IS LOCAL DEVELOPMENT A FASHION?

Abstract

It seems evident that the aims and contents of local development and decentralization vary according to different actors and that both are presently “fashionable” in Latin America. The author argues that local development is not a strategy that can be applied in every situation: in order for it to be an effective development strategy, especially from the socio-political point of view, local development must meet three requisites: enhance existing resources, obtain external resources and control the economic surplus produced in the territory. Three elements are crucial when analyzing and operating in the context of local development: local, regional and national governance, local economic development and employment and the construction of social capital. The author highlights the fact that local development cannot be an autarchic process, but has to be linked to national development programmes and processes. National policies of local development should be the final aim of those who work in this field and in development cooperation.

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