REMOVING
UNFREEDOMS
Citizens as Agents of Change
Prepared for DFID
by Romi Khosla (2002)
in association with Sikandar Hasan, Jane Samuels and Budhi Mulyawan
London
This paper argues that in the light of
the work of Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, there is a need not only
to modify current policy frameworks that deal with development,
but also to share them across the globe. Such a shift would enable
national governments and sponsors to consider that the wider overarching
goals of human development are those that provide individual citizens
with ever expanding opportunities for freedoms. There is a need
to let citizens live the life of their choice. It argues that an
objective that enables human beings to lead the life that they value
is higher than one that enables them to be merely less poor and
more efficient producers of wealth.
Suggesting new policy goals for a more
effective development policy, this paper suggests the need to make
a beginning by modifying the current evaluations and indicators
that are used by policy makers. It suggests sharing the new evaluation
methods and data. Such data would rely on democratic discussions
to evaluate citizens choices about the life that they want to lead
and value. The paper also argues for the need of a lead agency to
co-ordinate urban development policies, programmes and projects
within an overarching shared urban policy framework. Such a shared
framework would acknowledge that the ultimate goal of development
is to enable people to choose their own life styles through the
process and enjoyment of ever expanding freedoms.
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