Alternative to Development?

Abstract

Through an in-depth study of Canadian NGOs, my thesis explores the degree, if any, to which NGO discourse intersects with post-development theory. A growing body of post-development literature, Ferguson (1990), Matthews (2008), proposes that development goals should focus on making policy changes in the developed world while development projects themselves should be initiated at the grass-root level in the developing world. I will investigate if and how post-development theory parallels “development” practice of Canadian NGOs. To do so, I analyze five different NGOs through interviews and documents, such as published reports and studies released by the organizations in question.