Globalizations· 2026Q1
Alternative development in a post-aid world
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- 2026year
Short summary
Liberian scholar-activist Robtel Neajai Pailey argues that the international aid system may function as a tool of neo-colonial control rather than socio-economic transformation, proposing a post-aid world where the Global South can move beyond aid dependency.
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Key points
- The international aid system is critically assessed for its potential neo-colonial underpinnings.
- Pailey's work challenges the 'White Gaze' inherent in mainstream development theories.
- The abstract highlights the exploration of alternatives to traditional development assistance.
- A key focus is on the possibility and pathways towards a post-aid world for the Global South.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
In 2020, Liberian scholar-activist and author Robtel Neajai Pailey re-invigorated a debate about the colonial underpinnings of mainstream development and their racist logics with an influential journal article entitled ‘De-centering the “White Gaze” of Development’. She has since distinguished herself as a critical public voice on decoloniality. In this ‘keynote conversation’ with Finnish Society for Development Research (FSDR) member Eija Ranta – held during FSDR’s Development Days conference in 2026 at the University of Helsinki – Pailey reflects on whether the international aid system can be considered a catalyst for socio-economic transformation or a tool of neo-colonial control. She traces the evolution of international aid, explores varying perspectives on development assistance and highlights alternatives to the great aid debate. Ultimately, she maps out whether a post-aid world is possible and how the so-called ‘Global South’ can move beyond aid.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Globalizations, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Development
DevelopmentSocial Sciences