Development Issues In South Asia The State Voluntary Agencies And The Rural Poor

FAO pub. Conference paper on the role of government, nongovernmental organizations and popular participation in rural area poverty alleviation in South Asia - analyses economic conditions and rural development strategies; reviews efforts of voluntary organizations and other NGOs in selected countries; discusses obstacles faced by them, relations with governments and donor agencies, etc.

This book reflects the crisis of development, the associated crises of state and its impact on regional cooperation in South Asia. The resulting political and social unrest, violence and militarisation of state structures are considered in detail. The contributors to this volume focus on the depth of the crises and articulate alternatives available and sustainable in the South Asian context -- the common heritage, the renewable resource base and the available stock of knowledge which enlarges the range of technological options.

Ending Poverty in South Asia: Ideas that Work is one of the few books on empowerment that combines a conceptual framework with a practical framework and distills the key lessons without suggesting magic bullets. Written by program champions themselves the

The book aims to explore South Asian third sector – the nonprofit organizations as provider of social services. The book defines social welfare and describe its relationship to social service programmes and individual well-being; understands the social policy development from the problem identification to policy implementation; describes the range of organization of social service agencies that are responsible for providing social welfare programmes; explores the various roles that professional and non- professional helpers provide in the delivery of social welfare and their influence in promoting change in policy development; and understands the umbrella concept of Child welfare, welfare of people with disability and elderly welfare in welfare policy.

This book sheds light on social policies in six South Asian countries introduced between 2003 and 2013, examining the ways in which these policies have come about, and what this reflects about the nature of the state in each of these countries. It offers a detailed analysis of the nature of these policies introduced in recent years in Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and illustrates the similarities and differences in policy approaches amongst the six countries. Through this analysis, the book explores the thesis of whether there is a particular type of ‘developmental welfare state’ that can be observed across South Asia. The focus is on social policies or policies designed to address poverty and deliver welfare at the level of programming and design, i.e. the stated intent of these policies. The book also presents an analysis of the fiscal space available in each of the six countries, thereby drawing conclusions about the financial feasibility of a ‘developmental welfare state’ model in the region. This comprehensive book uniquely explores critical aspects of policy debates on a possible move from welfare to ‘rights’. It introduces students and researchers in development studies, social policy and South Asian studies to innovative welfare programmes in South Asia and gives a new perspective on the nature and patterns of welfare in South Asia with the view of tackling inequality and promoting well-being.

This book examines the role of voluntary organizations (VOs) in rural development in the south Asian context. While addressing the existing knowledge gap for developmental task sharing with non-government social forces in developing nations; It provides evidence-based knowledge about the structure, functioning, effectiveness, community base, public image, GO-VO equation, strength, challenges, present dynamics, and future trend of the grassroots VOs. The volume also demonstrates the application of an innovative symphony of descriptive and exploratory study design with parametric tools in data collection and analysis. It also specifies the areas for policy intervention, future research and incubation in the sector. The book is indispensable for the students, teachers and researchers in Sociology, Social work, Public Administration, Rural Development, Management studies and related fields. The volume is a hand-guide for funding agencies, planners and executives.

Poverty is the grim reality for some 400 million people - mostly small farmers and agricultural laborers - in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. To remedy the problem, South Asian governments and international agencies have focused on raising the productivity of small farms and increasing opportunities for rural employment. This strategy, however, has long been criticized for doing the poor more harm than good. The author challenges that pessimistic view by critically reviewing a wealth of evidence from recent academic literature and the World Bank's operational experience. He shows that rapid agricultural growth has benefited all classes of the poor and that the "great ascent" from poverty to a more materially rewarding life has begun. A variety of programs intended to help the poor directly are examined in detail. Research, extension, and training activities are evaluated for their effectiveness in promoting the adoption of high-yielding varieties of cereal, spreading new farming technology, encouraging multiple cropping, and increasing the cultivation of high-value crops. The author also considers programs in dairying, poultry farming, commercial fishing, and forestry and argues that policymakers have neglected these potentially profitable activities. Finally, he discusses the dismal failure of land reforms in reducing poverty.

This book assesses the roadmap for the implementation of the SDGs in South Asia, focusing in particular on the areas of poverty reduction, inequality, health/well-being and water and sanitation. South Asia is amongst the fastest growing regions in the world, with an aggregate GDP in excess of two trillion US dollars, but at the same time it has significant deficits in human development, with 37 per cent of the world's poor and nearly half of the world's malnourished children. For South Asia, the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a constructive opportunity to end many of the region's deprivations in a time-bound and systematic manner. Starting with the legacy of the Millennium Development Goals, the book goes on to provide a country-by-country overview of strategies for addressing the problems of poverty, health, water and sanitation. South-South Cooperation and in particular the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are discussed and, finally, the editors present a summary of policy priorities for social development. This book aims to be a useful resource for researchers, policy influencers, planners, implementers, students, and activists aiming to push to achieve the SDGs.

Papers, chiefly in relation to India and Bangladesh.