Alternative development in a post-aid world

Abstract

In 2020, Liberian scholar-activist and author Robtel Neajai Pailey re-invigorated a debate about the colonial underpinnings of mainstream development and their racist logics with an influential journal article entitled ‘De-centering the “White Gaze” of Development’. She has since distinguished herself as a critical public voice on decoloniality. In this ‘keynote conversation’ with Finnish Society for Development Research (FSDR) member Eija Ranta – held during FSDR’s Development Days conference in 2026 at the University of Helsinki – Pailey reflects on whether the international aid system can be considered a catalyst for socio-economic transformation or a tool of neo-colonial control. She traces the evolution of international aid, explores varying perspectives on development assistance and highlights alternatives to the great aid debate. Ultimately, she maps out whether a post-aid world is possible and how the so-called ‘Global South’ can move beyond aid.