Expert: date=March 2008

This article is about international development. See the closely related concept of development cooperation. For other forms of development, see development (disambiguation).

International development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development - the development of livelihoods and greater quality of life for humans. It therefore encompasses foreign aid, governance, healthcare, education, gender equality, disaster preparedness, infrastructure, economics, human rights, environment and issues associated with these.

International development is by definitionFact: date=November 2008 a process undertaken by countries and communities with assistance from other nations' governments and communities, from international non-governmental organisations (such as charities) or from intergovernmental organisations (such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank). As such it is distinct from development which would take place anyway, without international involvement.Fact: date=March 2008

International development is also distinct from, though conceptually related to, disaster relief and humanitarian aid. While these two forms of international support seek to alleviate some of the problems associated with a lack of development, they are most often short term fixes - they are not necessarily long-term solutions. International development, on the other hand, seeks to implement long-term solutions to problems by helping developing countries create the necessary capacity needed to provide such sustainable solutions to their problems. A truly sustainable development project is one which will be able to carry on indefinitely with no further international involvement or support, whether it be financial or otherwise.

International development projects may consist of a single, transformative project to address a specific problem or a series of projects targeted at several aspects of society.

History

Although international relations and international trade have existed for many hundreds of years it is only in the past century that international development theory emerged as a separate body of ideas. More specifically, it has been suggested that 'the theory and practice of development is inherently technocratic, and remains rooted in the high modernist period of political thought that existed in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War'.

Post World War II

The second half of the 20th century has been called the 'era of development'. The origins of this era have been attributed to:

• the need for reconstruction in the immediate aftermath of World War II;
• the evolution of colonialism or "colonization" into globalization and the establishment of new free trade policies between so-called 'developed' and 'underdeveloped' nations.Fact: date=January 2008
• the start of the Cold War and the desire of the United States and its allies to prevent the Third World from drifting towards communism.Fact: date=January 2008