By: Cara-Marie Findlay
One could argue that since the “formal” inception of aid and international development, Eurocentrism has been at the core. Eurocentrism, meaning that the countries associated with the “West” or “Global North,” and their roles, have been the central focus. In fact, many academics credit the beginning of formal aid programs with the Marshall Plan of 1948—an initiative to invest foreign aid in an effort to help Europe rebuild after World War II.
Previously, imperial powers such as Britain, France and Germany made economic investments in their colonies, and American tycoons created foundations that participated in aid and humanitarian work. However, it was only after World War II that aid and international development programs continued to take shape and went on to expand beyond Europe and into countries that had been previously colonised.
With the expansion of aid and international development into the Global South, the Global North—places like North America, Western Europe, and Australia—became the standard.
‘There was the idea that countries [in the Global South] had to catch up…[while the countries in the Global North] were the goal that everybody else had to reach.”
– Rosalind Eyben, Author of International Aid and Making the World A Better Place
That Eurocentric point of view permeated all aspects of aid and international development work and translated into the levers of power over Development—including, policy, practice, and scholarship.
But w
hat was once shrouded in darkness, has now come to light. In recent years, and thanks in large part to new media like social media platforms, there have been more (and overdue) discussions about racism and the need to decolonise development. Undoubtedly, these conversations can be uncomfortable and unsettling for many who are used to the old way of Development. But Development is changing (and must change!) in order to be transformative and effective.
I intend to use my series of blog posts to explore how new media has helped to facilitate these discussions on racism and decolonisation within Development, especially through “writing back” or “challenging colonial cultural attitudes” (McEwan).
In my opinion, it is one aspect of what Tony Roberts refers to as Development in a Digital World, that is “doing international development in an increasingly digitalised context.”
Sources
McEwan, C. (2019). Postcolonialism, decoloniality and development. Routledge.
Phillips, K. (2013). The history of foreign aid – World. ReliefWeb. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/history-foreign-aid
Roberts, T. (2019). Digital Development: What’s In a Name. Appropraiting Technology. http://www.appropriatingtechnology.org/?q=node/302
This is indeed the “elephant in the room” that everyone tends to look the other way when it comes to development.
Yes, the Eurocentric view of international development has endured for decades with no regard as to what the Global South has to say or offer about “how” they want to become developed. From geopolitics to humanitarian aid, the Global North has dominated the stage by power relations and monetary resources. Thanks to new media, however, more and more people can speak up about what is best for them and find their own voice. “Writing back” in a postcolonial era is essential to preserve cultural identity and self-representation.
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