The politics of local self reliance

Abstract

It should be emphasized from the very beginning that to talk about the politics of self-reliance is not to talk about a strategy of transition to something utopian, but to talk about a process very much alive that takes place in the world today for everybody to watch, talk about and participate in - or fight against as many do and more will do as it gains momentum. Roughly speaking it may already be a process that involves around one billion human beings; a quarter of humankind in the active, forerunner phase with the remaining three quarters on the sidelines being apathetic or talking about developmental processes of yesteryear.