Kretzmann
Brings ABCD "Tools" To Middle East
Summer 1999, Volume 20, Number
1
At the invitation of the United Nations, ABCD co-director John Kretzmann was off to Cairo
in early June to guide its non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in using ABCD
"tools" to stimulate community development. His mission was to help them analyze
local resources they can utilize in this process. Kretzmann's trip was arranged
after John McKnight briefed
the staff of the Division on Poverty and Sustainability of the UN Development
Program about the economic development methods that have emerged from his
research. "This marks a turnabout in the traditional UN approach to assessing and
addressing needs and deficiencies," says McKnight, who believes the UN hopes to
apply these techniques to cities in other developing countries around the world.
"We are increasingly interested in facilitating international dialogue about the
most effective community development approaches," adds Kretzmann. "The United
States has a lot to learn from developing countries."