5. Conclusion

40 years of efforts towards development have produced tremendous effects. From 1950 to 1985 the wheat production in the world rose from 131 to 520 million tons, the rice production during the same period from 94 to 484 million tons, whereas the population, in comparison, increased from 2,5 to 4,5 billion inhabitants. The observer ascertains that there has been an incomparable improvement in education, in supply of consumer goods, infrastructure etc. in many countries.

However, poverty has not been overcome. Considering the formerly unimaginable wealth that exists in the world at the same time, this is the scandal of the century.

The review of 40 years of efforts towards development shows that new attempts have constantly been made, but today's wisdom is tomorrow's mistake. The most important realization is, perhaps, that societies cannot be developed but that they develop themselves. Help from outside can be given by providing knowledge and funds, and by not disturbing nor hindering these countries' development, e. g., by trade restrictions or inappropriate ideologies of development. However, many changes in the societies in developing countries are indicated as well. It is the large-scale projects and programmes that often exceed the economic and social absorptive capacity of the receiving country. Every society only copes with a specific amount of socio-economic change in a unit of time. If, 40 years ago, development appeared to be a task that could be performed rapidly, today, we have become more modest.