The Ideal of Development in the Thinking of the International Community. Evolution, Changes, and Challenges

Development ideals have constantly informed the works of post - world war II international institutions, often in close dialogue with the international academic community. The paper provides a sketchy evolution of mainstream thinking and ensuing policy practices, highlighting innovations and discussing their implications. Comparing convergence and divergence paradigms, in particular, offers the possibility to reappraise the role of ethical considerations in development policymaking. Catholic social teaching offers a valuable contribution to set development challenges in a realistic and viable framework. Three challenges are specifically discussed: the risk of technocratic drifts in development theories and practice, how to make sense of an integral development perspective, and how to reorganize the joint action of international, national and local institutions around so that the poor can be active protagonist of their own development.