Final Wrap—The Force of Cultural Empowerment

The final Chap. 22 of this book draws out the most significant lessons from the often dramatic experience of the world this book presents. At the core is the observation from experience that where people are strengthened at quite local levels—in daily life—to take charge of their own culture and community, the empowering consequences are enormous. Culture and its home for meaning is strong, and peoples’ ability to make charge of their own world is strong, when they are actively involved in making it rather than passively receiving global messages via the evening TV or fashion billboards, or being lectured by those who wish us to follow their path and morality unquestioningly. Resolution of conflict is most powerful when those involved have learnt to share their cultural meaning across difference. The final Chapter demonstrates these lessons of community and cultural empowerment in summarizing their presence in each of the key event stories of the book. Basic lessons emerge for both communities seeking positive change and international development assistance agencies as well.