ABSTRACT GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AND ITS DISCONTENTS: RETHINKING THE THEORY AND PRACTICEByAnna Malavisi Global development is comprised of a system of ideas, policies, institutions and individuals all concerned with the amelioration of the living conditions of those populations living in disadvantaged conditions. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 25, Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and Article 22, Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized. So, in a way the system of global development has been set up as a way to respond to these two human rights, first to provide all children, women and men with the fulfillment of basic necessities and second to ensure that the social and international order responds appropriately. However, in the reality this is not so. I argue that if we are really serious about the impact of global development, then this requires a rethinking of the theory and practice. Despite efforts made to contribute to the amelioration of people's lives in the name of development, human development indicators continue to be alarming: more than a billion people are malnourished, 884 million people do not have access to clean water, basic sanitation is denied to 2.5 billion people and 774 million people cannot read and write. Although the causes of these evident deprivations are not entirely due to development, it could be argued that due to the ineffectiveness of development these situations are not adequately addressed. Some of the problems particular to development include the implementation of inappropriate projects and programs; the dynamics of relationships between the multiple actors who play a role in development often entrenched in power and domination; and poor mechanisms of accountability. This has resulted in trillions of dollars invested in the name of development, but I would argue with poor results. In my dissertation I offer a more in-depth analysis and understanding of the current development paradigm, its theory and practice. There are two fundamental problems in development. First, there is a rather token and weak presence of an ethical dimension and second, the suppression of knowledge or what Boaventura de Sousa Santos calls, "a form of epistemicide." There is another dimension to the way the global north has imposed a capitalist and imperial order on the global south that is often missed or blatantly ignored. This is epistemological. Therefore, I argue that implementing a strong ethical approach to development and understanding epistemic injustice in development will help to respond to severe global problems such as poverty and hunger in a different way. I particularly focus on neglected tropical diseases (NTD), a group of tropical diseases that occur all over the world but are markedly absent from the affluent countries. Using the example of NTD, I analyze how current development paradigms and approaches fail to address gross injustices such as the health disparities in the treatment and cure of these diseases. My ultimate aim is to offer an analysis of the problem of NTD from a development ethics perspective which intersects with feminist epistemology. From my own analysis which also draws on my experience, I venture to argue that one of the fundamental problems of development theory and practice is grounded in theoretical discussions of knowledge, and how this knowledge is then applied in the practice. First, I introduce an interpretation of global development from a theoretical standpoint as well as its practice. Second, I analyse the situation of NTD, and particularly Chagas Disease as a consequence of the failings of development. Third, I argue for a strong ethical approach in development and propose what a strong ethical approach should entail. Fourth, I discuss the notion of epistemic injustice in global development. Lastly, I offer some recommendations for the practice of development based on a strong ethical approach and epistemic justice.
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