Description
Building dams in India, planting trees in Burkina Faso, rescuing street children in Brazil - these are images of aid and international development with which we can all identify. What few people realize is that the terms 'overseas aid' and 'international development' mask confusion, contradiction, and even downright deceit. All too often what passes for development improves life for the better-off, while actively hurting the very people the venture was meant to support. In this No-Nonsense Guide Maggie Black exposes the hypocrisy and reveals a more accurate picture of what is happening in development's name, arguing for a process to be put in place that truly defends the interests of poor people.
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The popular image of development as a progressive force bears little relationship to reality. The economic benefits of expensive large-scale infrastructure projects have not trickled down. Increasing concern about the environmental effects of rapid industrialization and a recognition of the need for sustainable development has led to tension between the industrial countries that have already damaged their environments and the poorer countries now being urged to take a globally responsible view. In this book Maggie Black traces the history of development from its post-colonial beginnings, and examines the relationship between development and economic growth, the impact development has had on the living conditions of the poor and on the environment, and whether development will have a specific role in the future or whether it will simply be subsumed under the concept of globalization.
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