THE MOBILIZATION OF HUMAN-RESOURCES BY NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE BOLIVIAN ANDES

In the tropical Andes, a long tradition exists in the utilization and mobilization of rural resources. In certain periods, agriculture and s ettlement patterns were well adapted to the specific local environment al conditions; at other times, constraints of the natural environment, of historical burdens, and of current social, economic, and political problems contributed to widespread conditions of poverty and underdev elopment. This paper examines the development issues and the activitie s of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and a number of affiliated agencies in two representative regions of highland Bolivia: the northe rn Altiplano and the eastern Cordillera region in the Departamento de Cochabamba. Based on documentation of the agencies and on numerous tal ks and formal interviews with representatives of the NGOs and the camp esinos, an attempt was made to identify the major problems and constra ints of specific micro-regions, as well as the perceived development p riorities, and the strategies of the agencies and local communities to implement the development process. Although the NGOs may use differen t approaches and methods, it became obvious that the key to successful and sustained development lies in programs and projects that take int o account the specific local environmental conditions, the cultural tr aditions of the indigenous communities, and the felt needs of the loca l people. Based on these premises, an effective partnership may be est ablished between NGOs and the campesinos which can lead to a mobilizat ion of local human and material resources and to appropriate sustainab le forms of rural development.