From colonial benevolence to transnational solidarity: shifting frames in international development through Black feminism

This article critically examines the ethical foundation of benevolence in international development and intervention, highlighting how colonial legacies continue to shape relationships within these practices. Drawing on insights from Black feminist thought, it argues for shifting from an ethic of benevolence, which often perpetuates paternalistic and hierarchical dynamics, to one of transnational solidarity. The paper is structured in three parts: it first explores the historical role of benevolence in colonial domination; then analyses solidarity through a Black feminist lens, focusing on challenges such as universalism, invisibility, paternalism, and (re)victimisation; and finally proposes methodological and ethical shifts to centre lived experience and reframe visibility as resistance. This reorientation aims to support the decolonisation of development by fostering horizontal, reflexive, and transformative relationships across global power asymmetries.