-It is argued that rural development planning best
precede when there is an effective dialogue with local people
about their values, traditions, identities and knowledge. Among
the rural communities, cultural traditions that have been
preserved for generations are important in attaining various
aspects of their desirable objectives. This paper is an attempt
to explore the potential wealth and capabilities of culture, and
to examine the extent to which such cultural traditions can be
regarded as an „asset? in the context of achieving sustainability
of rural livelihoods. The paper draws its evidences from few
rural villages in central Sri Lanka, where culture and
livelihoods are significantly interconnected. While admitting
some weak and negative aspects of culture that actually impede
human progress, the paper argues that cultural traditions
carry enormous potentials for sustaining people?s lives.
Grassroots cultural traditions should also be explored,
respected, appreciated and integrated with the development
planning.