ABSTRACT

Global development intervention is intended to benefit our communities through positive social change, doing good work. But when the performance of development becomes more a matter of looking good, then the goal of doing well may be sacrificed. This interest in the spectacle of public appearance may result in a lack of accountability towards solving significant global problems. Doing well draws our attention to how people may (or may not) benefit over time given strategic intervention, necessary if we are to learn, reflect, and improve our projects for social change. This chapter focuses on bilateral branding by wealthy donor agencies situated in Bethlehem and Hebron, which are sites of considerable and significant political contestation in the West Bank. The analysis raises a concern that the potential to work towards social justice on a global scale is challenged when concerns with public perception are allowed to overshadow effective and ethical implementation.