Paper short abstract:

This paper grapples with Russia's position as the only BRICS country that is not part of the South but is a member of the G8, focusing on Russia's [re-]emerging role as a provider of international development aid. It explores experiences of various players navigating this changing global terrain.

Paper long abstract:

In the wake of the Fourth High Level Forum on Development Effectiveness in Busan, Korea, the field of players in development has become officially more inclusive, and South-South cooperation has been embraced. But how does Russia fit in? It is not counted in the traditional donors' club; but it is also not part of the South. It is counted as one of the BRICS, but it is the only one that is a member of the G8. Like the remaining BRICS countries, Russia is emerging - or more accurately re-emerging - as a provider of international development assistance, but while Brazil, China and India have clearly signaled their intention to challenge to development status quo and demonstrate alternative approaches predicated on cooperation rather than donorship, at least some of the Russian ministries involved in cultivating its aid programme seem to be bending over backwards to conform to the traditional approach to development as exemplified by the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Yet Russia is heir to the Soviet Union's symbolic legacy of leadership in pursuing a "non-capitalist path of development". This paper grapples with the challenges of bringing an anthropological approach to the task of understanding the experiences of various players negotiating Russa's changing role in this "new and differently organized world system". It explores the social interactions and cultural practices of Russian government ministers, NGO professionals, think-tank academics, and development agency representatives as they navigate this changing global terrain.