Briefing Paper 7. Community Development in Central Asia

This paper summarises the findings of a research process initiated as part of INTRAC’s programme of civil society strengthening in Central Asia, funded by DfID. Field research was undertaken in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in 2003 in an attempt to gain a greater understanding of the dynamics of rural communities in the three countries. The researchers looked at traditional forms of social organisation and mobilisation and practices inherited from the Soviet era, as well as the impact of these on community development interventions promoted by external donors over the past decade.