DESEC Center for Social and Economic Development

DESEC was conceived, organized, and continues to operate through the efforts of Juan Demeure, a Bolivian national totally dedicated to the social and economic improvement of the rural campesino. Increased literacy, the building of leadership positions, the election of community, regional, department and national leaders, the strong and positive interaction with DESEC and service organization professionals have led to increased confidence that development is possible. DESEC’s policy of expanding the peasant base appears to have been curtailed in 1970, due to a funding constraint requiring existing service organizations to become self-sufficient. The evolution of DESEC’s and ARADO’s local-to-national organizational structure has involved a great deal of high-level professional talent, in organizing peasants as well as technical assistance to complement peasant organizations. The peasant base, ARADO centers and committee with their related networks, centrals and cooperatives, and the service organizations, with their interlocking directorates with DESEC, are complex and demanding organizational entities.