ABSTRACT
We begin with the stories of two very large grassroots movements in India and Sri Lanka whose spirituality has given them their own particular vision of ‘development’, though it is unlikely that Swadhyaya would even use the term in relation to its work. ‘Inner transformation’ – a theme which is to run through the entire book – emerges at once as an integral part of social change. Although there are many overlaps between the work described in these stories and that of more conventional development programmes, we see how certain concepts such as ‘poverty’ and ‘empowerment’ are broadened and deepened. Questions are raised about the relationship of donors to the organizations they fund, about patterns of organization and leadership and about the political engagement of such movements as these. Finally their role within their own religious traditions is considered.
