ABSTRACT
The chapter introduces the theme of the book: the structures in speaking and writing about ‘development’ and what they have to do with relations of power. It shows that the origin of development cooperation in Truman’s inaugural address in 1949 is linked to the desire to replace the colonial discourse between North and South with a more attractive model in order to maintain access to the resources and markets of Africa and Asia. This new discourse of ‘development’ promised affluence within the context of global capitalism to keep decolonising countries from joining the communist camp. In the 21st century, the Sustainable Development Goals can be seen as a contemporary manifestation of this discourse. Despite some progressive elements, they are old wine in a new bottle, fulfilling a similar function. Based on this, the chapter outlines a theory of ‘development aid’ in the context of global capitalism.
