No Nonsense Guide To International Development

Building dams in India, planting trees in Burkina Faso, rescuing street children in Brazil - these are images of aid and international development with which we can all identify. However, what passes for development all too often improves life for the better off while actively hurting the very people the venture was meant to support. Maggie Black exposes the hypocrisy and reveals a more accurate picture of what is happening in development's name, arguing for a process to be put inplace that trule defends the interests of poor people.

"Overseas aid" and "international development" are catch-all terms that cover a multitude of activities – and abuses. Building dams in India, planting treesin Burkina Faso, and rescuing street children in Brazil are images of development with which we can all identify. But what few people realize is that the terms "aid" and "development" often mask confusion, contradiction, and even downright deceit. The updated version of 2002’s best-selling No-Nonsense Guide to International Development explains what "development" actually is – and explores its political and economic roots in history. It shows what can happen in the name of development and argues for a more organic, social approach with those it seeks to serve as equal partners in the process.

Globalisation has become one of the most used and encompassing words over the past decade, of undeniable influence in economics, politics and activism. Globalisation is literally all around; every aspect of life is affected by a global structure of communication and economy. This fully revised and updated guide condenses this complex subject into clear, concise commentary. It examines the debt trap, the acceleration of neoliberalism, competition for energy resources, the links between the war on terror, the arms trade and the alternatives to corporate control.

Wayne Roberts puts under the microscope a global food system that is under strain from climate change and from economic disaster. He shows how a world food system based on supermarkets and agribusiness corporations is unsustainable and looks at new models of producing healthy food from all over the world.

Commercial culture and the Western consumer model has globalized while gaps in wealth, food security and social provision continue to grow. This book provides a critique of the orthodoxy of economic growth in a world of finite natural resources and a blueprint for a new economic architecture.

Since the Declaration of Human Rights over fifty years ago, we acknowledge that universal rights exist, but what does this mean to someone who is tortured or denied education, work, or asylum? This No-Nonsense Guide to Human Rights looks at the theories of rights and universalism. It explores the difficult task of trying to protect human rights in war, the legal advances that have led to some rights abusers facing justice, and the conflicts that can occur when rights collide with culture.

"Development" is often misunderstood and can embrace everything from large infrastructure projects to small-scale environmental initiatives. The idea can often mask confusion, contradiction, deceit and corruption. This book is essential reading for anyone wanting to know what development actually is. It covers all the key themes and critically suggests ways to bring the poor and marginalised into the process. Maggie Black has written numerous books including titles for OUP, UNICEF and OXFAM. She has worked as a consultant for a number of NGOs (UNICEF, Anti-Slavery International and WaterAid amonst others) and has written for the Guardian, Economist, and BBC World Service.

A balanced portrayal of |real Islam|, looking beyond the common perceptions and polemical debates. It shows what Islam has achieved and shows why a better understanding of Muslims is needed throughout the world. But it also explains why Islam needs to make itself more relevant by showing it can create a tolerant and peaceful society, and explores the steps for reform. A plain-speaking, independent view that informs current debates and puts modern developments into the context of the history of Islam and its people.

The No-Nonsense Guide to the United Nations is virtually unique in UN literature in covering the whole of the UN system, not just the political bodies in New York. Maggie Black explains the structure and assesses the UN’s record on humanitarian relief, protection of the global commons, development, health, education, international law and human rights.