EADI Jubilee Event Development in Crisis: Reflecting on the Past, Looking to the Future

EADI was established in the turbulent world of the 1970s. Fast forward fifty years, and the world is equally turbulent. The global South/East and North/West then and now face similar shocks and stressors, although their ability to respond financially, in policy, and in terms of capacity differs dramatically across countries.

Looking backwards, we can note the oil price crisis of the 1970s, the debt crisis and neo-liberal resurgence of the 1980s, the end of the Cold War in 1989, the global financial crisis of the late 2000s, the Arab Spring, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, among other significant events. We witness a rising number of conflicts within and between countries, most notably the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and their geopolitical and socio-economic consequences.

During this jubilee year, we aim to critically assess and reflect on development and development studies, responding to the topics raised by our working groups and members over the year, and to today's development challenges.

We intend to generate a kaleidoscope of various views, perhaps rearranging the kaleidoscope to better understand the direction in which the world might be headed. We will have a rolling calendar of events, including local, regional, or international events that fall under the umbrella of the jubilee year.

In summary, as we look ahead, the world today faces multiple crises. We plan to reflect on the past and look forward to assessing what we can expect from the next 50 years and how the world will develop from here.