About the Book

Building dams in India, planting trees in Burkina Faso, rescuing street children in Brazil – these are images of aid and international development with which we can all identify. What few people realize is that the terms ‘overseas aid’ and ‘international development’ mask confusion, contradiction, and even downright deceit. All too often what passes for development improves life for the better-off, while actively hurting the very people the venture was meant to support. In this No-Nonsense Guide Maggie Black exposes the hypocrisy and reveals a more accurate picture of what is happening in development’s name, arguing for a process to be put in place that truly defends the interests of poor people.

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Contents

Introduction

1. The history of an idea

2. Aid: the international contribution

3. Economic development: who benefits?

4. Social progress matters

5. Enter ‘sustainability’

6. Development is political

7. Where next

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About the Author / Editor

Maggie Black is an independent writer and editor on social issues relating to International development, particularly in the fields of children’s and women’s rights, and water resource management.

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