The Means and Ends of Economic Development

The Magazine of the Swiss-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce

In 2009 Ernst von Kimakowitz was invited to write a short article for the December issue of Swisscam Brasil, the Magazine of the Swiss-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.

The topic of the 59th Edition of Swisscam Brasil was Government in Brazil and Switzerland and this article (available in Portuguese and English) focuses on the question of what good development is. How do we define the ends and what are the means of developmental efforts and, given that this publication primarily addresses the business community, what is the role of the private sector therein?

The point of departure for finding an answer to this question is a clear understanding of the fact that, firstly, development is human development i.e. that the central point of reflection on the success of development efforts is how the real lives of real people have changed. And, secondly, that development is not confined to lower income countries; no matter how rich or how poor a country is, it is always developing because an entirely stagnant society does not exist.

Please go here to find out more about the Swiss-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce or here to view the 59th Edition of Swisscam Brasil. You can also download the magazine directly here or view the article online.

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