IN TRIBUTE TO THE GOLDEN-AGE OF THE SOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Many countries in the South are in deep crises. The crises have spread despair. There is a danger of forgetting altogether the South's spectacular economic and social sprint for two generations since 1950. There was no parallel in the past to this upsurge - in terms of either its pace, size or spread; or the sheer numbers of people and countries involved; or the length of the period. This essay pinpoints the main landmarks of this monumental transformation against the background of the North's advance in the 19th century, and post-1950 perceptions of development economics. It pays tribute to the transformation in the hope that the lessons still to be distilled from it will forge the future strategies to build upon the South's strengths and overcome its weaknesses.