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XI World Congress
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X World Congress of Rural Sociology
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
July 30 - August 5, 2000

 
 

The Congress is over.
Information provided here is for reference.

 
 

Theme

Sustainable Rural Livelihoods:
Building Communities, Protecting Resources, Fostering Human Development

 
 

Thematic Statement:

Diverse and equitable occupational possibilities and income streams are a central source of improvement in family and community well being. Livelihoods are sustainable when responsive institutions, orderly markets, and sensible government policies foster community empowerment and self-determination. Local control of resources is linked to responsible management of forests, fisheries, wildlife, and other common property resources. Family life is supported, civil society is strengthened, and environments are protected in such contexts. Nevertheless, information technologies and the global reach of capital are accelerating the pace of resource development and social change in many rural locales.

Rural social scientists face many challenges in documenting the impactsof such changes, and working with rural communities to identify and design new forms of organization. Farming and other resource dependent communities are quite vulnerable to the power of larger structures of organization and control. Where possible, constructive engagement between a broad range of local interests and outside forces can foster a more even distribution of benefits and mitigated costs from market and policy change. Whether the pace of such changes is gradual or disruptively rapid or sudden, women, children, the elderly, and ethnic minorities are particularly vulnerable to altered possibilities for livelihood.

The task of this Congress will be to identify tools and templates from theory and experience that will enable communities and rural populations to adapt to an increasingly urban, resource-hungry 21st century. Nongovernmental organizations and other intermediaries play important roles in resource management and community development that are not well understood. Not to be neglected are the ways that training and instruction in the rural social sciences can enhance the ability of technical and human service professionals to function in the rural environment. Outside the classroom, new models of outreach and extension communication must be found. The newfindings and emerging paradigms for rural social research to be shared at this Congress should contribute to a new vision for enabled communities and equitable development.