Centre for Global Education, in partnership with Financial Justice Ireland, has published a research report titled Challenging the Dominant Economic Paradigm? compiled by independent consultant Harm-Jan Fricke. The aim of the research was to determine the extent to which the international development and development education sectors in the island of Ireland are engaging with the dominant economic system, i.e. neoliberalism, and its influence on poverty, inequality and injustice.
The research methodology included: a review of the web pages and policy documents of a set number of Irish development agencies and networks; an assessment of the extent to which issues identified by the agency analyses are related to the core characteristics of neoliberalism; an online survey of INGO practitioners; and the facilitation of two online seminars at which the research results were presented and discussed. The review of policy statements suggests that INGOs “do not provide a significant, let alone comprehensive and systemic analysis of reasons for the existence of the issues” they address. The survey findings indicated that INGOs don’t “give anywhere near adequate attention to explorations with the public of the economic causes of poverty, inequality and injustice”. These findings should be used as the basis of internal reflection and discourse by the international development sector particularly on the lack of systemic analysis in their public engagement and education activities. CGE aims to carry out deeper investigations on the question hanging over this research report – why is the INGO sector largely ignoring the question of neoliberalism?
First published in August E-Bulletin from the Centre for Global Education