ABSTRACT
The concept of self-reliance is built on an entirely different understanding of development, which takes into account indigenous resources and capabilities adapted to the existing conditions and requirements of developing countries and their populations. The strategy of self-reliance is basically an outcome of a dialectic process which leads to a reaction against dependency patterns and vertical structures prevailing in the international system. The policy of self-reliance tends to resist the "center-periphery" formation based on penetration, fragmentation and marginalization. Collective self-reliance is the expression of a need for solidarity predicated on values of another development whose strength lies in its potential to enlarge the space for the development of the Third World. Collective self-reliance envisages the replacement of imports by local production and promotion of trade within the Third World.
