Development theory and development in practice : a dialogue

Abstract

In the age of ever increasing connectivity, it is hard to remain disinterested in the plight of people who are either near us or thousands of miles away. People are willing to learn about the issues troubling others, and frequently they are willing to organise themselves and sacrifice both their time and hard-earned income to support a cause which they identify with. In fact, a Euro barometer survey indicates that within the European Union, Europeans show solidarity even in times of [economic] crisis... [up to] 85% find development aid very important or fairly important (Euro barometer, 2011). This is encouraging for the European Union: despite the global economic crisis, the solidarity towards the need to help others in developing countries has changed very little since 2009 (Euro barometer, 2012). At a more global level, there are greater attempts made for international coordination on issues such as poverty reduction, environmental sustainability and accountability.