Book contents
- The Colombo Plan
- Global and International History
- The Colombo Plan
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 A ‘Miniature United Nations’ at Colombo, 1950
- 2 Experimental Regionalism
- 3 Flexibility, with Limits
- 4 States, Sovereignty and Story
- 5 So Much Useful Work at So Small a Cost
- 6 Projecting the Plan
- Coda
- Bibliography
- Index
2 - Experimental Regionalism
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 October 2025
Book contents
- The Colombo Plan
- Global and International History
- The Colombo Plan
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 A ‘Miniature United Nations’ at Colombo, 1950
- 2 Experimental Regionalism
- 3 Flexibility, with Limits
- 4 States, Sovereignty and Story
- 5 So Much Useful Work at So Small a Cost
- 6 Projecting the Plan
- Coda
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The Colombo Plan gradually shook off the taint of British Treasury designs to become an experiment of shared interest by a growing number of newly-independent regional governments. An expanded membership brought tentative explorations of regional ideation and practice. It was also necessary for members to build a distinctive identity in a region being shaped by the Cold War, and amidst other organisations such as the UN’s Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East. They did so through elaborate hospitality in annual meetings and the showcasing of iconic development projects.
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- The Colombo PlanDevelopment Internationalism in Cold War Asia, pp. 56 - 95Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
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