Paper short abstract:

The rising powers are engaging in development assistance that has been framed in a distinct and evocative way, espousing the principles of solidarity, respect for sovereignty, mutual benefit and partnership. But does the reality reflect the rhetoric? And is there power in the rhetoric alone?

Paper long abstract:

"Southern donors" have framed their cooperation activities in rhetoric that is a response to the aid programs of Northern donors and a vision for a new type of development assistance. This rhetoric has at its core certain principles that are meant to guide cooperation between Southern countries: solidarity, respect for sovereignty, mutual benefit, and partnership. The implication is that these Southern partners can offer countries of the South a new type of relationship based on equality and respect that can result in effective development and mutual exchange for both parties. Focusing on Brazil and Venezuela as two major Latin American countries providing assistance to the region and beyond, this paper looks at the meaning and importance of this development discourse, whether it is gaining traction amongst recipients and onlookers in the international sphere, and whether these principles can be seen in cooperative activities on the ground. Two small Caribbean nations, St Lucia and Grenada, are used as case studies for how these principles can play out in practice between countries that both identify as "Southern" but otherwise have huge discrepancies in size, power and wealth. Using extensive interview data and program information, the research attempts to answer the questions of whether something genuinely new and different is occurring in these partnerships, and whether this rhetoric holds meaning in and of itself even when it may not be apparent in action.