Sustainable Development

What Is Sustainable Development?

To better understand Global Brigades' goals and initiatives, let’s take a closer look at Sustainable Development. Use the resources below to learn more about our organization in relation to Sustainable Development, such as the evolution of the concept, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and country challenges. Check out the video below for an introduction on the topic:

Use this guide to generate discussion within your Chapter, especially before you go on Brigade.

Introduction to Sustainable Development

Objective: International Development is a commonly used term, but what is it exactly? How is it defined? What is its history and how it has evolved? How did it evolve to incorporate Sustainable Development? These are questions that generated the content for this section. It is essential to understand the origin in order to actively engage in Sustainable Development, the realm in which Global Brigades aligns its mission and vision. 

Estimated Time: 1-2 hours

Instructions:

• Prior to watching the videos, spend about 2-3 minutes brainstorming and defining International Development. This should generate various definitions based on each individual’s personal experience and understanding of development. 
• Watch Introduction to Sustainable Development
• Watch Ted Talk by Alanna Shaikh: What is International Development?
• Watch Colonialism and A Very Brief History of International Development, one after another. The combined content can be reviewed after the videos are complete. 
• After watching the 4 videos, answer the following discussion questions:

“What is International Development?” Ted Talk by Alanna Shaikh

1. Why is it difficult to define International Development? 
   
   (Answer: International Development is multidimensional and, therefore, can generate varying ideas about what it is and why it exists.)
2. Elaborate on each of the definitions:
   1. UN - “Reduction of poverty and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals” 
   2. 1960s- “Liberation of people and peoples based on structural transformation” 
   3. Post-Modern - “A set of ideas that shapes power relations because they value certain things over others”
   4. Economist, Amartya Sen - “Freedom”
3. In what ways are the definitions similar? In what ways are the definitions different?
4. What are ways to contribute to International Development in your daily life?

“Colonialism” and “A Brief History of Development”

1. What is the difference between Colonialism and Imperialism? 
2. What are some of the positive and negative ramifications of Colonialism?
3. How do you think Colonialism has affected the development of nations?
4. How did International Development begin? 
5. What is a major reason the economic development was inefficient? 

Sustainable Development

1. How is Sustainable Development different from International Development and Colonialism?
2. What are the three pillars of sustainable development?
3. Describe the integration of the 3 pillars.
4. Do you think Global Brigades fits the definition of Sustainable Development?