Where we came from Having concentrated too long on the basic human needs approach was a time consuming diversion from any serious attempt to change the prevailing unjust order. 1.…
-To better learn from purported development miracles, it is necessary to demystify them. (Jomo Sundaram) -Myths about human rights are like zombies that never seem to die. It is only…
-As relates to the abuse of power, take the issue of transnational corporations (e.g., ‘Big Food’): As evident from their trade associations and non-governmental front organizations, they work as a…
-The most successful transnational corporations in the world are those that are maiming the planet and many of its people –and the rich countries that house those TNCs are the…
A tough period is ahead of us, charged with many challenges. We have to think hard, reflect; we have to (re)invent and continue dreaming: never give up! (Jorge Scherman) 1.…
In reality, if people get closer and look those who govern us in the eye they will often be astonished by their mediocrity. (Voltaire) It is known for economists and…
1. Conventional historians are inclined to use histori¬cal information of previous historians to supplement what they find during their research and to flesh out old and/or new details provided by…
The end justifies the means when something justifies the end (Joseph Stalin) 1. In case you have not noticed it, consensus positions are pushed by the powerful to benefit the…
-In the post-truth era, it is not pessimism that is called-for, realism is. Perhaps truth will ultimately survive and there will be a renaissance. It will take a long time…
In development work, there is a tendency to confuse political discourse with technical knowledge, enhancing the power of select experts over a) political actors/activists, and b) over the empirical knowledge…