Paper short abstract:

Anthropology of development is crutial in order to understand what is going on in local development arenas and how this is connected with wider political contexts. This can enable us to think of and inact new kinds of cooperation towards disired changes.

Paper long abstract:

My staring point is the understanding of relationship between anthropology and development where development configuration presents a privileged research field. Anthropology provides insights in how development configuration works locally and this can optionally be a basis for proposals for more satisfactory development projects (Olivier de Sardin 2005). The following example illustrates it is necessary to consider also wider neoliberal political context.

Part of my research in Niger dealt with experiences of Tuareg with development projects. Huge development programs from the past that were successfully building basic infrastructure and provided paid jobs were preferred to more recent participation paradigm that was seen as imposed. Numerous small projects based on personal connections and with sensibility for specific local circumstances were seen as more efficient. To certain Tuareg employed in development it became clear that development projects are filling in the function of (social) state. In this perspective recent claims of rebellion and civil society movements could be understood as demanding state to fulfil its function. Since state is bound to meet the interest of international corporations (as most African states), negotiations would be tense even if state would care about its minorities.

In order to understand aspirations of local people in uncertain situations what seems to be missing and where anthropologist can engage is discussing notions of desired changes and of good life with individuals and specific social groups (e.g. according to gender, generation, urban and nomadic way of life, schooling) and their experiences of possibilities and obstacles.