ABSTRACT
The rise of the discourse of development in the twentieth century constitutes a form of amnesia through which the past of colonialism, and its presence as neocolonialism, are forgotten. Development policy, the international aid regime and the goal of poverty reduction are seen as the product of a benevolent world order. This world order is made up of sovereign states and rests on principles of political equality, self-determination, non-interference and mutual respect. It has grown from the original ‘international society’ which was born in Europe, and has since spread to encompass the whole world (Bull and Watson 1984). Some states are poor, others are rich, but the rich states help the poor states to develop, in a civilised and civilising, enlightened international system. Even some critical approaches in International Relations reproduce this narrative of Western civilisation:
[m]odernity’s qualities [the tendency to universalise rights, respect differences and reduce inequalities] are also evident in the recent development of the international society of states. Scope restrictions that prevented non-Europeans from gaining admission to European society have been lifted, at least for those groups with the power to constitute themselves as separate states. [. . .] The commitment to pacify the society of states without converting it into empire is a [. . .] pronounced theme in the modern society of states.
