While we’re gearing up to start reading July 1st, I thought I would post some relevant articles, about working in and studying development.
First is a segment from “Discourse analysis in international development studies: Mapping some contemporary contributions” by Dimitri della Faille of the University of Quebec. I found the definition of international development on page 218 (page 3 in the pdf) suitable for the diverse range of books and perspectives we will soon read. Faille recognizes the difficulty of defining the ambiguous term and provides a brief history as to how its meaning has expanded from attaining steady economic growth to the diverse goals it is connected to today.
He defines international development as:
“the ensemble of strategies, ideas, policies and institutions put in place since the end of World War II that recognize development, whichever meaning is attached to it (economic growth, poverty reduction, global peace, etc.), as a central motivation for the actions they undertake.”
What do you think of this definition? How do you define “international development”?
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The Development Book Club 
I think the definition is on its way there but is limited. It completely ignores the colonial legacies inherent in the ideas that govern development.
http://obibinibruni.org/
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