends were different for countries of the developing world; in these societies change originated and was implemented from above by the state, with little or no public participation or significant involvement in the process. The authoritarian state in the developing world neither provides opportunities for the public to participate in the development processes nor consults the public regarding their needs and priorities. The logic of the state, with regard to development, centres on the notion that the masses, due to their lack of education or sophistication, are not in a position to articulate their needs. The state then proceeded to take on its self-appointed role to define what communities needed and what type of development projects must be initiated. Development policies that are imposed from the top in this fashion have failed to transform the entrenched socio-political structure and its corresponding politics, ideology, culture and traditions.

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