Human Development Projects (HDP) were initiated by the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) as a catalyst in the evolution of a new society of the future. Among the many actors playing a role in this process, the ICA’s focus was on the local community. HDPs sought to involve the man on the street in a selected community in building a microcosm – an example of what a “new social vehicle for planet Earth” would look like within a small geographical area. A second perspective, while a range of factors such as trade, technology and infrastructure influence social change, HDPs were aimed at harnessing the “human element” through measures such as motivating residents, releasing their creativity and building leadership skills to empower them in the task of comprehensive change.
