Society for International Development
The Society for International Development is an international membership network that promotes dialogue, research, professional exchange, and cooperation on development issues.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Society for International Development (SID) is an international membership-based organisation devoted to discussion and cooperation on economic, social, political, and institutional development. It was established in Washington, D.C., in 1957 and subsequently developed a worldwide network of individual and institutional members, local chapters, and partner organisations. The organisation has worked with more than 100 associations, networks, and institutions involving academics, parliamentarians, students, political leaders, development practitioners, and policy specialists. SID is structured as a network rather than as a conventional commercial brand. Its principal activities include conferences, seminars, lecture series, round tables, expert meetings, public debates, advocacy initiatives, professional networking, and the publication of reports and other knowledge products. Local chapters provide the territorial base for these activities, allowing members to connect international development debates with national and local experience. Chapters also create opportunities for practitioners and organisations to exchange information, build professional relationships, and discuss the practical consequences of development policy. Although SID was founded in the United States, its international administration has long been associated with Europe. The secretariat has been based in Rome since 1979, and the organisation opened a regional office for Eastern and Southern Africa in Nairobi in 2003. The network has been described as extending across more than 80 countries. Chapters have included organisations in Washington, Buenos Aires, the Netherlands, and other locations. The Washington chapter has been identified as one of the network's largest and most active, while the Buenos Aires chapter traces its origins to the end of 1957 and has maintained sustained programming on national and international development questions. SID's intellectual and convening role is also represented by Development, its quarterly journal published by Palgrave Macmillan. The journal provides a platform for analysis and debate on development theory, policy, and practice. In addition to its journal, the organisation's chapters have published reports, magazines, and event materials. The Buenos Aires chapter launched the magazine Qué? Hacer para el Desarrollo in 2010. The organisation's programming has addressed themes including security and development, religion and international relations, democracy, global scarcities, economic growth, common goods, global values, state capacity, the private sector, dispersed power, and new forms of international engagement. Its events have featured senior public officials, development economists, scholars, diplomats, and leaders of international organisations. Through this combination of membership, local chapters, publications, and public programming, SID functions as a convening platform for the international development community. Publicly available reference material does not provide enough information to establish a current executive roster, financial profile, or detailed contemporary programme portfolio.
History
The Society for International Development was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1957 during a period when international development was becoming a distinct field of public policy, economics, administration, and international cooperation. From its beginning, SID was designed as a network for people and institutions engaged with development questions rather than as a commercial enterprise. Its membership model enabled professionals, scholars, public officials, students, and organisations to exchange ideas across national and disciplinary boundaries. The organisation expanded through local chapters. These chapters became the principal means through which members could participate in conferences, seminars, lecture series, round tables, advocacy activities, charity events, and other development initiatives in their own regions. The chapter system allowed SID to combine a global identity with locally grounded programming. The Buenos Aires chapter, created by Argentine intellectuals and scholars at the end of 1957, became one of the organisation's oldest continuing chapters. It was originally known as the Argentine Chapter and adopted the name Buenos Aires Chapter in 2000 after chapters were established in Rosario and La Plata. In 2010, the Buenos Aires chapter introduced the magazine Qué? Hacer para el Desarrollo. SID's institutional centre shifted toward Europe over time. Its secretariat has been based in Rome since 1979, while a regional office for Eastern and Southern Africa was opened in Nairobi in 2003. The organisation has maintained a network of members, chapters, and partner institutions in more than 80 countries and has collaborated with more than 100 associations, networks, and institutions. These relationships have connected the organisation to universities, governments, parliaments, international agencies, civil-society organisations, and development specialists. Knowledge production and public convening became central elements of SID's identity. Its quarterly journal, Development, is published by Palgrave Macmillan and carries both print and electronic ISSN identifiers. The journal has served as a platform for debate about development policy and practice. Chapters have supplemented the journal through reports, magazines, public lectures, and thematic events. The Netherlands chapter, established in 1991, developed a substantial programme of lectures, debates, conferences, expert meetings, and network events. Its SID Lectures series, organised with VU University Amsterdam, examined subjects such as security and development, religion and international relations, democracy, emerging scarcities, economic growth, common goods, global values, the state in a globalising world, the private sector, dispersed power, and new spaces for international engagement. These programmes illustrate SID's preference for multi-perspective discussion rather than a single technical or ideological approach. The Washington chapter has been described as the largest and most active chapter, with a substantial base of organisational and individual members. Its stated objectives have included stimulating dialogue and cooperation on global development issues, strengthening the skills and knowledge of development practitioners, and providing a professional network for people and organisations working in different sectors. SID's events have attracted senior figures from development agencies, governments, academia, international organisations, and civil society. Publicly listed speakers have included former and serving officials associated with USAID, UNDP, the OECD, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, national governments, universities, and international stabilisation and development programmes. These speakers reflect the organisation's role as a convening institution within the development-policy community. The governing council is elected by members through a mail ballot on a four-year cycle. A published roster for the 2012–2015 period listed Juma Volter Mwapachu as president, Jean Gilson as vice president, René Grotenhuis as treasurer, and Stefano Prato as managing director. The available reference material does not establish the organisation's current governing council or executive leadership. Nor does it provide sufficient information about current finances, staffing, legal structure, or recent strategic changes. SID is therefore best understood from the available evidence as an active international professional and policy network whose principal assets are its membership, chapters, publications, partnerships, and convening capacity.
- 2010
Buenos Aires chapter launches development magazine
[1]The Buenos Aires chapter published the first issue of Qué? Hacer para el Desarrollo.
- 2003
Regional office opened in Nairobi
[1]SID opened a regional office serving Eastern and Southern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.
- 2000
Argentine Chapter renamed Buenos Aires Chapter
[1]The chapter changed its name after the creation of additional chapters in Rosario and La Plata.
- 1991
Netherlands chapter founded
[1]The Society for International Development in the Netherlands was established and later developed lecture, debate, conference, and expert-meeting programmes.
- 1979
Secretariat moves to Rome
[1]The SID Secretariat became based in Rome, giving the organisation a continuing administrative centre in Italy.
- 1957
Organisation founded in Washington, D.C.
[1]The Society for International Development was established in the United States as a network for people and institutions concerned with international development.
- 1957
Buenos Aires chapter established
[1]A group of Argentine intellectuals and scholars created what was initially known as the Argentine Chapter at the end of the year.
Products and positioning
A non-commercial international development network positioned as a forum for cross-sector dialogue, professional exchange, policy discussion, and knowledge sharing.
Quarterly journal
Development
Development is the Society for International Development's quarterly journal, published by Palgrave Macmillan. It provides a forum for research, commentary, and debate concerning international development policy and practice. The publication is associated with print ISSN 1011-6370 and electronic ISSN 1461-7072. It may be cited as Development (Rome) or Development (Washington), reflecting the organisation's historical geographic associations.
Chapter magazine · 2010
Qué? Hacer para el Desarrollo
Qué? Hacer para el Desarrollo was a magazine launched by the Buenos Aires chapter in September 2010. It represented the chapter's effort to extend its development discussions and programmes through a dedicated publication focused on development questions.
Professional network · 1957
SID membership network
SID membership connects individual and institutional participants through local chapters, partner organisations, conferences, seminars, lectures, debates, and professional events. The network is intended for development practitioners, researchers, students, public officials, political leaders, and organisations working across international development.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/society-for-international-development · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled