New Role of NGOs and AT

The New Role of the NGOs and AT

Most of the developing countries, especially the least developed countries, declare their
inability, due to financial constraints, to cope with the many problems characterising their
underdevelopment; in these countries, the work carried out by the
NGOs is most appreciated by the poor.

A question arises: in the present and future struggle of deprived people to improve their
economic situation what will be the contribution of the NGOs in applying AT projects? NGOs
surely have to play a very important role especially in helping to improve productive activities
by AT, in spreading literacy, in organising people to help themselves to gain self-sufficiency in
basic products, in training in social and productive activities, and in all socio-economic
activities which will contribute to assure a better living for the poor people.

At present northern countries use up more than ten times as many natural resources, such as
water, energy, soil, minerals than southern countries. With the fast population growth in the
southern countries, these resources will be rapidly depleted and, as a result of this, a rapid
break-down of the would ecology will take place with disastrous consequences for the world
economy marked by the widening of the gap between the northern and southern countries.
What remedies can be considered to limit the disastrous effect of this prospected situation?
The answer is: we need a new world order, we need to stop the present trend leading to wide-
spread poverty, we need to rescue lost values, we need a new social approach, a new life-style
so that our children can live in a better world where brotherhood, compassion and peace will
prevail.

What will be the future perspective of AT in this changing world? What philosophical
approach should AT have?

AT should contribute in a positive way by helping to spread a planetary culture that has its
main goal the uplifting of deprived communities and give them self-reliance capacity to
survive by promoting income-generating activities. The role of AT will be to encourage and
maintain, as well as diversify skills among backward societies, localise and regionalise positive
effects; to promote co-operation but also to encourage competition; it should help in
preventive measures more than in treatment of ecological problems, it should help in the
reduction of surplus and promote satisfaction more than consumption. AT has the great
challenge to help create a world culture aimed at producing what we need on a sustainable
basis. This can take place only if the consumption pattern of the rich and the poor changes.
The change can take place only by promoting people's participation which transcends racial,
creed, class, caste and other social community lines, often artificially imbedded in the culture
of the communities and surely not for the will of God or other divinities! AT should workout
a strategy according to economical and cultural contexts in which organised SHG and
motivated NGOs find alternatives to the development of their resources and help themselves
in establishing better living conditions for all.

It is estimated that there are several hundred thousands of grass-roots movements. AT has a
big task in the future to help these grass-root movements in gaining economic self-sufficiency.
Special efforts should be concentrated towards a more efficient use of energy, mineral and
other resources.
The new AT movement for the coming third millennium should continue its efforts on the line
of the activity carried out in the past and should include new ones in accordance with the
world changing conditions, in particular the main NGOs activities should be the followings:

1) develop and disseminate technology which consider the ecological use of land and space;
2) promote and sustain programs and projects easily accepted and implemented by grass-
roots organisations;
3) implement programs and projects highly efficient in the use of energy and in the
consumption of natural resources;
4) transfer technologies which generate high efficiency and productivity.

The philosophic holistic approach of the new AT movement should envisage and concentrate
on a global vision where the great variety of life-styles, the different cultures, creeds and
economies, require different technologies to be applied in different geographic areas.

The holistic AT global approach, which at present appears as a merely philosophical concept,
has soon to become a reality in this fast changing world. This, however, will occur only if
appropriate solutions will be worked out to level the gross disparity existing regarding the
exploitation of the world resources and redistribution of wealth.

The northern and the southern AT movements have to promote and participate in a process
of strategic planning which will have as long-term objectives the alleviation of poverty,
fighting illiteracy, improve peoples' health, contribute to eliminate inequality and helping to
create a new world order aimed at achieving universal brotherhood.

The NGOs global networks mentioned earlier, are a good start in this direction. In addition,
in recent years, new organisations are collecting information and data on many productive
sectors; the available information will contribute at the sectoreal level, to properly plan the
utilisation and management of natural resources at the global level.