Reflections on Development - Part 1: What 'Development' Truly Means
Reflections on Development 1 Reflections on Development - Part 1: What 'Development' Truly Means 2 Reflections on Development - Part 2: Beyond GDP - Measuring Material Progress and Well-being 3 Reflections on Development - Part 3: The Human Element - Investing in the 'Creativity of the Poor' 4 Reflections on Development - Part 4: The Cultural Context - Institutions, Values, and Sustainable Change 5 Reflections on Development - Part 5: The Synthesis - Turning Reflections into Collective Action ← Series Home Key Takeaways The “Confused Present”: Many developing societies are racing toward the future without a clear destination, trapped in consumption rather than production. Technology Transfer Illusion: Buying a factory doesn’t mean acquiring technology—technology is the knowledge and capability to design, build, and adapt. Cultural Code: Development cannot be air-dropped onto a society; it must be compatible with its values, history, and social fabric. Endogenous Development: Growth that comes from within, valuing traditional knowledge and local resources. Core Question Shift: Move from “How can we buy what they have?” to “How can we solve our problems using what we have?” In a world obsessed with GDP figures, skyscrapers, and the latest tech trends, it is easy to mistake “modernization” for “development.” We often look at developed nations and think the path forward is simply to copy their output—to buy their machines, adopt their lifestyle, and import their systems. ...