The development theory for progress in the countries of the Third World must be based on the aspirations of the common people; the majority poor. The poor cannot simply be provided with resources; they must also be psychologically, socially, and economically empowered. The most important conflict in poor countries is between urban and rural sectors. Governments need to consider such policy options as more efficient reallocation of resources to rural areas and provision of more social services for rural poor. An appropriate strategy is a balanced and purposeful use of human resource development and information systems. An example of a poverty alleviation project is Bangladesh's Upazila Resource Development and Employment Project (URDEP). The basic URDEP concept is to organize family groups; raise their consciousness about their situation and environment; train them to organize with other families; and select livelihoods or trades to be financed through small loans. An extension of such a micro-type project by and for the poor is the maximum use of technology for the most remote villages. One suggestion for intervention to help the poor in the Philippines is the establishment of a People's Foundation, the main task of which would be to spearhead poverty alleviation projects based on guided self-reliance. (17 references) (YLB)