The Violence of Development : Resource Depletion, Environmental Crises and Human Rights Abuses in Central America

The Violence of Development examines the failure of 'development' in Central America, where despite billions of dollars of development funding and positive indicators of economic growth, poverty remains entrenched and violence endemic. Martin Mowforth shows how development is predicated on force and systematic violence, with which the world's most powerful governments, financial institutions and companies punish the global south through economic gangsterism. Crucially, the analysis in The Violence of Development comes from many development project case studies and over sixty interviews with a range of people in Central America, including nuns, politicians, NGO representatives, trade unionists, indigenous leaders and human rights defenders. This book is a compelling synthesis of first-hand research and development theory.Reviews'Distinctively emphasises the violent and destructive effects of the development policies that have been implemented in Central America' -- Linda Holland, Director of The Institute for Central American Studies (ICAS)'Distinctively emphasises the violent and destructive effects of the development policies that have been implemented in Central America'About the AuthorMartin Mowforth lecturers at the University of Plymouth in the UK and is the co-author of Tourism and Sustainability: Development, Globalisation and New Tourism in the Third World (2009) and Tourism and Responsibility: Perspectives from Latin America and the Caribbean (2008). He is editor of the newsletter of the Environmental Network for Central America (ENCA). This book examines the failure of 'development' in Central America, where despite billions of dollars of development funding and positive indicators of economic growth, poverty remains entrenched and violence endemic.

Martin Mowforth shows how development is predicated on force and systematic violence, through which the world's most powerful governments, financial institutions and companies punish the global south.

Crucially, the analysis in The Violence of Development comes from many development project case studies and over sixty interviews with a range of people in Central America, including nuns, politicians, NGO representatives, trade unionists, indigenous leaders and human rights defenders. This book is a compelling synthesis of first-hand research and development theory. Compelling analysis revealing the endemic violence and systematic impoverishment at the heart of 'development'.