Development through the decades A journey through 50 years of development theory, policy and practice
What is ‘development’ Economic growth Social progress Improved quality of life Helping communities help themselves When was the term first used? 1949
World context Development Theory, Policy and Practice Events War and conflict Leaders Zeitgeist Beliefs Theory Approaches
World context Development Theory, Policy and Practice 1950s Post-war Europe Marshall Plan Cold War ‘never had it so good’ Independence movements in former colonies Churchill Stalin Chairman Mao US emerges as dominant world power ‘Development’ = economic growth by modernisation and industrialization Follow the example of USA Progress measured by GNP National planning Invention of ‘development’ Indian independence NATO
World context Development Theory, Policy and Practice 1960s Moon landing Student uprisings in Europe and US Decolonisation across Africa Cuban Missile Crisis Vietnam War Kennedy & Johnson Krushchev Postwar economic boom Development = economic growth and modernisation through technology Rostow (1960) Stages of Economic Growth Sectoral and regional planning Top-down centralised and structured approach ‘Development Decade’ OPEC founded American consumerism Berlin Wall built Green Revolution
World context Development Theory, Policy and Practice 1970s Oil shortages - period of austerity American loses Vietnam War Liberation movements in Africa Labour government - Wilson & Callahagn Flower powerPeace movements Student movements Acute poverty and inequitable growth in Third World Dependency theory Neo-colonialism Calls for New International Economic Order Redistribution with growth Basic needs Nixon - Watergate scandal Middle East peace process starts Year 2000 targets set
World context Development Theory, Policy and Practice 1980s Debt crisis Ethiopian famine Miners strike Chernobyl Tiananmen Square massacre Falklands War Hostage crisis in Middle East Berlin Wall down Thatcher & Reagan Yuppies Development = economic restructuring Neo-liberalism Structural adjustment programmes Trade not aid Impasse in development theory ‘Lost decade for development’ Growing environmental concerns
World context Development Theory, Policy and Practice 1990s End of Communism in Europe EU born End of apartheid in South Africa Hong Kong handover Rio Earth Summit Jubilee 2000 debt campaign Globalisation Blair and Clinton Ethnic conflict - Somalia, Rwanda, ex-Yugoslavia New policy agenda Development through new civil society Structural adjustment with a human face Human Development Index Rise of NGOs Participatory development Environment on agenda Anti development
World context Development Theory, Policy and Practice 2000s MillenniumEuro currency Environmental disasters Mugabe re-elected Sept 11 th Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq Rise of fundamentalist Islam Anti-globalisation movements Fear of global terrorism Postmodern development Post development Postmodernism irrelevant Dominance of NGOs ‘Capacity building’ Millennuim goals Liberal economist viewpoint still dominates international institutions and governments
Despite 50 years of ‘development’ the problem of poverty is as great as it ever was Will be saying the same in another 50 years?