Telescopic Philanthropy, Emancipation and Development Communication Theory

Abstract

Development communication theory can be framed as the rescue mission of the global north to save the global south from itself. It is in view of this that this paper asks: what does it mean to found the emancipation of the postcolonial nation on the philanthropic whim? Us - ing Derrida’s theory of gift as a framework, this paper opens up discussions around the cost of international development assistance on the instrumentality of the postcolonial state as an agent of national development. It uses illustrative examples from Ghana and Uganda to demonstrate how development aid has transformed the postcolonial state into an instrument of tutelary governance, and invites development communication scholars to question the discursive and performative functions of international development assistance.