In a world where millions of people live below the international poverty line, the debate over international economic development has profound and immediate significance. In recent years, optimism over neoliberal development programs has heralded economic development as the way to promote democratization and human rights as well as to combat the global problems of poverty and disease. But the virulent debate over the nature of development policies belies this seemingly optimistic consensus.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette opens the symposium by discussing the major disputes in development practice and outlining the role the United Nations should play in solving the problems associated with modernization. Continuing the theme of international cooperation, New York University Professor Adam Przeworski reviews the history of development theory, warning of the dangers of adopting simplistic “blueprints” for economic progress.
Having learned from the failed development blueprints of the past, David Dollar, Research Manager at the World Bank, argues that development policies must account for the unique circumstances of each state and provide diverse options for governments to address the root causes of underdevelopment. Dollar’s view is in part a response to criticisms like those of Columbia University Professor Joseph Stiglitz, who argues that recent international economic instability has resulted from the counterproductive strategies adopted by global financial institutions including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
The symposium then turns to consider the sources of dissent from the modernization project. University of Texas Professor Clement Henry examines the case of the Arab world and its prospects for development amidst a backlash against Westernsponsored programs. Next, University of Massachusetts Professor Sangeeta Kamat examines the ideal of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as proponents of grassroots development initiatives, arguing instead that NGOs serve donors over local beneficiaries. Underlying these critiques lies the more fundamental concern that “modernization” imposes Western values and undermines societies efforts to achieve prosperity while retaining their cultural identity. Harvard Professor of Economics Stephen A. Marglin examines this issue by analyzing the values and assumptions underlying economic development. His conclusion stands the symposium on its head by concluding that economic development, even as an ideal, is best understood as cultural poison.
