Resetting Our Goals?

In the article, “Development as a Buzzword”, Gilbert Rist asserts that “Despite it’s widespread usage, the meaning of the term ‘development’ remains vague, tending to refer to a set of beliefs and assumptions about the nature of social progress rather than to anything more precise.” We often talk about countries with words like ‘third-world’ and ‘first-world’ or  ‘developing’ and ‘developed’. Viewing countries in this way is problematic. Firstly, ‘development’ implies a certain type of progress to increase quality of life – one of expansion of infrastructure, commerce, and regulation. Secondly, it connotes that this type of progress is clandestine and that all countries must become like the ‘first-world’. Thirdly, it is a part of the mistaken belief that countries can grow indefinitely and that all countries can reach the same level of affluence as the ‘first-world’ (we know that this is not sustainable).

While I agree with many points brought up in the article, there seems to be a disconnect between it and real world application. Viewing the ‘first-world’ way as the only way is oppressive and problematic in many ways, but some forms of development actually do improve quality of life. Speaking from my own experience here, when you tear a ligament in your knee you want a medical system to take care of you. There is only one MRI machine for the South of Israel; to get an appointment with it took two months (from the date of the orthopedist’s request; a week passed the injury date).

There are projects that the people affected want, need, and deserve. This piece is also somewhat insensitive to the needs of people in ‘developing countries’. It is contemptible to tell a nation with less infrastructure and resources to not seek these things, because such things will not bring them true happiness or be sustainable (all while still benefiting from these things ourselves).

By no means is development always good. Development can misallocate resources. We saw this when our school visited Jordan and saw Aquaba’s ‘Green’ golf course in the desert (as well as the many spa-resorts and hotels). Development can also impose an outsider’s will, and either be folly or be a loss of human diversity.  We saw the later when our school visited Rahat on the same trip. Rahat is a Bedouin village in central Israel. Bedouins are a nomadic people, and in the case of Rahat, have only recently been compelled to settle. Not only was there a loss of Bedouin culture that came with settling, but there is not sufficient water access and the livelihoods of the people there are dependent on government subsidies for children (we were made aware by the mayor that there are so many children in Rahat, that the average age is 12). While we should be wary of development projects that do not improve the lives of people affected (by their own standards – which is vital), we cannot cease our attempts to help others.

Rist, Gilbert. “Development as a Buzzword.” Development in Practice 17.4/5 (2007): 485-491.