Questioning development

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This volume features articles that critically examine the concept of development, questioning the justifications for interventions in developing countries. Some contributions delve into the historical and theoretical backgrounds of development cooperation, while others focus on specific policies and practices. The common thread among these papers is a challenge to conventional wisdom. Contributors include academics from Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as practitioners from NGOs and the UN system, making the content relevant for professionals engaged in development cooperation and theorists addressing issues like international trade and economic ethics. The contents are organized into three sections: I. Querying the foundations includes discussions on paradigms of development interventions, a critical phenomenology of progress, and foundational concepts for development policy, among others. II. Revisiting and renewing development economics features critiques of dualism in development economics, reinterpretations of Keynesian models, and discussions on conditionality in development aid. III. Examining policies and politics addresses adjustment in Africa, trade rules from the Uruguay Round, and the impact of informal economic activities, as well as the evolution of private development cooperation and the potential of eco-tourism in the Third World. This collection invites readers to rethink de