Alternative Approaches to International Cooperation: Global Citizenship and Dutch Citizen Engagement

There is currently much debate about the future of development cooperation. While perspectives about how much it has accomplished vary widely, many scholars and practitioners alike agree that the role of development assistance-its structure, effectiveness, and relevance for the future-is in need of re-evaluation. One of the trends towards change includes increasing citizen involvement in the process of development. There is a focus on increasing the participation of citizens in the South in the planning, implementation, or evaluation of the development interventions that affect their lives. At the same time, there has been a resurgence of the idea of global citizenship in the North. Northern citizens are encouraged to learn about international issues and get involved with the global. They are encouraged to donate money to international campaigns, to become 'responsible consumers' by reducing personal consumption and malcing 'globally-ethical' consumer choices on fair trade and eco-friendly products. But does Northern citizen responsibility towards the global end there?