Abstract
Development is often framed as a humanitarian tool for poverty alleviation, yet historically, it has functioned as an instrument of political, social, and economic control, reinforcing rather than alleviating global inequalities. This research critically examines development as a colonial mechanism in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), exposing how international donor interventions sustain asymmetrical power relations under the guise of neutrality. Positioned within past-present critical development studies, postcolonial theory, and settler-colonial studies, it interrogates how modernization and neoliberal policies entrench dependency, de-development, depoliticize resistance, and reinforce settler-colonial rule. Using archival research, discourse analysis, and qualitative methodologies—including semi-structured interviews and focus groups—this study reveals how development fragments Palestinian civil society and professionalizes grassroots movements. It scrutinizes Belgium's role as a donor, juxtaposing its neutrality rhetoric in reproducing or challenging colonial hierarchies. Additionally, it explores alternative decolonial models that center Palestinian self-determination and economic, political, and social sovereignty. The research will employ the qualitative data analysis NVivo software for thematic coding to systematically categorize and interpret qualitative data, identifying recurring patterns in donor interventions and their impact.
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