ABSTRACT
Dutch development co-operation with countries of the Third World has undergone considerable change during the last few decades. This is true with respect to its objectives, the size of the aid budget and its composition, as well as its geographical distribution. Thinking about development aid has also drastically changed during this period among politicians, scholars and the general public in the Netherlands. This contribution focuses on the relationship between this 'thinking' and the practice of development aid through a case study of bilateral development cooperation between the Netherlands and Mali during the period 19751996. Key questions are:
• To what extent have changes in the Netherlands-Mali aid relationship been affected by the evolution of development theory?
