The following is a call for papers for a proposed invited student session of the American Anthropological Association’s 102nd Conference in Chicago, IL, USA, November 19-23, 2003. Abstracts should be no longer than 250 words, and the deadline for submitting abstracts for consideration is February 15, 2003.

Proposed Student Session on International Development, American Anthropological Assoc. Annual Meeting, Nov 19-23, 2003, Chicago, IL USA Co-organizers:

• Tara Hefferan (Michigan State U)
• Keri Brondo (Michigan State U)

Discussants: Dr. Laurie Kroshus Medina (Michigan State U) and other TBA

Crafting Peace and Prosperity through International Development: The 50-Year ‘Crash’ and the Struggle to Continue
Session Abstract

International development is a post-World War II phenomena propelled by a modernist paradigm, and belief in growth, progress and social engineering. Development institutions, programs and projects originally were created to serve two primary purposes: first, to promote long-term growth and poverty reduction in developing countries; and second, to further the short-term political and strategic interests of the donors. In recent years, under pressure from globalization and neoliberalism, these goals have become increasingly challenged, modified and reformulated.

Global forces are uniting, dividing, and transforming development practices, programs and targeted populations, as well as those who study these processes and peoples. As development becomes increasingly privatized and ‘deprofessionalized,’ new actors are emerging to craft new forms of development theory and practice, often with an explicit focus on what development does or should mean to those being ‘developed.’ This panel explores newly emerging development actors and agents [e.g. faith-based institutions, NGOs, indigenous organizations], critically examining the effects these new agents have in the development field, and why struggles to develop persist.

Possible topics for presenters to explore include:

• How do actors’ political motivations shape the future of development?
• Are these new actors better skilled at meeting the needs/demands of the people they wish to ‘develop,’ especially in this post-war/emerging war era?
• What are the effects of NGOs on development theory and practice?
• How are actors challenging, reworking or appropriating dominant notions of development?
• How do religious motivations impact project design?
• How is state-led development different from NGO-led development?
• How has gender-focused development been impacted by globalization and neoliberalism?
• What propels citizen involvement in development practice?

Instructions:
When submitting your 250 word abstract for consideration, please include title of paper, author’s name, affiliations, student status, and addresses including email and telephone numbers. Details for presentations and preparation of papers will be sent upon acceptance of your abstract by the session's organizers. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2003.

Submit abstracts by mail, fax or email attachment (preferred) to: