World crisis and revision of the strategies of development for the Third World

Abstract

After describing some aspects of the genesis of the economical world crisis risen in the middle of the seventies, the author mentions its consequences for the Third World and its effects on the revision of the strategies of development. Special attention is given to the evolution of the young African economies following from the Portuguese «decolonization». The present economic transition systems and their need for meeting some adequate combination of planning and market elements are also referred to. Ambitious projects of investment are criticized; it is the author's opinion that small scale undertakings should be preferably implemented, by using proper technologies and enabling the generalization of the «knowledge of how to do from one's own experience». Furthermore, the author considers that traditional agriculture and peasantry should deserve priority. In brief development will only occur on the basis of an «endogenous utopia» of social change adapted to each circumstance.