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The millennium village project and African development

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  • Edward R. Carr

    (Department of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA)

Abstract

The Millennium Village Project (MVP) has come to embody hope for a new development path that might succeed where previous efforts have failed. A closer consideration of this project, however, suggests that this hope might be misplaced. Because of a general dearth of critical thought in key areas of project conceptualization, the MVP risks reproducing the problems of previous top-down, expert-driven development efforts. This article examines the conceptual issues raised by this absence of critical thought, and the reasons why project supporters have generally overlooked these issues. It then presents a critical grassroots framework which, if incorporated into existing MVP practices, might allow for the creation of a realistic, sustainable development path in Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Edward R. Carr, 2008. "The millennium village project and African development," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 8(4), pages 333-344, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:prodev:v:8:y:2008:i:4:p:333-344
    DOI: 10.1177/146499340800800403
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Michael A. Clemens & Gabriel Demombynes, 2011. "When does rigorous impact evaluation make a difference? The case of the Millennium Villages," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(3), pages 305-339, September.

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