24

Civil Society Organizations and Rural Development

The CSOs in the countryside are considered as one of the main tools for sustained development that work on improving the economical, political, health and cultural aspects through developing local and human capacities.
In this framework comes the report number 24 from the civil society series issued by the LCHR including a preface five chapters and an insight on the future. The preface presents the development in general and the rural development in particular, which is considered as one of the main bases for social change.
The first part deals with the concept of rural development as a necessity for the process of change, in order to give the society the capacity for self-development to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of life for all. The report points out that the area of countryside in Egypt, represents 3.3% of Egypt's total area and 57.4% of the total population, therefore rural development is the basic foundation for comprehensive development in Egypt. The report shows that per capita public services in urban areas is 6 times its share in the countryside that is why the development must strike a balance between the different governorates, as well as between rural and urban areas.
The second part of the report, entitled the rural development organizations (definition-philosophy-role) the report reviews the concept of rural organization as a social unit or group whose members are linked to each other through the network of relations organized by a specific set of social, economic, political, cultural values and standards. The starting point for development and collective action is when people can get in contact with each other and be ready for cooperation and contribution of their efforts to improve the quality of life in rural areas. Then comes the importance of other dimensions such as activity, communication, public opinion and funding
Then the report tackles the philosophy of civil organizations, pointing out that it is based on the existence of local interests which require moral local personalities that are able to meet the needs of all community members under a democratic climate that respects differences and pluralism, tolerance as well as a legal framework that promotes the work of these bodies, supports the development of societies and improves the quality of life in the countryside.
The report then examines the partnership between CSOs in the countryside, the state and the citizens, pointing out that the management of rural development is a shared management and responsibility to achieve the success of development plans stressing the need for the rest of objective conditions for achieving the goals of development and the removal of all obstacles to ensure the right of citizens to assemble and organize themselves. Then the report provides a concept for the developmental work based on the fact that it is an optional and cooperative work which contributes to the respect for the values of tolerance and pluralism, citizenship, freedom and prosperity of society, and leads to the development of human and material resources of the community and contribute to building trust between citizens and state institutions.
The report then highlights the performance of rural CSOs pointing out that performance can be understood as the degree of organizations’ activities and their roles in accordance with the specifications of acceptable quality, according to a plan and within a specific time plan to achieve the goals for which it was created for. Organizations’ performance of their developmental roles is affected by the many factors among which the most important could be the overall context of political and economic context both locally and internationally that manage human resources, develop their scientific capacities and their own resources as well as their ability to communicate and access information. Their sense of responsibility, and ensure the supervision of the beneficiaries and other factors relating to the community in which they operate in the scope of the organization such as population and the target and the role of authorities and the degree of its involvement in the activity and provide community services in the local environment.
The third part of the report entitled the basis of rural development, the report discusses individual participation in planning for rural development projects and implementing them, which will include the needs of all social classes. This section indicates the existence of several basis for community development in general and rural development in particular, like the local society participation through raising awareness, developing skills and depending on local resources (human and financial) and encouraging citizens to take part in other projects.
The fourth part of the report entitled examples of some development organizations that work in the countryside (stages and fields). The report asserts that any successful development program must pass through several stages as follows:
• Data collection and analysis
• Raising the community awareness about the available capacities and resources and the importance of using them to achieve prosperity.
• Integral planning to achieve the expectations for a better future.
• Implementing the reached plans and ideas. • Evaluating the achieved objectives and modifying the remaining ones according to accruing changes.
Then the report highlights the fields of rural development projects asserting the necessity of considering privacy, the conditions of every targeted local society, its social, economic and political development and citizens' participation. Here are some examples of these projects:
• Basic structure projects that aim to provide public services, like clean potable water, drainage systems … etc.
• Human development projects that aim to improving rural cultural, educational, health, political and legal conditions.
• Economic development projects that aim to increasing individual incomes by providing several income and production resources according to the conditions of every society.
The fifth part of the report entitled future vision about the activation of popular participation, presents the development roles of some rural organizations, like economic, agricultural, health, educational, social and human rights organizations.
At the end, the report indicates the relation between the role of rural CSOs and raising the awareness of countrymen. Reducing poverty and narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas are important matter to rise with the society and activate popular participation.
The report also indicates the necessity for the state to adopt alternative policies that guarantee citizens' civil, economic, social and cultural rights by canceling the emergency law, releasing detainees, circulating authority and cancel the laws that bind the establishment of political parties, associations, syndicates, cooperatives and youth centers, and provide citizens with basic services.
The LCHR in this report demands the government to amend its policies to guarantee human rights, safety and decent living for all citizens.
LCHR also call all CSOs to adopt development programs that focus on the Egyptian countryside and guarantee a better future for everyone.
For more information, please contact the Center.