Blending of New and Traditional Technologies - Case Studies (ILO

Blending of New and Traditional Technologies - Case Studies (ILO - WEP, 1984, 312 p.)

		*(introduction...)*
		FOREWORD
		PREFACE
		ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
		PART 1: CONCEPTUAL AND EMPIRICAL ISSUES
		PART 2: CASE STUDIES
		PART 3: CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE ACTION
		ANNEX: SELECTED EXAMPLES OF EXPERIMENTS AND PROJECTS*
		SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

(introduction...)

International Labour Office

Edited by
A. BHALLA, D. JAMES and Y. STEVENS

Foreword by
FRANCIS BLANCHARD

Director-General, International Labour Office

This volume was prepared for the International Labour Office within the framework of the World Employment Programme

TYCOOLY INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING LIMITED, DUBLIN

First published 1984 by
Tycooly International Publishing Limited
6 Crofton Terrace, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

The responsibility for opinions expressed in studies and other contributions rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement of the International Labour Office of the opinions expressed in them. References to firms’ names and commercial products and processes do not imply the endorsement of the International Labour Office, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or process in connection with the technologies described in this volume is not a sign of disapproval. The designations employed and the presentation of material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the International Labour Office concerning the legal status of any country or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers.

ISBN 0 86346 055 0 (Hardcover)
ISBN 0 86346 056 9 (Softcover)

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Printed in the Republic of Ireland by Mount Salus Press.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means: electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publishers.

The increasing pace of technological change is putting great strain on social and economic structures the world over, especially in the developing countries. One approach to easing the introduction of new technologies is by integrating these technologies with traditional methods of production.

Here the ILO presents a series of case studies on a wide variety of projects from the cloning of palm trees in Malaysia to the use of microcomputers in Third World rural development. Other topics include photovoltaic electricity supply in Upper Volta, the use of satellite remote sensing in West Africa and the integration of microelectronics in the textile industry.

From these studies a clear set of prerequisites emerges: the criteria by which success is to be measured must be established, demands on financial and human resources must not be too great, the new technology must relate easily to existing conditions and it must not radically alter associated skills and input requirements.

Covering both theoretical and practical issues, this book provides many new insights and clear guidelines to the feasibility of introducing new technologies into traditional areas of production.

The World Employment Programme (WEP) was launched by the International Labour Organisation in 1969, as the ILO’s main contribution to the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade.

The means of action adopted by the WEP have included the following:

- short-term high-level advisory missions;
- longer-term national or regional employment teams; and
- a wide-ranging research programme.

Through these activities the ILO has been able to help national decision-makers to reshape their policies and plans with the aim of eradicating mass poverty and unemployment.

A landmark in the development of the WEP was the World Employment Conference of 1976, which proclaimed inter alia that “strategies and national development plans should include as a priority objective the promotion of employment and the satisfaction of the basic needs of each country’s population.” The Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action adopted by the Conference will remain the cornerstone of WEP technical assistance and research activities during the 1980s.

This publication is the outcome of a WEP project.