26 June 2009

Aid vs Development

Great comment by Lant Pritchett about the difference between aid and development. Most "development" interventions won't actually do anything for development even if they are phenomenally successful and increase the wellbeing of all their participants. Because development is about widespread social change and dislocation. It is about complete societal transformation. Achieving a few social aims won't necessarily have any impact upon this total transformation.

Of course Banerjee thinks we can't do development anyway so we should just focus on the small stuff. I think that lacks ambition.

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