Includes bibliography and index

Contents: Alternative development strategies: An alternative strategy for self-sustaining development with focus on participation by the poor at the local level -- Participatory development: The Need for structural reform and people's organization -- People's participation: focus on mobilization of the rural poor -- Basics factors inhibiting "planning from below'' and suggestions for overcoming them -- Participatory democracy, institution building and social development -- Alternative rural strategies: modus operandi and constraints, representation and participation in multi-level decision-making -- Report of the consultative committee on alternative strategies for development with focus on local level planning and development -- Local level planning: Report of the expert group meeting -- Organization and content of local-level plans -- The State of the art in selected countries of the ESCAP region -- India -- Indonesia -- Malaysia -- Nepal -- Pakistan -- The Philippines -- Sri Lanka -- Thailand.