At the interdisciplinary research Center "Leo Apostel"
(http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/CLEA/), we are considering to submit a research
project on some of the philosophical and methodological assumptions
underlying help to developing countries (especially East-Africa). A first
idea is that development aid should not just be a transfer of ready made
Western factories, systems or institutions, but rather helping the local
people to themselves organize systems adapted to their own environment. In
that sense, development aid should stimulate the further
"self-organization" of the existing social system.I wonder whether there is any literature either on "stimulated
self-organization" in general (not necessarily social systems), or on
applications of theories of self-organization particularly to development
studies. I would very much appreciate any comments or references on this
topic. Thanking you in advance,________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Francis Heylighen, Systems Researcher fheyligh@vnet3.vub.ac.be
You might be interested in the growing literature on Comprehensive Community
Collaboratives and Comp. Com. Initiatives (CCIs), which do on a small scale
what you propose. The problems evaluating CCIs are exactly what people
familiar with self organization might expect. Take a look at Connell, Kubisch,
Schorr, and Weiss, _New Approaches to Evaluating Community Initiatives_
Washington D.C., The Aspen Institute.