MAS Student Conference: Challenging Dichotomies in the Cultural and Social Aspects of Development Cooperation

The theorisation and practice of international development cooperation has many facets hinged on cultural and social dynamics. Pivotal historical events such as slavery and colonialism have shaped and continue to shape cooperation programs and projects impacting global inequality and perceptions of individual and group identities. Their relics, from racism to white saviour complexes are reflected in the continuous circle of unequal power relations and race-based interactions evident in development cooperation research and practice. Social and cultural insensitivities remain noticeable in development cooperation, and the successes envisaged by the adoption of policies such as the Paris declaration on Aid Effectiveness are being truncated by the absence of the will to implement, unrealistic expectations from affected population, as well as a lack of accountability on the part of duty-bearers.

This conference has been organized by and for NADEL MAS 2024 – 2026 cohort to critically reflect on these issues. They will do this in 4 panels focusing on the following themes:

1. Intentions don’t matter, impact does: The white saviour complex in contemporary development cooperation.
2. Powerful money and monetary power: Best practices in donor/partner relationship management in development cooperation programming
3. ‘No to 10 million’: Reconciling migration and international development cooperation
4. Update the white gaze! Rethinking development cooperation metrics and indices