Unreceptive structures for citizen leadership

Many nations have found it necessary to centralize official leadership for the sake of building new national unity and identity. Intensification of efforts at nation-wide development brings the necessity for informal leadership at the village level; but such unofficial, complementary leadership has not forcefully emerged in many Third World suburban communities. Leadership patterns, as they have emerged in the village, relate to a relatively small group. The absence of broad leadership in business, education, social welfare and other arenas of society overburdens the present leaders and hinders community-wide engagement.

While current leaders may provide essential social stability and guidance to a village, the means must be found to nurture a broader spectrum of leadership among established residents, new residents, women and educated youth. The young men, especially those who have vision and the experience of a modern education, often leave the village to find other arenas in which to exercise their creative energies and talents. Structural vehicles for citizen engagement and decision-making are still irregular and do not cover the full spectrum of decisions that residents now demand.