Issues in Caribbean development (Part 1)

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to define development and outline the three concepts of development.

We live in a world of unprecedented opulence; of a kind that would have been hard even to imagine a century or two ago. Due to development, there have been remarkable changes beyond the economic sphere. The 20th century has established democratic and participatory governance as the preeminent model of political organisation and, moreover, people live much longer, on the average, than ever before. Also, the different regions of the globe are more closely linked than in previous years. Commendably, this is not only in the fields of trade, commerce and communication, but also in terms of intellectual ideas and ideals (Sen, 1999). A simple definition for the term ‘development’ is the way in which a country’s resources are used to meet the basic needs of its people and the quality of life they have (Ottley, Gentles & Dawson, 2013). The study of development has, over time, involved a focus on various issues, notably political, economic, social and cultural concerns. In the same breath, it should be noted that there are three major concepts of development which include sustainable development, economic development, and human development.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

This type of development looks at meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)in January 2016. Otherwise known as the Global Goals, they are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

These 17 goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, while including new areas, such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice, among other priorities. The goals are interconnected – often the key to success on one will involve tackling issues more commonly associated with another.

The SDGs work in the spirit of partnership and pragmatism to make the right choices to improve life, in a sustainable way, for future generations. They provide clear guidelines and targets for all countries to adopt in accordance with their own priorities and the environmental challenges of the world at large. The SDGs are an inclusive agenda. They tackle the root causes of poverty and unite people to make a positive change for both themselves and the planet. Above is a graphical representation of all 17 goals proposed by the UNDP to achieve sustainable development.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Economic development first became a major concern