“A Pillar’s Progress: How Development’s History Shapes U.S. Options in the Present”, by David Ekbladh, former research fellow, International Security Program, 2009–2010, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School.
With the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the “War on Terror” that followed, development aid was shoved back into the spotlight. Many ideas and institutions that had lain dormant in international affairs, insinuated their return into U.S. strategy and the agenda of the international community. “Nation building” in Afghanistan and Iraq along with a hope that development would stifle the appeal of extremist ideologies and the movements that they stirred has returned development to a prominent place in U.S. grand strategy.
This was a small project referred to me by a friend at the Belfer Center. It became known as “that Damn paper”, because the author wanted a photo of the Kajaki Dam on the cover. We got such great mileage out of calling it “that Damn paper”, that I decided to include it (“that Damn paper”) here. Enjoy.
