Helping Ourselves: Local Solutions to Global Problems, by BruceStokes, 1981, 160 pp., published by W_.W. Norton & Company, available for $6.00 ppd. ,from: RAIN 2270 NW Irving Portland, OR 97210 In this superb synthesis of self-help concepts and strategies, Bruce Stokes of Worldwatch Institute begins with a central paradox of the citizens' movement: if power gravitates toward those who solve problems, and many of today's most pressing global problems-in the areas of energy,·shelter, food, health, pqpulation and industrial productivity-are best solved by people working together at the local level, then why do citizen activists so often seem to be poised on the edge of their opportunities while the power and the problems remain in other hands? Stokes outlines some of the obstacles to self-help and in so doing seems to be speaking directly to the current American experience (see Steve Rudman's article below.) In fact, what he describes are barriers common to community projects in many countries: habits of dependency fostered by entrenched professional and managerial elites; failure of govern~ ments to provide sufficient seed capital or technical assistance; and a myopic tendency of self-h~lp organizations to "go it alone" rather than seeking out complementary relationships with other groups. The good news is that increasing numbers of innovative people in all parts of the world are breaking through these barriers to create models for effective local action. Community gardens are contributing to food security in countries as diverse as China, Britain and 'Indonesia. Self-help housing, both in American inner cities and in Third World squatter . settlements, is meeting the needs of people for whom affordable shelter might otherwise be impossible. Community-based preventive health care efforts are emerging to counter the potential effects both of sedentary lifestyles in industrial societies and of contagious diseases in developing countries. As such successful models multiply, the benefits of self-help programs in terms of better fed, better housed, healthier people will be increasingly visible, but Stokes believes the ultimate social and political ramifications of such programs may prove to be much are) : July 1981 RAIN Page 5 greater: , The most important benefits of these activities ... will not be more housin,g or better nutrition, but the values articulated in the process of meeting basic human needs. These values will outlive society's deeds. They will shape people's sense of their own abilities, determine their future success in solving problems, and ultimately enable individuals and communities to gain greater control overtheir lives . ... No longer powerless, they can begin to create societies that are truly democratic. . For those of us presently caught up in the challenge and frustration of Reagan-era pseudo-self-reliance, Helping Ourselves has special significance. Its inspiring examples of successful local projects in countries all across the political spectrum indicate that what we are trying to accomplish in our own towns and neighborhoods is really part of a worldwide movement which transcends ephemeral political trends and has a momentum of its own. As global problems continue to grow jn-complexity, the need for local solutions and citizen empowerment can only grow more clear. - JF Self-reliance won't evolve in a vacuum. Simplicity is not simply found. These things must compete in the real world in order to survive and the immediate forecast is bleak. The key now is for concerned citizens and community groups to plan strategies that address the impending Reagan cuts before the full effects hit the streets in six months or so. Our intent with this article is to sketch out a community-based analysis and possible agenda, however preliminary, in the hope of stimulating ideas and action. Watch for our follow-up article this fall on Innovations for Financing Social Change. Supply Side Economics: Federal regulations and taxes are major obstacles to economic growth, and federal government spending is the main cause of inflation. by Steve Rudman By now we've all seen how astonishingly fast the Reagan bandwagon marched double-time through Congress drumming up carte blanche support for their budget and tax cut program supposedly needed to deal with the "worst economic crisis" since the great de-. pression. Underlying the Reagan proposals currently in Congress are several fundamental assumptions that suggest a radical shift in the roles of government and private enterprise not seen since the advent of the "New Deal" almost fifty years ago. Here are some of the major premises of Reaganomics simply put (as they usually We have to at least try to turn the empty rhetoric into community realities Guns vs. Butter: Massive expansion of the U.S. defense system is the only effective way to stabilize the international scene. cont.-
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