Henk Jochemsen Director Prisma, Holder special chair Christian Philosophy Wageningen University

1. TheChristian international NGO: direction ,value and impactChristian thought in the development agendaBrussels, May 28, 2013 Henk Jochemsen Director Prisma, Holder special chair Christian Philosophy Wageningen University

2. Development- what is it? President Truman, January 1949“ • …… we must embark on a bold new program for making the benefits of our scientific advances and industrial progress available for the improvement and growth of underdeveloped areas. ……”. • In course of 20e century: development cooperation a whole of policy and projects, infrastructure, capitalandtechnology transfer • Years 60 and 70: not the expected results • Years 80: neoliberal approach: more emphasis on market • But: industrialization leads to environmental problems • Focus on Sustainable development • (Brundtland, Our common future, 1987)

3. Characteristics of modern development cooperation • Approach from a ‘deficit’ of other cultures • Translation into ‘project’s’ • Goal-oriented (technological) interventions • Linear causality between interventions and results • Desire for quantitative measuring of effects • But maintaining basic economic power structures • DC is project of modernity EU-Cord#HJ

4. http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/centres/tax/Documents/reports/TaxEvasionReportDFIDFINAL1906.pdf en http://www.christianaid.org.uk/Images/false-profits.pdf EU-Cord#HJ 12-01-09 PhilCulture#HJ 4

5. Modernity • Premodern, European: • World is disrupted but embodies spiritual and moral order • Mankind forms part of it and has special status/steward • Modern • Human being primarily rational subject and source of his values • World (incl. human body): matter and energy to study, control and use • Rise of modern science and technology • Social reality is historic construction • Ethics • Careful procedure • Limit harm EU-Cord#HJ

6. Development and poverty • Modernization led to industrialization, colonialism and recently to globalization • Positive effects, but also exploitation of the ‘developing’ countries, • Increased gap between the South and the ‘North’ and increased poverty for large groups • On the basis of charity, concern, justice and self- interest about 60 years ago the ‘West’ (= the North) began with ‘development aid’ EU-Cord#HJ

7. ‘Development’, dominant late-modern, liberal concept • Material economic growth • Dominant role of the market (since 80’s of 20th century) • Unresolved tension with nature conservation and sustainability • Anthropocentrism • Technical approach • Emphasis on individual rights, mitigated by participatory approach • Social structures are supposedly value-free • Blind spot for religion EU-Cord#HJ

8. Another approach at SCO level: a normative practice • Existing structures not value-free but normatively pre-structured; among others in social practices • A practice is a coherent form of historically developed coherent form of human activity • Reason for existence: a specific value, its finality or telos, realised by • observing a constellation of quality standards (principles and rules; rules mainly matter of ‘know how’) • Those principles and norms derived from core value that is reason for existence of the practice EU-Cord#HJ

9. Structure of Professional practices P Professional practices have characteristic constellations of principles and norms A variety of types of norms: psychological, logical (scientific), technical, social, juridical, economic, ethical N F P N EU-Cord#HJ

10. Development cooperation as a professional practice • What is ‘telos’ of development? • Economic growth? Progress? Happiness? • Cf. Goudzwaard’s turning around of value hierarchy • Development: aiming at wellbeing (McGregor) • Basic needs • Experienced quality of life • Experience of meaning in relation with others • Development as value-realisation in practices and institutions: disclosure of meaning EU-Cord#HJ

11. Telos of Development cooperation To support the process of development: helping people to establish and improve their practices and their value realization Disclosure of the institutions and practices and their meaning EU-Cord#HJ

12. Core activities of Development cooperation Educating/ training/empowering people for practices and establishing institutions Core activity: Facilitation, brokering, coaching, education, training; the target group should remain agents of their development Qualifying aspect is the formative (historical, cultural technical) aspect (like in education) Core value/normative principle: meaning-oriented shaping EU-Cord#HJ

13. Quantitative (discrete amount) Spatial (continuous space) Kinematic (movement) Physical (energy + mass, forces) Biotic / Organic (life functions + organisms) Sensitive / Psychic (sense, feeling, emotion) Analytical (distinction, conceptualization) Formative (deliberate shaping: history, culture, technology, achievement) Lingual (meaning carried by symbols) Social ('we': sociality, relationships, roles) Economic (frugal management of resources) Aesthetic (harmony, surprise, play, enjoyment; expressiveness) Juridical (due: responsibilities+rights; justice) Ethical (self-giving love, generosity; care ) Pistic (vision, aspiration, commitment, belief) Normative perspectives philosophy of H. Dooyeweerd

14. ‘Direction’ of practice, role of faith & religion • Actual performance of practices ‘directed’ by ‘world view’: • Beliefs and convictions for finding and interpreting meaning • Regulates interpretation of the situation and the rules • Religion, a source for that esp. in developing countries • Religion-inspired beliefs on development should be debatable in public sphere EU-Cord#HJ

15. Behaviour, culture and religion Visible problems in culture are the tip of the iceberg of underlying values and beliefs EU-Cord#HJ

16. Direction and christian faith • Christian notions influencing the direction of development practice • Creation motive • Evil and disorder • Liberation and salvation motive • Eschatological motive: anti-utopian EU-Cord#HJ

17. Practice and virtues • Competent performance of practices requires virtues (stable normative attitudes; embodiment of principles) • The principles and norms of the practice should be observed ‘naturally’, ‘spontaneously’ • Understanding; interest, receptiveness, postponing judgement • Openness • Honesty • Trust, modesty and calmness • Wisdom, prudence, courage EU-Cord#HJ

18. Implications (1) • The modern concept of development has led to a number of global crises (finance, food, fuel) • Yet this modern concept still guiding in most developmental policies of wealthy countries • Has only been partially successful in combating poverty • If successful it will worsen the crises • Change of mind set and system required EU-Cord#HJ

19. Implications (2) Respect inherent normativity in reality: ecological and cultural sustainability in addition to social and economic Pursuit of well-being requires global awareness From an exploitative to a recycling economy (cradle-to-cradle, bio-economy) Non-trade concerns count in WTO negotiations Broader set of indicators for ‘development’ than GNP (e.g. indicators like Human development index, HDI EU-Cord#HJ

20. Thank you for your attention See www.prismaweb.org EU-Cord#HJ

21. Effects of Interventions on culture and behaviour EU-Cord#HJ

22. www.HDR_2010_EN_Complete_Reprint.pdf p.13 EU-Cord#HJ 14-02-11 PhilCulture#HJ 22