Catalog

Priorities of the People: Hardship in the Pacific Series

Some Pacific Islanders are living in difficult conditions and facing real hardship and even poverty as modernization strains their traditional systems of sharing food and goods between all members of the community, and governments struggle to provide them with adequate services, infrastructure, and the environment for job creation.

To better understand hardship and poverty in the Pacific, the Asian Development Bank has assisted several Pacific governments to conduct Participatory Hardship Assessments. Local people from all walks of life, especially the poor, were asked to describe hardship from their point of view and suggest the most important priority actions to improve their lives.

One-on-one interviews, small group discussions, questionnaires, and case studies were used during the assessment to gather information from people in several different communities, and discussions were held with government representatives and social, religious, and nongovernment organizations.

The results are summarized in the booklets in this series, along with case studies of individuals facing hardship and photographs to raise awareness about the issues and priorities that the people would like their governments to address. The governments involved are now considering these priorities for incorporation into national strategies to address hardship and poverty.

For hard copy orders of these reports email the Publications Unit at adbpub@adb.org or fax them at +632 636-2648.