The Post-Development Dictionary agenda: paths to the pluriverse

by Federico Demaria & Ashish Kothari

Important characters:
• Federico Demaria
He is an environmental scientist working on ecological economics and political ecology at the
Environmental Science and Technology Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain). He is
a founding member of Research & Degrowth, an academic association dedicated to research,
awareness raising, and events organization around the topic of degrowth.
Currently, he is the Deputy coordinator of the research project EnvJustice, funded by the European
Research Council, that aims to study and contribute to the global environmental justice movement.
His research focuses on how to promote a socio-ecological transformation beyond economic growth.
What’s more, he works in connection with the Societal Transition for a Sustainable Economy focus
area.

• Ashish Kothari (August 15, 1961 – India)

He began working on environment and development issues in his school days in 1978-79, as one of
the founders of Kalpavriksh, an Indian environmental NGO.
In his life he did lots of things, including teaching, and what’s more, he has served on the Board of
Directors of Greenpeace International and Greenpeace India.
Ashish has served on the Indian Government’s Environmental Appraisal Committee on River Valley
Projects, and Expert Committees to formulate India’s Biological Diversity Act and National Wildlife
Action Plan. He is the author or editor of over 30 books and over 400 articles.

• Arturo Escobar (November 20, 1952, Manizales, Colombia)

He is a Colombian-American anthropologist and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. His academic research interests include political
ecology, anthropology of development, social movements, anti-globalization movements, political
ontology, and post development theory.

• Wolfgang Sachs (November 25, 1946, Munich, Germany)

He is a German environmentalist and essayist. He argues that there are three ways to achieve
sustainable development that are connected with security crises: the perspective for the home, the
perspective of an astronaut and the endogenous perspective.

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In this article explain several visions of Post-Development are explained and briefly also what is
deepened in the book The Post-Development Dictionary agenda. A starting point is certainly the
criticism of the volume The Development Dictionary edited by Wolfgang Sachs. It is a pioneering
book, where leading development experts around the world review key concepts, critically examine
them and highlight contradictions. It is as if it were an invitation to escape the domination of
economism to formulate new strategies.

Post-Development is generally meant as an era or approach in which development would no longer

be the central organising principle of social life. It is related to three aspects:
1. Post-capitalism
2. De-growth
3. Post-patriarchy
The current mood is “to search for alternatives in a deeper sense, that is, aiming to break away from
the cultural and ideological bases of development, bringing forth other imaginaries, goals and
practices”.
Some practical examples of this are: buen vivir, degrowth, swaraj, ubuntu*1, solidarity economy…

Sustainable development, the green economy and their false solutions

➢ 1972, Stockholm, United Nations Conference on Environment & Development → focus: detailed
enumeration of biotic and physical resources that should be preserved. It marked the beginning
of international environmental policy. On 5 June, when the Conference began, it was declared
World Environment Day. In its declaration, the international community recognises for the first
time the need for international cooperation on environmental protection. The right of the Member
States to exploit their natural resources is contrasted with the obligation to ensure that activities
carried out on their territory do not cause environmental damage to other States. As a result, the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was established.
➢ 1987, Brundtland report (Our Common Future) presented by the United Nations (UN) → coining
the concept “sustainable development”.
➢ 1992, Rio Summit on Environment & Development → focus: poverty in developing countries.
The main actors were corporations and non-governmental organizations.
➢ 2012, Rio+20 Summit*2, UN Conference for Sustainable Development → key role: concept of
GE (Green Economy) = growth in employment and income are driven by public and private
investment into such economic activities, infrastructure and assets that allow reduced carbon
emissions and pollution, enhanced energy and resource efficiency, and prevention of the loss of
biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Transformative alternatives to development: worldviews and practices

• Critique of development and origins of alternative worldviews
Nowadays, decades after the introduction of this notion, only a handful of States have really achieved
the so-called ‘development’. For this reason, it is important that the concept is revolutionized and
different points of view are fundamental to understand all the contents in their complexity. As a result
of these measures and changes, different visions have developed in various regions of the world

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depending on the culture and social context present, but all wonder about what the exact problem is
to solve and who is to blame.
These alternative approaches cannot be summarized in one, but they debate the socio-ecological
transformations required. They criticize the current hegemony of development that is seen as a
homogenization of cultures given by a widespread adoption of the same technologies and models of
consumption and production in use in the Global North. So ‘development’ must be understood as a
toxic term to be rejected.
In opposition to this, ancient ways of life, already mentioned above, are resurfacing. These
worldviews often date back to marginal groups and they are very different from the current concept
of development. Surely these theories test the ideas of the green economy and SD. They pose and
present concepts such as solidarity, union with nature, simplicity, exclusivity...

• Ecological swaraj or Radical Ecological Democracy

= they respect the limits of our planet and the rights of other species, while following the main ideal
that is of equity and social justice. They have a democratic and egalitarian vision that points to
individual self-government, capacity for self-control and self-rule, and groups and communities as
the centre of government and economy.
Fundamental values: autonomy, cooperation, solidarity, equity, justice, inclusion, simplicity, respect
for life, non-violence...

• Degrowth: not less of the same, but simply different

= it is the rejection for the obsession with economic growth as a solution to every problem.
It is a term that was coined in 1972 by the political ecologist André Gorz and it is not to be interpreted
with its literal meaning (in other words the decrease in GDP) because this would mean the recession,
which is another phenomenon. The main goal is to have a smaller metabolism and to be different
from what is mainstream.

The Post-Development Dictionary agenda: towards the pluriverse

It is a process of research and writing that ends in a book in which there are several sections. The
main purposes are to:
- present a wide variety of different worldviews, approaches to society and critical essays regarding
the false solutions proposed by those in power,
- strengthening the debate on criticism and alternatives to development,
- be a guide to better understand the main concepts of Post-Development.

As Escobar also states, in modern ontology, the existence of One World prevails, while for other
visions the world is multiple: it is a pluriverse that can be described with “a world in which many
other worlds fall”.

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*1 Ubuntu = ethics/ideology of Sub-Saharan Africa that focuses on loyalty and mutual relationships
of people. It includes kindness to others, respect for others, and compassion.

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*2 Main purposes of the Rio+20 Conference:
1. renewed political commitment to sustainable development,
2. examine the gaps and progress in the implementation of previous decisions,
3. identify solutions to new challenges.

The main themes were:

• the green economy in the context of sustainable development;
• the fight against poverty,
• UN sustainability and environment governance reform,
• creation of global sustainability objectives;
• adoption of an action plan to promote sustainable development.

- The theme of the green economy was for the first time placed on the main political agenda. The
final document explicitly acknowledges that the green economy can contribute to sustainable
development and the fight against poverty;
- A ten-year programme for sustainable consumption and production behaviour has been approved.
It is a practical tool for promoting a sustainable consumption and production model and thus for
achieving a greener economy.
- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been strengthened by introducing
universal membership which will include all countries in the future. This strengthens the political
authority and legitimacy of UNEP;
- Progress has been made in specific areas such as agriculture and food safety, chemical and waste
management, public health and natural disasters.