The Importance of Mahatma Gandhi in Development Thinking
Eberhard Weber
Time: 12–1 pm
Venue: GEO01A Tutorial Room, Marine Campus
Paradigms in development thinking have changed several times since the end of the World War II. The modernisation theories of the 1950s and 1960s were replaced by theories of dependent development. With the ‘end of the Third World’ in the 1980s, many also saw the end of development theory as a universal concept. Reflections on what is crucial for development led to a reconsideration of modern and post-modern approaches. What many consider crucial for the development process today played hardly a role until the late 1980s.
New issues have come up. These include indigenous knowledge, the importance of cultural identity for the development process, the concept of civil society and changing perspectives on states and state power in economic and political development. Possibly most important has been the emergence of the concept of sustainable development and attempts to reconcile environmental, economic and social aspects of development.
The presentation reflects on changes in development paradigms in the past 65 years and looks at how the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi can challenge add valuable insights to the discussion.
