The No-Nonsense Guide to International Development

‘Overseas aid’ and ‘international development’ are catch-all terms that cover a multitude of activities – and abuses. Building dams in India, planting trees in Burkina Faso and rescuing street children in Brazil are images of development with which we can all identify. But what few people realise is that the terms aid and development often mask confusion, contradiction, and even downright deceit.

This No-Nonsense Guide explains what ‘development’ actually is – and explores its political and economic roots in history. It shows what can happen in the name of development and argues for a more organic, social approach with those it seeks to serve as equal partners in the process.

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?

About the Author: Maggie Black has written books for OUP, UNICEF, and Oxfam. She has worked as a consultant for UNICEF, Anti-Slavery International, and WaterAid, among others, and has written for the Guardian, The Economist and BBC World Service.