Development Theory, Policy and Practice

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 Beliefs War and conflict Theory Leaders

Approaches Zeitgeist

World context

Development Theory, Policy and Practice

Post-war Europe US emerges as dominant world power Marshall Plan Cold War NATO Indian independence Independence movements in former colonies Chairman Mao

Stalin Churchill

‘never had it so good’

Invention of ‘development’

1950s

‘Development’ = economic growth by modernisation and industrialization Follow the example of USA

Progress measured by GNP

National planning

World context Postwar economic boom

Cuban Missile Crisis

OPEC founded Vietnam War

Berlin Wall built

Development Theory, Policy and Practice Development = economic growth and modernisation through technology Green Revolution

1960s Decolonisation across Africa Student uprisings in Europe and US

Kennedy & Johnson

Rostow (1960) Stages of Economic Growth Top-down centralised and structured approach

Krushchev

American consumerism Moon landing

Sectoral and regional planning ‘Development Decade’

World context Oil shortages - period of austerity American loses Vietnam War Liberation movements in Africa Middle East peace process starts

Student movements Peace movements

Flower power

Labour government Wilson & Callahagn Nixon - Watergate scandal

Development Theory, Policy and Practice Acute poverty and inequitable growth in Third World Dependency theory

1970s

Neo-colonialism

Calls for New International Economic Order Redistribution with growth Basic needs Year 2000 targets set

Development Theory, Policy and Practice

World context Debt crisis

Development = economic restructuring

Ethiopian famine Falklands War

Neo-liberalism

Chernobyl Tiananmen Square massacre Hostage crisis in Middle East

1980s

Miners strike Thatcher & Reagan

Yuppies

Berlin Wall down

Structural adjustment programmes

Trade not aid

Impasse in development theory Growing environmental concerns ‘Lost decade for development’

Development Theory, Policy and Practice

World context End of Communism in Europe End of apartheid in EU born South Africa

New policy agenda

Hong Kong handover

Rise of NGOs

Ethnic conflict - Somalia, Rwanda, ex-Yugoslavia

1990s

Rio Earth Summit

Participatory development

Human Structural Development adjustment with a Index human face

Jubilee 2000 debt campaign Globalisation

Development through new civil society

Environment on agenda Blair and Clinton

Anti development

Development Theory, Policy and Practice

World context Millennium

Euro currency

Postmodern development Post development

Environmental disasters Mugabe re-elected Anti-globalisation movements Sept 11th Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq Rise of fundamentalist Islam Fear of global terrorism

Postmodernism irrelevant

2000s

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?