Word: das
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...DAS was one of many agencies and governments that played roles in the tragedy of Pakistan's development. It is difficult to evaluate the importance of the DAS' role in determining development strategy, but even one of its harshest critics, Arthur MacEwan, assistant professor of Economics, agreed that "the DAS was in no sense decisive in Pakistan." The DAS was involved in Pakistan form the middle fifties until it left the country in 1970. It provided no financial aid to Pakistan, but served as members of and technical advisors to the country's planning commission...
According to MacEwan, "the DAS did not contradict the dominant trend of thought concerning development policy in Pakistan, but instead acted as one more buttress to the elitist theory of development and provided important technical expertise necessary to the implementation of that theory...
MacEwan added that "the DAS reinforced the creation of the present totalitarian government in West Pakistan. It was one of many forces working in that direction...
Gustave Papanek refused to comment on the role of the DAS in the development of Pakistan, but John W. Thomas, current associate director of the DAS, agreed with many of the points voiced by MacEwan and other DAS critics...
Thomas, who worked in East Pakistan for the DAS, called its role "peripheral," adding that "the DAS did not have final responsibility for the development policy, but we did agree with that policy." Thomas conceded however that events in Pakistan have proved that the elitist theory of development "is pretty unsatisfactory...