The Development Debate
For some people, international development is about emergency relief and charity. For others, it’s about long-term community development. And for still others it’s about fair trade and global solidarity.
The truth, of course, is that international development is about all the above, and more. Join the debate on our Facebook discussion forum.
Aiding development?
The early days of ‘development assistance’ was about distributing food aid, providing primary healthcare, working as teachers, and building infrastructure. It was thought that the so-called Third World or 'developing world' simply lacked the things that we had in the developed world.
As countries in the Third World gained their political independence, they did need to build up their infrastructure, especially in health and education. Foreign volunteers were a valuable resource in those early years. But as the first wave of volunteers from organizations including CUSO and VSO returned home in the 60s and 70s, the picture became clearer, if not more complex.
"We came back as global citizens. We came back with a feeling in our hearts for people in other parts of the world struggling for the same things we are.” - Jean Christie, Curriculum Advisor, Papua New Guinea, 1970-72
Inspired by their colleagues in the Global South, the volunteers started asking some hard questions about the world around them. Maybe the global economy isn’t always fair to the Third World, where it feels more like trickle on than trickle down. Maybe our lifestyle in the First World has an impact on living conditions elsewhere. Maybe the Western path to industrialization isn’t replicable. To develop our way, the Third World might need its own third world.
From service to solidarity
Some countries of the South began to explore alternative paths of development, and many development agencies started to shift from charity to solidarity. By the 1980s, ‘basic needs’ was still a priority, but notions such as community economic development and appropriate technology had also taken root.
Today, activists the world over are advocating for Third World debt relief, gender equity, environmental protection and economic fairness. The goal has become a truly new new world order, for the Third World, the First World, and all worlds in between.
So what should Canadians and Americans do to help the Third World? Should we send more volunteers abroad? There is little doubt that an overseas volunteer placement can be profoundly affecting and even life changing for the individuals who serve abroad. They have contributed to community and human development, broadened their worldviews, and deepened cultural connections with the global community. But is international volunteering still an effective form of development assistance?
“Volunteerism has changed with the times. It now responds to specific demands and higher levels of professionalism. But I think the spirit of enthusiasm that was there at the beginning during the heady days is still there today.” - Stephen Woolcombe, Teacher, India, 1961-63
Should we give more foreign aid? There isn’t as much money going South as many believe; a lot of money also flows from the Third World to the First World in debt interest and repayments. Maybe help isn’t even the right world.
With support and a fair price for Third World products and labour, could communities in the South not do the job themselves? They would probably still welcome the strategic assistance of community development workers from the North, but from a situation of greater strength.
After decades of international development assistance – be it through money or people – it’s time to take stock. Some nations have achieved remarkable progress, however you want to define progress. There have been advances in education and literacy, and the global infant mortality rate has dropped by 40 percent since 1970. Yet other countries are crippled by debt and mired in economic and political stagnation. And then there is the devastating body blow of AIDS on many parts of Africa.
It’s easy to be either a hard-nosed cynic or a naïve optimist. Through work with partners abroad, many volunteer cooperation agencies including CUSO-VSO have chosen to take a cautiously hopeful look at international development.
The aid debate
We invite you to join our development discussion forum on Facebook to have your say, and see what others think.
