Tanita Lewis, BA Economics & French

Decolonisation of Development

Inspired by the ongoing national movement for the decolonisation of education, I plan to present the case for the decolonisation of development economics. The vastly unequal global power relations which determine development economics in both theory and practice – can be exemplified by neocolonial international development institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank. I plan to discuss my research exploring the intersection of these institutions, neocolonialism and development outcomes in Caribbean countries. This research demonstrates the persistence of neocolonialism within development economics and how this constrains development in the Global South. I argue that decolonised economic theories and policies are necessary to promote equitable and sustainable development and to truly address global inequality.