International Policy on Conditions in Rural Communities

Policy Issue

There is a need for attention to be directed to the conditions in which rural populations live, and ways have to be found to improve them. This is because rural communities throughout the world are caught up in a process of socio-economic and political change over which they have little or no control. This has led to a situation where rural communities have little direct opportunity to be involved in the process of decision-making on matters that may affect their own well-being. It also means that many rural communities are left out of the mainstream of national development. The main policy issue for social workers therefore, is to ensure that those who are directly affected by change are involved in the decision-making process.

Background

Rural communities usually lack the social and economic infrastructure that exists in most urban communities. This results in inequality of opportunity for rural people: There are fewer services, limited choices of employment, and limited recreational facilities.

In addition, there are some groups within society that are particularly at risk of being left behind when others move forward into better conditions of living. Such groups are the poor, the physically and developmentally handicapped, women, and in many countries, the aboriginal or indigenous peoples. Very often, members of some, or even all, of these risk groups are to be found in rural communities. Their problems are the compounded.

Irrespective of whether a community is urban or rural, it is essential to remember that it is an aggregation of individuals and families, and not just a collection of houses, roads and other structures.

The Rural Economy

The lack of adequate attention to conditions in rural communities' results in a narrow range of choices, few opportunities for personal or community development, and living conditions and levels of income which lag behind those in urban areas. This perpetuates poverty and often leads to poor standards of housing. It also influences the agricultural sector of the economy: For many areas, subsistence farming is all that is possible, while for others who are able to produce some cash crops, the absence of modern methods of farming means that a great deal of work is necessary to produce small yields.

There are many people who own no land and who derive their income from full-time, occasional or seasonal work on the farms of others. Farm wages tend to be low, and insecure employment frequently means working at a distance from home and experiencing hardship. Today we see the family farm and the long-established system of mixed farming giving way to the expansion of agri-business and control by large multinational companies. Such large companies frequently take over tracts of land for the production of export crops. The selection of such crops is dependent on market demand in the developed countries and the profitability of the crops. Such agri-business has in some areas, displaced the production of local food crops.

The production of export crops is attractive to governments as they bring in income. It also results in income for the producing countries, and often for an elite minority within the country. But for a large majority, it means a decrease in the supply of needed local food, and a denial of an adequate income to support a family.

If an adequate food supply is to be available to all, and people are to remain in rural communities, land use and systems of land tenure require immediate attention. Buildings, roads and other uses are increasingly replacing farms. Even marginal agricultural land is not inexhaustible in supply.
Closely related to the need of rural communities for a viable economy is the need for pure water; the ecologically sensitive use of fuel; and the application of appropriate technologies.

Rural Services

Rural communities also require effective access to basic health and educational services. For example, many areas have few primary schools, requiring children to cover long distances to attend school. In other instances, in order to receive secondary education, some children have to leave home to attend residential institutions, which results in difficulties in re-integrating with family and community on return. These also offer a limited curriculum. This is important as raising the level of education has implications for breaking out of poverty, for improving health, and for enabling people to take part in decision-making and action for better living conditions.

In many rural communities' women play a major role in agriculture, and yet are seldom involved in education which would enable them to approach farming more scientifically. Women in some areas can spend as much as half of their day in obtaining water for the family. This is an outstanding example of where time and energy could be spent in other ways if pure local water supplies were available.

Development and Participation

Experience has shown that concentration on economic development, and particularly on mega-projects, has not eliminated poverty, nor has it produced significant improvement in conditions of life in rural communities. On the other hand, smaller scale community development projects have frequently benefited such communities.

The participation of community leaders and others, alongside the contributions of governmental and non-governmental bodies is essential if programmes are to be accepted as valid by the people. It is also important that members of communities should be enabled to contribute to this development, not only of their own communities, but also to that of their regions.

Improvement of conditions in rural communities depends, to a very large extent, on the development of an adequate social and economic infrastructure. For such a structure to be built up, there must be sufficient allocation of resources to the rural areas. Before this can happen in a significant way, there has to be a greater appreciation of the role and importance of rural communities in the social fabric and economic and political structures of a country. There is, therefore, a need to develop awareness on the part of both the politicians and general public of the place of rural communities in a country's life and of the interdependence of rural and urban communities on one another. Co-ordination and co-operation is called for, rather than competition in development and planning.

Policy Statement

IFSW affirms that social work is concerned not only with the solving of social problems, but with the process of social development. Individuals, groups, families and communities have the capacity to change and to develop. Social workers have knowledge and skills which can be of help.

IFSW believes that improved conditions for rural communities call for a multi-sectoral approach; they cannot be achieved by any one discipline alone. Social workers will have to work with other professionals and with community leaders and volunteers.

IFSW recommends its member associations to consider:

Establishing policy groups to study issues concerning rural community development, and to make recommendations to governments at national, regional, and local levels Establishing liaison arrangements with pertinent non-governmental organisations and other professions for co-operation where social work knowledge and skills may be helpful Establishing links with social work and other educational institutions to make recommendations regarding curriculum content relevant to social work and community development in rural areas Encouraging their individual members to become involved in rural community projects and programmes

IFSW accepts the role of clearing house, channelling information useful to all member associations who take an active part in the development of rural communities.

IFSW maintains links with the United Nations and other international organisations in order to be aware of existing policies and programmes.

IFSW will support social work education in the context of rural communities and with the aim of improving conditions in such communities.