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Synopsis The essays brought together in this volume focus on the concept, types, social context and institutional mechanism of community participation, an essential pre-requisite for the success of development efforts of the GOs, NGOs and international donor agencies. A major reason for lack of success of anti-poverty and other development programmes has been the absence of seriousness, enthusiasm and accountability at local level, both at villages and urban low-income settlements where these programmes are implemented. Officials who are responsible for implementation of these programmes and the local traditional and political elites subvert the delivery mechanism with corruption and political favouritism. In the process the real needy is often left out. For a successful participation of the people in the development processes, there is a need for social mechanisms manned by the beneficiaries or the poor in order to ensure, sustain and promote accountability on the part of the state’s or NGO’s delivery systems. These social mechanisms would also ensure the participation of the local community. The essays in this collection address some of these issues. This book will be interest to, among others, professional social work educators, students and practitioners and those who are interested in community action, social development practice, and activism.