"Measures of democracy and legitimacy are often conflated. This is especially problematic in post-conflict countries where the level of democracy is often very low and alternative forms of legitimacy are nevertheless present..."
Dagher, R. (2021). Reconstructing our Understanding of State Legitimacy in Post-Conflict States: Building on Local Perspectives: Palgrave Macmillan.
“The struggle against neo-colonialism is not aimed at excluding the capital of the developed world from operating in less developed countries. It is aimed at preventing the financial power of the developed countries being used in such a way as to impoverish the less developed.”
Nkrumah, 1965, Neocolonialism. The Last Stage of Imperialism, p.5
"The cognitive empire/metaphysical empire operates through the invasion of the mental universe of its victims, in the process emptying the hard disk of African memory and downloading into African minds the software of European memory"
Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S. J. (2020). Decolonization, development and knowledge in Africa: turning over a new leaf. Routledge. Chapitre 2. p.29
“To decolonize knowledge, we would need, at a minimum, to deconstruct the national origin of knowledge and, of course, of power.”
Ivekovic, R. (2012). Conditions d’une dénationalisation et décolonisation des savoirs. Mouvements, 4(72), 36.
"Starting the story of ‘development’ and ‘aid’ in the present as disconnected from the past turns questions of responsibility and structural reform into matters of empathy and generosity...”
Paige, S. (2021), Time to Decolonize Aid: Insights and lessons from a global consultation, Peace Direct, 2021. p.20
“The silence or ignorance of racism in our field, far from being a passive absence or simply referring to ‘not knowing’, has an epistemology that produces and normalises racism as a political system.”
Sriprakash, A., Tikly, L., & Walker, S. (2020). The erasures of racism in education and international development: re-reading the ‘global learning crisis.’ Compare, 50(5), 677.
Post-development also suffers from a ‘white gaze’ problem in that it remains conspicuously silent on race, racism and racialized forms of Northern hegemony.
Pailey, R. N. (2020). De-centring the ‘White Gaze’ of Development. Development and Change, 51(3), 739.
“The struggle against neo-colonialism is not aimed at excluding the capital of the developed world from operating in less developed countries. It is aimed at preventing the financial power of the developed countries being used in such a way as to impoverish the less developed.”
Nkrumah, 1965, Neocolonialism. The Last Stage of Imperialism, p.5
"Measures of democracy and legitimacy are often conflated. This is especially problematic in post-conflict countries where the level of democracy is often very low and alternative forms of legitimacy are nevertheless present..."
Dagher, R. (2021). Reconstructing our Understanding of State Legitimacy in Post-Conflict States: Building on Local Perspectives: Palgrave Macmillan.
“To decolonize knowledge, we would need, at a minimum, to deconstruct the national origin of knowledge and, of course, of power.”
Ivekovic, R. (2012). Conditions d’une dénationalisation et décolonisation des savoirs. Mouvements, 4(72), 36.
"Starting the story of ‘development’ and ‘aid’ in the present as disconnected from the past turns questions of responsibility and structural reform into matters of empathy and generosity...”
Paige, S. (2021), Time to Decolonize Aid: Insights and lessons from a global consultation, Peace Direct, 2021. p.20
Post-development also suffers from a ‘white gaze’ problem in that it remains conspicuously silent on race, racism and racialized forms of Northern hegemony.
Pailey, R. N. (2020). De-centring the ‘White Gaze’ of Development. Development and Change, 51(3), 739.
“The silence or ignorance of racism in our field, far from being a passive absence or simply referring to ‘not knowing’, has an epistemology that produces and normalises racism as a political system.”
Sriprakash, A., Tikly, L., & Walker, S. (2020). The erasures of racism in education and international development: re-reading the ‘global learning crisis.’ Compare, 50(5), 677.
“Unfortunately, another lesson from history is that rich countries have ‘pulled up the ladder’ by imposing free-market and free-trade policies on poor countries…”
Chang, H. (2007) Bad Samaritans, 36. The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism (2008), p.36.
“Unfortunately, another lesson from history is that rich countries have ‘pulled up the ladder’ by imposing free-market and free-trade policies on poor countries. Already established countries do not want more competitors emerging through the nationalistic policies they themselves successfully used in the past.”
Chang, H. (2007) Bad Samaritans, 36. The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism (2008), p.36.
"The cognitive empire/metaphysical empire operates through the invasion of the mental universe of its victims, in the process emptying the hard disk of African memory and downloading into African minds the software of European memory"
Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S. J. (2020). Decolonization, development and knowledge in Africa: turning over a new leaf. Routledge. Chapitre 2. p.29
Ways we Reimagine Development
Podcasts
Adev World’s podcast-style series like Development 101 offers deep, student-friendly explorations of global development topics, from historical roots of national debt to how international institutions influence policy. Each episode breaks down complex issues in accessible language, making it perfect for learners curious about development, equity, and global systems
Events/Workshops
As part of our mission to engage young people in criticial dialogue about international development, ADEV events and workshops are especially student focused. These gatherings, whether aim to connect students with peers and experts, to unpack real-world development challenges, and build community around inclusive, outside of the box solutions. These are ideal for students seeking active, discussion-based learning experiences.
Blogs
ADEV blogs feature insightful articles and commentaries that complement their mission of expanding critical understanding of development issues. Topics might include analyses of economic systems, cultural narratives from non-Western contexts, and reflections on policy and social change, crafted to help students and young professionals deepen their knowledge and challenge conventional explanations
