Social Exclusion in Participatory Programmes

Development in Uganda like in many developing countries; has been influenced by international ideologies and theories. The struggle has been between economistic versus socially sensitive development. The current trends are looking for more socially sensitive community-based interventions, among which are the Demand Driven Approaches (DDA). By this; beneficiaries express a need for service followed by willingness and ability to pay. Evidence shows that the approaches have not instilled a sense of ownership among people, let alone making them more responsible for community projects. For example in water and sanitation services; participation is often high at the beginning, diminishing after installation. The book refers to this situation as social exclusion, where people either voluntarily or involuntarily decide not to participate in community activity activities. The book identifies the different dimensions of social exclusion; the relationship between decentralisation and inclusion; and the role of social networks . The community development approach that supports a holistic approach and integrated design is recommend.