This article is about International Development. For other forms of development, see Development (disambiguation).

The goal of international development is to alleviate poverty among citizens of developing countries. International development is a multidisciplinary field that may impact poverty reduction, governance, healthcare, education, crisis prevention and recovery, and economic restructuring.

International development is distinct from disaster relief or humanitarian aid. The latter is a response to a specific crisis that generally involves temporary manpower or donations. Development, on the other hand, is intended as a long-term solution to a set of problems or situations. It may incorporate a single transformative project or a series of projects targeted at several aspects of society in the developing nation.

One illustration of the spirit of international development comes from a speech by Harry S. Truman in 1949:

"We must embark on a bold new program from making the benefits of our scientific advances and industrial progress available for the improvement and growth of underdeveloped areas. The old imperialism - exploitation for foreign profit - has no place in our plans. What we envision is a program of development based on the concepts of democratic fair dealing."

International development is looked upon by some as an obligation of developed countries towards developing countries as a way to alleviate the economic inequalities.

Methods and Concerns

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During recent decades, development thinking has shifted from modernization and structural adjustment programs to poverty reduction. Under the former system, poor countries were encouraged to undergo social and economical structural transformations as part of their development, creating industrialization and intentional industrial policy. Poverty reduction rejects this notion, consisting instead of direct budget support for social welfare programs that create macroeconomic stability leading to an increase in economic growth.

However, even the terms "developed" and "developing" (or "underdeveloped"), have proven problematic in forming policy as they ignore issues of wealth distribution and the lingering effects of colonialism. Some theorists see development efforts as fundamentally neo-colonial, in which a wealthier nation forces its industrial and economic structure on a poorer nation, which will then become a consumer of the developed nation's goods and services. Post-developmentalists, for example, see development as a form of Western cultural imperialism that hurts the people of poor countries and endangers the environment to such an extent that they suggest rejection of development altogether.

Global Agencies Engaged in International Development

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• World Bank
• International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• Institute of Development Management and Governance at UPLB (IDMG)^*
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), especially Development charities.
• United States Agency for International Development
• List of development aid agencies

Regional Development Agencies

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• African Development Bank
• Asian Development Bank
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• Inter-American Development Bank

See also

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Development theory topics

• Participation (decision making)^*

Development theorists and practitioners

• Kamal Kar
• Amartya Sen
• Joseph Stiglitz
• Amy Chua

External links

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• Studying-Development (www.Studying-Development.org) A resource aiming to help orientate those wishing to enter, or already active in the field of International Development. This directory is international in scope and covers professional training, as well as university degree courses.
• Public Private Dialogue A resource for international development practitioners wishing to promote reforms through dialogue (sponsored by World Bank, IFC, OCED, DFID, GTZ)
• The Center for Global Development is an independent, not-for-profit think tank that works to reduce global poverty and inequality by encouraging policy change in the U.S. and other rich countries through rigorous research and active engagement with the policy community.
• Chr. Michelsen Institute Major Scandinavian development research institute
• Governance Focus issues in governance worldwide, in English & Español
• The intellectual revolution in international development, Globalisation Institute (2006).
• Center for International Finance & Development University of Iowa research center, includes a 300 page E-book.
• The World Bank Participation Sourcebook
• Media Helping Media Discussion forum for international media development.
• The Development Executive Group (www.DevelopmentEx.com) The leading membership organization bringing efficiency to international development through business intelligence and recruiting services.
• directory of development organizations - Comprehensive listing of 47.500 development organizations dedicated to good governance, sustainable development and poverty reduction.
• The Development Insight Project - A forum to gather thoughts from international development professionals who work on the ground about the insight they have gained over the years and neer had a chance to share.

Development