Arguing that a people"s own cultural heritage is the foundation on which equitable and sustainable development can best be built, this book presents a culture-based approach to grassroots development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The approach seeks to retain a population"s special cultural strengths and contributions, while enabling them to achieve necessary changes in their social and economic conditions. Their "cultural energy" - a concept introduced in the book - is thus tapped into, and in turn drives further development efforts. The authors provide illustrations from 215 cases in 30 countries, ranging from handicraft production, adult literacy centres and community bread ovens, to collections of folktales and harvest chants, to reforestation and conservation efforts.