What comes to your mind when you hear International Development?

International development is a way of looking at community and social development locally from a global perspective; using the tools of external actors to achieve a positive change that will impact positiviely the life of a disempowered community.


While Australia is reducing the budget allocated to international aid which on the field is translated to international development initiatives, it seems there is a prevalent need in the world for cooperation at a global scale not to make war but to make peace, promote peace, encourage peace through enhancing the capabilities of peoples in different cultural groups and societies to achieve better living conditions. The truth is International Development is a very contested and particular field and practice.


International development is a field that encompasses it all, it is a way of looking at human development from a holistic stand point, considering gender roles, environment conservation and sustainability, food production, economic factors, infraestructure, population, education, health, employment, conflict, social aspects and cultural characteristics. The one million dollar question would be: How to intertwine all these aspects in a way that will empower communities to live healthy lives and how important would cross sector collaboration be in achieving results for less advantaged community groups at local and international level?

Picture from the Australian Study Tour as part of the German-Chilean-Australian cooperation project with the Government of Paraguay entitled 'Paraguay Working Together' (Community Works, July 2012)