All democratization processes are deeply rooted in the political history of the countries of concern. Particular critical is the history of political leadership, which, dependent on the political and legal framework conditions, might be firmly anchored into the feudalistic past. 

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The cultural heritage might always have a conflicting potential on political and legal ways of decision making, on processes of social and economic development, on the forming of group identities, individual life-styles, religious beliefs and on the varying capabilities to integrate new skills of cooperation and innovation.

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Multi- and bilateral development agencies, for their part, do however not dispose of  procedures and methods that allow systematic examination of the cultural imprint of their own actions. This lack increases the danger that cultural factors are seen only to be located outside development agencies, and when they are features of their (local) target groups.  Therefore, cultural factors are unfortunately often seen as hindrances resulting from the backwardness and traditionalism of 'the other' .

 

All the more important are thus advisory services, which target the critical interfaces between local and global communities, table the inescabably different world views, problem understandings and solution statements and offer eventually unexplored ways of consensus finding. 

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